Self-showings are a great way for prospective tenants to preview your available rental properties by touring at their own convenience. Not only will it free up your time, from having to show the property yourself; but it will also avoid losing a prospective tenant from losing interest having to schedule their availability against your own. It also, captures the interested party, instantly, while their interest is still peaked. The moment they inquire about t the property, is the moment they can also schedule a showing. A potential tenant can see your available property online, schedule an instant showing, preview it and then request an application from you - all within minutes.
Self showings also helps you coordinate and conduct your appointments better. However, like most technologies, self-showings also comes with its own peculiar pros and cons – here are four questions a rental property owner, or a landlord, needs to ask themselves when considering using them: Read Also Property Management Technology
- Is the rental property vacant? : Self-showings should only be used if the rental property is vacant. If not, you might end up exposing the existing tenants to unnecessary risk. Your first responsibility will always be to your current tenants. Their safety and welfare is foremost.
- Are you ready to employ technological innovations into your rental arsenal? Self-showings require a lot of technological innovations, from custom applications to smart locks that make your self-showings safer, you’ll need to invest in all the right technologies.
- What is the size of your rental property portfolio? Self-showings come with a lot of upfront costs that are better suited to property management companies and landlords with lots of properties that give regular turnover.
- How spread out are your rental properties? Self-showings are better suited to those with properties that span across large geographic territories which makes it difficult to manage showings.
You might need to employ the services of a property manager to help you locate nice residents within your area.
