If Leasing Isn’t Broken, What’s Really Missing?

Leasing Isn’t Broken. Coaching Is Overdue.

If you made it to the end of the data, first of all, congratulations. That alone puts you ahead of most conversations in our industry.

After shopping properties across the country and analyzing what actually happens on tours, I don’t walk away discouraged. I walk away clear. Leasing is not broken. Our people are capable. What’s missing is consistent coaching, intentional structure, and the confidence that comes from being properly trained.

So instead of pointing fingers, I want to point forward.

Here are my top recommendations for 2026, not pulled from theory, but shaped by what I saw, heard, and experienced as a real prospect.

Start With the Introduction. Every Time.

This sounds simple, but it’s foundational.

Say their name. Say your name. Do it fully and confidently.

Names create ownership, and ownership creates trust. When a prospect knows who you are and feels seen as a person, the relationship starts immediately. Skip this step and everything else feels transactional, no matter how friendly the tour is.

Train for Discovery, Not Just Qualification.

Most teams are great at collecting logistics. Move-in date. Apartment size. Price range. Number of occupants.

That’s the what and the when.

What we are skipping is the why.

Why are they moving? What problem are they trying to solve? What does “home” need to feel like for them right now?

Discovery is what allows leasing professionals to match people to homes with intention. Without it, tours become generic, rushed, and forgettable.

Lead the Tour With Confidence.

Being friendly is good. But friendly without leadership feels passive.

If a leasing professional is not guiding the experience, asking questions, and setting the pace, then the tour might as well be self-guided. The value of an agent-led tour is expertise, confidence, and clarity.

Prospects don’t want to wander. They want to be led.

Fewer Apartments Is Fine. Fewer Reasons Is Not.

I fully support showing fewer apartments. Efficiency matters.Im personally a fan of showing no more than 2 apartments and then asking which one they liked better.

But efficiency without intention feels rushed, not premium.

Every apartment shown should be chosen for a reason tied directly back to discovery. One or two homes, clearly positioned as the best fit, will always outperform a random model walk.

Make Visualization Non-Negotiable.

If a prospect can’t see their life there, they won’t choose it.

Visualization is one of the most underused sales tools we have. Describe the space. Help them imagine their furniture. Talk about how they would use the kitchen, the balcony, the workspace.

If you don’t have the exact apartment available, use video, floor plans, or photos to bridge the gap. Showing is good. Helping them imagine is better.

Coach for Feedback During the Tour.

Feedback questions should start early and feel natural.

What do you think about the gym?
Can you see yourself using the pool?
How does this space feel compared to what you’ve seen elsewhere?

These questions do two things. They engage the prospect emotionally, and they give the leasing professional real-time insight into what matters most.

Silence does not equal interest. Ask.

Normalize Asking for the Application.

This is where confidence shows up or disappears.

Asking for the application is not pushy. It’s professional. It’s guidance.

Do you want to start the application to reserve this home today?
Would you like to take the next step and hold this apartment?

Remove the hesitation. Remove the apology. Confidence here creates clarity for the prospect and momentum for the lease.

Sell the People, Not Just the Product.

Prospects have already seen the apartment online.

What they haven’t experienced yet is the team.

Sell yourself. Sell your maintenance team. Talk about resident events, service standards, and community culture. People choose apartments, but they stay for people.

When a prospect comes to tour, they are auditioning you as much as the home.

Personalize Every Follow-Up.

Once a human interacts with a human, the human should lead the rest of the journey.

Personalized follow-up is not extra. It’s essential.

Reference the conversation. Continue the story. Add value. Whether it’s an email, text, or phone call, the follow-up should feel like a continuation, not a task to check off.

People don’t buy from systems. They buy from people they trust.

Treat Self-Guided Tours Like First Dates.

Self-guided tours are not low effort. They are high stakes.

Many prospects will self-tour first, then return for an agent-led experience once they narrow their choices. That means readiness, clarity, and follow-up matter even more.

A self-guided tour should feel intentional, supported, and respected. If it feels careless, the relationship ends before it ever starts.

The Bigger Picture

The data doesn’t say leasing is broken.

It says leasing professionals are capable.

What’s overdue is coaching, accountability, and leadership that gives teams the confidence to lead, not just assist. When we invest in that, the results follow.

And that’s the opportunity in front of us in 2026.

Stay tuned for more insights in the next edition of Rooms With Ronald.