The ease of scheduling and completing an apartment tour has moved up the list of variables for potential renters weighing their next housing option. According to a new survey from Rently, 47% of renters said they have chosen or seriously considered choosing a less ideal rental because it was easier to tour. Only 12% reported tour convenience not having an impact.
In addition, Gen Z appeared to have the strongest reaction, with 67% reporting they have either chosen a worse rental or seriously considered it because of tour ease. The survey, completed in May, comprised 800 renters 18 and older who had tried to schedule or attend a tour of a rental in the previous 18 months.
“The biggest surprise wasn’t that renters want convenience. We already knew that. What stood out was how much influence the touring experience has on the final decision. Nearly half of renters said they’ve chosen, or seriously considered choosing, a less ideal rental simply because it was easier to tour,” says Rently CEO Merrick Lackner. “That tells us the leasing process is actively shaping demand. Operators have traditionally competed on location, amenities, and price. Increasingly, they’re also competing on how easy they are to do business with.”
According to the findings, renter leads can go cold quickly. Over two-thirds of respondents, 67%, said they have lost interest in a rental because scheduling the tour was too difficult. In addition, 78% of renters said they would move on within three days if a leasing office did not respond, and only 14% said they would wait as long as needed if they really liked the rental.
When the tour process is disorganized, 56% of respondents said they assume management may be as well. This includes 40% who expect communication to be frustrating, 39% who assume the property may not be well maintained, and 32% who expect maintenance to be slow. Only 12% said they separate the tour experience from their opinion of management and the property.
In addition, if a listing doesn’t offer online tour booking, many of the respondents said that made them start to draw conclusions about the property, with 48% assuming the rental may already be unavailable, 40% assuming an outdated leasing process, 36% feeling the listing is less trustworthy, and 31% expecting the property manager to be hard to reach. Only 13% noted it would not affect their opinion.
The survey respondents also compared booking tours with other online experiences they have daily. Over half, 56%, said ordering groceries for delivery is easier than scheduling a rental tour, while 50% said booking a restaurant reservation is easier. Even 14% noted making a DMV or government office appointment is easier.
“I think one misconception is that interested renters will wait. They won’t. People are used to booking appointments, ordering food, and making major purchases almost instantly from their phones, and they increasingly expect the rental experience to work the same way. The survey found that 78% of renters would move on within three days if they didn’t receive a response after requesting a tour,” notes Lackner. “That shows that the operators performing best are reducing that waiting period as much as possible. They’re making it easy to schedule tours online, offering self-guided options when appropriate, and using automation to respond quickly for tour scheduling and FAQs so leasing teams can spend more time helping renters with inquiries that require human judgment.”
Respondents also weighed in on their tour preferences, with 42% preferring a self-guided tour they can take on their own schedule. In addition, 30% said they prefer a tour with a leasing agent, 14% said they prefer a live virtual tour, and 8% said they prefer a recorded video tour.
However, over half of the respondents, 57%, said they still want a person available to answer questions about rent, fees, or lease terms.
“I don’t think response time replaces things like location, price, or amenities. Those will always matter. But when renters are comparing similar properties, the experience can become the deciding factor,” adds Lackner. “If one property makes it easy to book a tour, communicates clearly, and keeps the process moving, while another requires multiple emails or delayed callbacks, renters often won’t wait around to see if the apartment is worth it. In today’s market, responsiveness has become part of the value proposition and is part of what helps properties compete.”