Rental Showings - Do you prefer 1:1 or open house tours?

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Rental Showings - Do you prefer 1:1 or open house tours?

Pamela GordonPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 38 posts · 36 votes

Just starting showing my rental property about 1.5 weeks ago, by appointment only.  It seems like a nice gesture to have private tours for the potential tenants that show up, but it also takes a lot of time.  So what I did this past Saturday is scheduled a good bit of showings, so that I wouldn't have to keep making trips multiple days, but now I am thinking about scheduling an open house.

What are you experiences with either one?  Pros and or cons?

Thanks in advance,

Pam

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Theresa HarrisPro Member
Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
4y

Set them up back to back with 15 minutes each.  assuming it is currently empty, you can give them a quick tour and if they need more time, they can look at it on their own when you are showing the next people.  Then if someone is a no show, you don't have that much time to wait. 

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  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    4y

    Set them up back to back with 15 minutes each.  assuming it is currently empty, you can give them a quick tour and if they need more time, they can look at it on their own when you are showing the next people.  Then if someone is a no show, you don't have that much time to wait. 

    13Reply
  • Mariel DeVito
    Member since 2022 · 115 posts · 49 votes
    4y

    @Pamela Gordon when we listed our first SFH rental, I did by appointment only. It took a lot of time AND effort. The sad part is that there were a handful of no shows. This said, I'm listing a new rental in the next couple of weeks. My plan is to have an open house. However, I broke my own plan because I had out of town parties wanting to see it so...it looks like it may have to be by appointment. One mistake I won't make (aka lesson learned from last time), I will only book applicants who I think will likely be successful in the vetting process.

    4Reply
  • Pamela GordonPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 38 posts · 36 votes
    4y

    @Theresa Harris, yeah I did that on Saturday, but it was more like 30 minutes apart, and felt like it was still too much time in between, so maybe now I will try 15 minutes.  Yes, it is empty.

    3Reply
  • Theresa HarrisPro Member
    Member since 2019 · 15k+ posts · 11k+ votes
    4y

    15 minutes should be enough time.  Most will take 5-10 minutes especially if the listing has lots of photos.

    4Reply
  • Pamela GordonPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 38 posts · 36 votes
    4y

    @Mariel DeVito fortunately mined showed up, but most just aren't qualifying.  After reading the book Managing Rental Properties from Heater & Brandon Turner that you can get here from the bookstore, one of the things mentioned to help with no shows, is to have the person confirm ahead of time and if they don't then let me know by either voicemail, email, text, or whichever way you like that no one will be there to show them the property, because the appointment wasn't confirmed.  I was a little nervous telling a few people that since they didn't confirm, the appointment was cancelled, but then I was so glad I did, because other interested people were able to take the same time frame and/or it allowed me not to stay waiting for someone that wasn't going to show up, which can be very annoying for me because I am about 2 hours away from this particular rental.  I also have family members and a realtor that are closer to help show the property by I want to value their time as well, so it was important for me to confirm ahead of time if the person is still a go for the showing.  Hope that helps.

    4Reply
  • Mariel DeVito
    Member since 2022 · 115 posts · 49 votes
    4y

    @Pamela Gordon I unfortunately do not have time to do that type of follow up.  If a person commits to a time and they are a no show, they go to the rejected pile.  I'm actually surprised that I had one be a no show twice! She did send a message after the fact on day 1 but none was received for day 2.  She applied and for ghosting alone, it was a big NO for me.  I guess I'm lucky that there are multiple candidates to pick from.  I also did the prior advice and booked 15 minute slots which did work out so I didn't have long wait times.  It's a 30-45 minute drive to me one way to get there so a no show is a big deal.

    2Reply
  • Joe HammelBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Metro Detroit, MI · Member since 2018 · 614 posts · 666 votes
    4y

    @Pamela Gordon

    Definitely a fan of open houses. More than 50% of the time you will get stood up, so open house increases chance someone is there.

    Also, in real estate, competition amongst “buyers” is a good thing.

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  • Jake Wiley
    Investor · Charleston, SC · Member since 2022 · 234 posts · 198 votes
    4y

    I think it also depends on the clientele.   If it is a working/middle-class type unit and open house is likely fine and creates a sense of urgency.   Higher-end units will likely require one on one showings simply because there just aren't as many people looking at it and you will miss opportunities hoping to get certain people into a pre-determined time slot.   

