Is it a hassle for you or your team to schedule tours with prospects?
Prospective renters want to see your real estate property before they rent it. However, it can be difficult to find a time that works with both your and their schedules. This back and forth with scheduling can create a negative prospect experience, making it hard to rent your property.
Once you schedule the tour, you have to spend time showing prospects your property – instead of focusing on high-value tasks. This scheduling and showing process can be frustrating for both you and prospects.
That’s why it’s time to ditch traditional showings for self-guided tours. Prospective tenants can see the property whenever they want. And, you don’t have to waste time showing your property. With self-guided tours, you can save time, lease faster, and create a better prospect experience.
Wondering how to get started with self-guided tours? That’s what we’ll cover in this guide. Plus, we’ve compiled the top 8 self-guided tour providers to help you choose the right one. Let’s start with a look at what self-guided tours are.
Table of contents:
- What are self-guided tours and how do they work?
- Are self-guided tours the same as virtual tours?
- Who are self-guided tours for?
- What are the benefits of self-guided tours?
- What features should you look for in self-guided rental property tours?
- What is the best self-guided tour software?
- BeHome247
- ButterflyMX
- Caretaker
- Rently
- ShowMojo
- SmartRent
- TenantTurner
- Tour24
What are self-guided tours and how do they work?
Self-guided tours are rental property tours prospects take on their own. Instead of you having to show prospects your property, they can schedule a house/apartment tour to view your property themselves. Typically, self-touring is for multifamily and single family rental properties.
To take a self-guided tour, prospects first have to find your property online. Then, they can choose a time slot on an online calendar for the tour. Prospects can choose any time that works for them – including before or after hours.
Before prospects can take the tour, they have to pass credit and background checks. This ensures that prospects are a good fit for your property. If prospective renters pass the background and credit checks, they then get an access code or pass to see your rental.
Upon arriving at your property, prospects can use the access code or pass to enter your rental and look around. Once prospective tenants finish their tour, the self-guided tour solution can automatically lock up.
When prospects sign up for a self-guided tour, the self-guided tour software sends their info to your leasing team. So, your leasing team can follow up with any well-qualified prospects after their tour. This increases the likelihood that prospective renters will lease your property.
Are self-guided tours the same as virtual tours?
One common misconception about self-guided tours is that they’re the same as virtual tours. While both self-guided and virtual torus are enabled by technology, they have key differences. Self-guided tours involve the prospect visiting your property without you or your team. Virtual tours allow prospects to virtually view your property – without visiting it.
Who are self-guided tours for?
Self-guided tours are great for landlords. From marketing listings, to interacting with prospects, to screening tenants, to doing property maintenance, to communicating with tenants, and more, landlords have a lot on their plate.
With self-guided tours, landlords no longer have to worry about finding time to show their property. This can save hours – freeing up landlords to focus on other important tasks (like keeping tenants happy).
Along with landlords, self-guided rental tours are also for property managers or leasing agents. Most property managers have multiple (if not tens or hundreds of) properties to manage. So, property managers don’t have time to show each rental to every prospective renter.
With self-guided tours, property managers don’t have to find time to show properties. Instead, prospects can show themselves the property – giving property managers more time to manage other aspects of their portfolios.
Additionally, self-guided tours work well for tenants. It can be frustrating and time-consuming for tenants to find a time to see a property that works with the landlord or property manager’s schedule. Plus, seeing a property with the landlord or property manager can feel high pressure.
With self-guided tours, prospective tenants can see the property whenever they want. And, they don’t have to worry about being pressured by landlords or property managers.
Self-guided tours work well for landlords, property managers, and prospective tenants.
What are the benefits of self-guided tours?
Along with working for landlords, property managers, and prospects, self-guided tours also offer a wide range of benefits. Here are some of the top benefits of self-guided tours:
Save time
One benefit of self-guided tours is that it saves time. Property tours can be time-consuming for you and prospects because of the back and forth for scheduling. Plus, you or your team have to spend time going to the property, showing prospects around, and locking up afterward.
With self-guided tours, you don’t have to spend time on scheduling. Instead, prospects can schedule their tour completely online. Because prospects can see the property on their own, you and your team don’t have to spend time on the tour itself. This can free up hours for you and your team to focus on other important activities (like creating a great tenant experience).
Lease faster
Another benefit of self-guided tours is a shorter leasing cycle. With traditional tours, your leasing process is slowed down by the time you have to spend scheduling the tour. It might also be weeks until a prospect’s schedule aligns with yours, further slowing down your leasing process.
Self-guided tours make it easy and quick for prospects to schedule tours. Plus, prospects can see your property before or after business hours and on the weekends. This flexibility allows prospects to see and lease your property sooner. So, you reduce the time your property is vacant – increasing revenue.