    If you are getting a lot of activity, try the open house with a window of time, and if you need to do it again, have a backup date, but don't offer it up unless they say they absolutely can't make the first window.      Mention that you are getting a lot of calls on the property, and you can't hold it.   

    Good luck! 

    6Reply
  • Pamela GordonPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 38 posts · 36 votes
    4y

    @Joe Hammel yes, my husband just mentioned that competition might be a good thing. 

    1Reply
  • Pamela GordonPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 38 posts · 36 votes
    4y

    @Jake Wiley, hhhmm so many things to consider, all good of course.  I just didn't think about the type of clientele might dictate open house vs. 1:1, good info worth noting, thanks.

    1Reply
  • Ron H.
    Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2017 · 159 posts · 116 votes
    4y

    For my B class SFHs, I have everyone fill in a short Google docs pre qualification form. Maybe only 10% of those responding actually meet the qualifications spelled out in my ads.  I then do 1 on 1 showings, having each applicant text me immediately beforehand.  I am from 30 to 75 minutes away from any of my houses.  No shows stopped occurring once I started requiring them to text me 1 to 2 hours ahead of time.

    3Reply
  • Kristen Wiltanger
    Investor · Mansfield, OH · Member since 2021 · 3 posts · 7 votes
    4y

    Only show to qualified renters (who have gone through your screening process including an application, credit check and phone call to discuss property). If they want to progress through the process, then set up 15 min appointment at the property (back to back with others as mentioned above), AND ask them to call you or text one hour ahead of time to confirm. Alternatively, you can do an “open house” for a couple of hours but again, I would only do that with qualified renters that have gone through the same process.

    6Reply
  • Adam Martin
    Rental Property Investor · Member since 2020 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
    4y

    I like to post the rental on a Wednesday and then do showings on Saturday and Sunday by appointment in 30 minute intervals.  I do extensive prescreening first and I personally call each prospect and conduct a prescreening which weeds out a lot of people.  Yes, it adds time on the front end, but I feel it cuts out on time wasters for people who do not qualify.  Sometimes people who don't qualify will still want to see the house and I have to tell them no due to the fact that they don't qualify and this will not be a good use of both of our time, I also don't want to be in a house alone with someone I have already told I won't be renting to.  I try to set them as back to back as I can and let people know they need to text me ahead of time to confirm they are still coming, about 1/3 of people no show and if they do they are dead to me, no second chances.  I take notes in prescreening and ask similar questions during the 1-1 to make sure the story stays consistent but often it does not which helps with the screening.  I will also do showings throughout the week after if need be but try to do them every other day so I can try to stack people in. I do not leave my house without a conformation.  When I'm showing the house is usually about 75% rental ready and I let people know this during prescreening and if I have time slots between showings or no shows I just keep working so no time is wasted. 

    3Reply
  • Tim DelaneyPro Member
    Buffalo, NY · Member since 2018 · 790 posts · 530 votes
    4y

    @Pamela Gordon I use calendly to let people book a 15 minute time slot in certain blocks of time I have established. Everyone has to prescreen to be sent a link to schedule appointment. I like the one on one because it gives me a chance to interview them a bit and see what kind of person/tenant they will be. And because everyone is at least prescreened I don’t feel like I’m wasting my time.

    Could probably do bookings every 5-10 mins, but I like having a little extra time.

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    5Reply
  • Markis R Kelly
    Investor · Cary, NC · Member since 2019 · 25 posts · 29 votes
    4y

    I have security on most of my properties so I do self guided touring. I require them to send in a id to my management system and then from there I set them up with a one time code and showing time. I know when they arrive and leave because of the security system that is attached. I hated having to drive back and forth.

    Pros: The systems is paid off by the tenants when rented.

    Cons: Some time have overlapping that tends to happen but I let potential tenants know that if someone is at the property to wait until the person has finished before entering.

    3Reply
  • Pamela GordonPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 38 posts · 36 votes
    4y

    Wow, all of these comments have been a tremendous help thank you so much everyone.  @Markis R Kelly do people ever leave stuff behind with self guided tours, meaning bathrooms dirty?  I've heard some strange things. Driving back and forth is a lot, I agree.  With self guided tours how often do you go back to check on the property to make sure it is still clean and tidy?

    2Reply
  • Markis R Kelly
    Investor · Cary, NC · Member since 2019 · 25 posts · 29 votes
    4y

    @Pamela Gordon Normally if the showing happen pretty back to back creating high traffic then I will travel back on a sunday of that week to make sure things are not too crazy and by then I already have a tenant that has applied and background and credit check done as this is all automated from my management system so there isn't much lag time with the turnover. But no I have not actually had anyone leave anything honestly in the last 2 years that I have started doing it and I haven't had any crazy stories to tell lol outside of the fact that when I first started I forgot to make sure that the alarm was off before the showing and scared the potential tenants half to death but it was a quick fix being that I can control all that from my phone.

    My honest thinking is I pay for that conveniences(both to me and the potential tenant) to have my time back because I rather be doing something else with my time

    3Reply
  • Austin F.
    Investor · MI · Member since 2015 · 227 posts · 478 votes
    4y
    After fighting with people no showing, or walking through and not applying I switched to "Showings only after approved application"
    Haven't had a no show since. I have a whole folder of pictures and video walk throughs I send prospective tenants before they apply. Some are turned off by this, but many aren't.
    3Reply
  • Nathan FisherBusiness Member
    Property Manager · Cleveland, OH · Member since 2020 · 312 posts · 265 votes
    4y

    Personally I offer both.

    Open houses at a set 30 minute window.
    Then individual showings for those who apply beforehand.

    That way I catch the widest net, and get the most applications. 

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  • Andrey Rudenko
    Real Estate Agent · Clinton, MA · Member since 2017 · 35 posts · 35 votes
    4y

    We do open houses. We have way less than 100% show up rate so makes no sense to go out there for individual showings.

    2Reply
  • Patrick DruryBusiness Member
    Real Estate Agent · Columbus, OH & Cleveland OH · Member since 2021 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
    4y

    @Pamela Gordon 
    If there are a lot of prospective tenants scheduling for a showing, you should make it an open house style showing to save your time. You could also just stack them 15 min apart. 

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  • Michael Deering
    Rental Property Investor · Lehigh Valley, PA · Member since 2017 · 200 posts · 191 votes
    4y

     I recommend only doing 1:1s with candidates who have submitted an application and passed your vetting process.   

    2Reply
  • Charles ClarkBusiness Member
    Real Estate Broker · Milwaukee, WI · Member since 2020 · 306 posts · 209 votes
    4y
    Quote from @Pamela Gordon:

    Just starting showing my rental property about 1.5 weeks ago, by appointment only.  It seems like a nice gesture to have private tours for the potential tenants that show up, but it also takes a lot of time.  So what I did this past Saturday is scheduled a good bit of showings, so that I wouldn't have to keep making trips multiple days, but now I am thinking about scheduling an open house.

    What are you experiences with either one?  Pros and or cons?

    Thanks in advance,

    Pam


    Boa tarde Pam, 

    I hope all is well with you. Depending on the interest you are getting for the unit/property, I would schedule an open house. This allow you to keep your whole Saturday or Sunday and not be stuck sitting at a table while possible tenants walk through every 30 minutes. Seeing other possible tenants looking at the same property will light a fire under some people that would take their time to move forward with a decision. This policy also allows you to scale up, if you have multiple properties. You can do multiple open houses and/or you can just hire someone to sit in the unit while possible tenants can walk through. This will allow you to focus on other parts of your business to keep it growing. Good luck on your investment journey.

    Beleza,

    Charles Anthony

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  • Beau Watson
    Rental Property Investor · Atlanta, GA · Member since 2019 · 90 posts · 73 votes
    4y

    As a lot of people have said, I do the open house with scheduled time slots. 15 minutes time slots. I have a phone call with each potential tenant before scheduling them. I send them a thorough email giving them qualification standards, instructions on how to schedule a viewing on our date of open house. If all instructions are followed properly then they get scheduled. A calendar invite is sent to them immediately with all details about their specific viewing time. That also gives me the chance to place their phone # and name in the notes section for myself so i can text them 15mins before their viewing to remind them. This system has worked numerous time for me over the last couple of years.

    2Reply
  • Pamela GordonPro Member
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Charlotte, NC · Member since 2021 · 38 posts · 36 votes
    4y

    @Kristen Wiltanger do people complain about having to fill out the application and do the credit check beforehand, without even seeing the property? Assuming, hey if that is your standard they have to abide by it or you just move on to the next potential tenant, :-).  Do you find it takes longer to find a tenant, taking this approach?  

    0Reply
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