Improve the tenant experience
Self-guided tours can also create a better prospect experience. Traditional property tours can be hard to schedule and high pressure. With a landlord or property manager hovering, prospects might feel rushed. This high-pressure experience makes it less likely prospects will rent your property.
However, with self-guided tours, prospects can take a pressure-free tour on their own. So, they can explore your property at their own pace. A better experience makes it more likely prospects will rent your property – reducing vacancies and boosting revenue.
What features should you look for in self-guided rental property tours?
While self-guided tours offer many benefits, you’ll only see the benefits with the right self-guided tour solution. Here are the top features to look for in self-guided tours to maximize the benefits you’ll see:
Device integration
An important feature to look for in self-guided tours for rental properties is device integration. Self-guided tours rely on smart devices that unlock the property for prospects. Some self-guided tour solutions only work with certain smart locks. So, if you already have smart locks on your property, they may not work with some self-guided tour solutions.
If you want the freedom to use any smart devices that work for your property, you should look for self-guided tour software with wide device integration. It should integrate with a variety of protocols (like Z-Wave and Zigbee) and connectivity methods (like WiFi and Bluetooth). That way, you can continue using any devices that work for your property.
Complete platform
Another key feature to look for in a self-guided tour solution is that it’s a complete platform. Self-guided tours are only one aspect of managing your property. You also need to manage marketing, maintenance, inspections, vendors, tenant communication, smart devices, and more.
If you choose a solution that’s only for self-guided tours, you’ll need other tech to manage other aspects of your property. Having multiple tech tools is not only hard to use but also expensive.
So, you should look for a self-guided tour solution that’s part of a comprehensive property and device management platform. That way, you can manage every aspect of your property from one, easy-to-use application – cutting costs and boosting your ROI.
Security
Along with comprehensiveness, you should also look for a self-guided tour solution with security features. With self-guided tours, you or your team aren’t there to make sure prospective renters don’t damage your property or leave it unlocked after touring.
To prevent any damage to your property, you should look for self-guided tour software with security features – like background and credit checks, autolocking, and hard-to break locks. That way, you can get the benefits of self-guided tours, without risking your property.
Responsive support
You should also look for a self-guided tour solution with responsive human support. Adopting new tech can be challenging for you and your team to use. Without good customer support, you could be stuck trying to solve any problems that pop up on your own. This troubleshooting will suck up your valuable time and create a poor tenant experience.
So, you need self-guided tour software with great support. That way, you can solve any technical problems quickly to minimize any negative prospect impact.
What is the best self-guided tour software?
Now that you know some top features to look for, it’s time to choose the right self-guided tour solution for your property. Here are the top 8 options:
1. BeHome247
Top Features:
- Device agnostic
- End-to-end platform
- Middleware for legacy tech
- Responsive human support
- Tenant communications app
BeHome247 is a complete property and device management platform with self-guided tour functionality. Its platform is designed for multifamily, single family, vacation rental, and hospitality properties. If you need self-guided touring for a mixed portfolio, BeHome247 is a great choice.
In terms of self-guided tours, BeHome247’s solution has top-notch security with quad authenticated identity verification and optional background checks. BeHome247 is also a device agnostic platform with wide integration. So, you can use any smart device (like smart locks) with its self-guided tours. Plus, BeHome247’s mobile app makes it easy for prospects to self-tour.
As a property and device management platform, BeHome247 offers everything you need to manage operations, communication, and the prospect/tenant experience from one application. BeHome247’s cloud-based platform automates all of your day-to-day operations – like maintenance, inspections, vendor invoicing, task reminders, tenant/guest communication, housekeeping, digital rental agreements, and more.
Along with being an end-to-end platform, BeHome247 is also a middleware solution. As such, BeHome247 not only works with legacy technology but also improves its functionality by adding features (like EV charging). So, you don’t have to change tech that works for you to use BeHome247.
Final word: BeHome247 is the best self-guided tour solution because of its comprehensive platform, device flexibility, security, and responsive support.
2. ButterflyMX
Top Features:
- Virtual keys
- Entry logs
- Mobile app
ButterflyMX is an access control system for residential and commercial properties. As an access control system, ButterflyMX focuses on features that allow landlords, property managers, and tenants to enter and exit the building with a smartphone, code, or other keyless methods. Along with access control, ButterflyMX offers a self-guided tour solution with features like entry alerts, virtual keys, a mobile app, and elevator controls. However, ButterflyMX has proprietary self-guided tour and access control hardware (like smart locks). Because of this, ButterflyMX doesn’t integrate with many third-party devices. ButterflyMX also doesn’t offer property management capabilities.
Final word: If you’re looking for a self-guided tour and access control solution without much device integration or property management functionality, ButterflyMX could work for you.
3. Caretaker
Top Features:
- Digital leases
- Tenant screening
- Online rent payments
Caretaker began as a subletting platform. Now, Caretaker provides some property management features and self-guided tours for single family and multifamily properties. In its property management offering, Caretaker provides features like marketing, tenant screening, digital lease agreements, managing security deposits, and online payments. While Caretaker provides some property management features, it isn’t a comprehensive property management platform. For self-guided tours, Caretaker provides online sign-up for tours, background checks, and access control management. However, Caretaker only allows you to use certain devices on its platform – limiting your smart device choices.
Final word: If you’re looking for basic property management and self-guided tour features, Caretaker could be a good option.
4. Rently
Top Features:
- Resident screening
- Manager portal
- Smart device management
Rently is a self-guided tour solution for multifamily and single family properties. It also offers some smart device management features for enterprise portfolios. However, Rently has proprietary hardware (like lockboxes) and limited integration. So, you can only use some smart devices on its platform. Additionally, Rently doesn’t offer property management functionality. You’ll need other tech to successfully manage your property if you choose Rently. In terms of self-guided tours, Rently offers features like background checks, access codes, prospect support, and a manager portal.
Final word: If you’re looking for a self-guided tour solution without property management or wide integration, Rently could work for you.
5. ShowMojo
Top Features:
- Automated prospect communication
- Email appointment reminders
- Listing reports
ShowMojo provides solutions to automate the residential leasing process for single family and multifamily properties. With its focus on leasing, ShowMojo doesn’t offer property management capabilities. As such, you’ll need additional tech to manage every aspect of your property. In terms of leasing, ShowMojo offers features like self-guided tours, a call center, prospect screening, email appointment reminders, prospect follow-up, and listing reports. While ShowMojo manufactures proprietary hardware (like smart locks), it doesn’t have wide device integration. If you choose ShowMojo for self-guided tours, your device options will be limited.
Final word: If you’re looking for self-guided tours with leasing-focused features, ShowMojo could be a good option.
6. SmartRent
Top Features:
- Parking management
- Access control
- Smart home automation
SmartRent is a smart home automation provider for single family, multifamily, and student housing properties. Along with smart home automation, SmartRent offers self-guided tours. It also manufactures proprietary hardware. Although SmartRent does offer some third-party hardware integration options, its integration isn’t as robust as other options. SmartRent offers smart home automation features like access control, self-guided tours, parking management, community WiFi, and device control. However, SmartRent doesn’t offer any property management features. As such, SmartRent isn’t a complete property and device management platform.
Final word: If you’re looking for smart home automation and self-guided tours without property management capabilities, SmartRent could work for you.
7. TenantTurner
- Lead scheduling
- Automated prospect follow-up
- Tenant screening
TenantTurner is a lead management solution with self-guided tour offerings. As a lead scheduling solution, TenantTurner focuses on centralizing leads, automating scheduling and self-guided tours, and screening prospects. It offers features like a CRM, centralized dashboard, automated lead responses and follow-up, and self-guided tours. While TenantTurner provides integration to some third-party software options, it has limited device integration. So, many smart locks won’t work with TenantTurner. Additionally, TenantTurner focuses exclusively on lead management and doesn’t have property management functionality. With TenantTurner, you’ll need separate property and device management tech.
Final word: If you’re looking for lead management and self-guided tours without property management functionality, TenantTurner could be a good option.
8. Tour24
Top Features:
- Identity verification
- After-hours tours
- Tour dashboard
Tour24 is a self-guided tour solution. It only provides self-guided tours – not property or device management. With its focus on self-guided tours, Tour24 isn’t a complete solution to help you manage every aspect of your property. In its self-guided tour solution, Tour24 offers identity verification, prospect screening, and a tour dashboard. For prospective renters, Tour24 offers a smartphone app to schedule and take self-guided tours. Because Tour24 is only a self-guided tour solution, it doesn’t offer device integration. Instead, it relies on integrations to third-party property and device management software.
Final word: If you’re looking for software that only doesn’t self-guided tours with no property or device management, Tour24 could work for you.
Conclusion
Self-guided tours can help you reduce your team’s workload, speed up the leasing process, and create a better prospect experience. But, it’s important to choose the right self-guided tour software (with features like device integration, a comprehensive platform, security, and responsive support) to see these benefits.
All 8 self-guided tour solutions can meet some of your needs. But, if you want the best self-guided tour software, BeHome247 is the way to go. BeHome247’s device agnostic, cloud-based platform works with most devices and legacy technology. Along with self-guided tour software, BeHome247 also offers a complete property and device management platform. That way, you can manage everything for your property in one place.
Book your BeHome247 demo today to start leasing faster, reducing work, and impressing prospects with self-guided tours.
