What I Learned From 5 Apartment Tours in May (Besides How Not to Do A Virtual Tour)
What I Learned From 5 Apartment Tours in May (Besides How Not to Do a Virtual Tour)
By Ronald Harrington
Have you ever shown up for a leasing tour and wondered if you were accidentally crashing a staff meeting or about to be recruited for a reality show? Welcome to my May mystery shop recap.
In May, I toured 5 apartment communities across the country. From the West Coast to the East Coast and everywhere in between, I encountered the full leasing spectrum. There were wins, facepalms, awkward moments, unexpected joys, and more than one whiff of mystery odors.
Here’s what stood out—and what your team might want to avoid.
The Booking Struggle is Real
Let’s start with scheduling. It should not take a full escape room challenge to book a tour. I had to copy and paste links, fight with CRMs that didn’t allow tours for several days out, and in some cases, never received confirmation emails. If I were a real prospect, I’d be long gone. No one should have to work that hard to give you their money.
Smells Like Missed Opportunity
At one property, I was greeted by the unmistakable scent of dog urine. Not ideal. The leasing agent casually brushed it off by saying, “We’re just very pet friendly.” I love pets. I do not love the lingering aroma of their bathroom habits greeting me at the door.
The tour itself lacked energy. No questions about what mattered to me. No connection. No ask to apply. Just “Do you have any questions?” followed by a wave toward the exit. A perfect example of a tour that technically happened but didn’t stick the landing.
The Case of the Missing Bedrooms
Another community advertised one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments. The leasing agent informed me on-site, “We don’t have three-bedrooms here.” Cue confusion. Do you not have them at all, or just not right now? She also stood in the kitchen scrolling her phone while I explored. I wanted to talk about my dog, my Starbucks mug collection, and the closet space—things that matter to prospects. That moment of connection? It never came.
But here’s the kicker: she was the only agent in May who actually asked me to apply. Points for confidence.
The Selfie Wall That Never Was
Yes, a leasing agent mentioned their selfie wall like it was a throwaway comment. I perked up, intrigued, and asked more about it. Instead of leaning in and letting me experience the feature, we just kept walking. No “Let’s take a photo.” No tie-in to community pride. Just another missed chance to create a moment.
Also, I was introduced to a new fee: the “porter fee.” The explanation was that it helps cover payroll for groundskeeping. If you’re going to charge for upkeep, reframe the story. Make it about keeping the space beautiful, functional, and photo-worthy. Otherwise, it feels like a cover charge just to use the grill.
East Coast Adventures (or Lack Thereof)
I booked virtual tours in the East. One agent never showed. One canceled last minute. One required an application before the tour. Safe to say, virtual leasing still has some bugs to iron out.
Small Wins with Big Impact
A standout moment came from a leasing agent who asked to see a photo of my dog. That single question changed the whole energy. We talked about floorplans with dogs in mind. We discussed where my travel mug might go. She made it about me, and it mattered.
Another tour ended with a district manager who was upbeat, engaged, and even tried to recruit me to multifamily. She built connection quickly and showed off the space with confidence. But like so many others, she dropped the ball after the tour with a generic follow-up that didn’t reflect anything personal we discussed.
Final Thoughts
May’s shops taught me this: The magic isn’t in the script. It’s in the moment. Ask real questions. React to the answers. Personalize the follow-up. And for the love of leasing, show off that selfie wall like it’s the hottest spot in town.
We’re at 27 shops so far this year and counting. I’m excited to share with you what June had in store. If you take one thing from this recap, let it be this—don’t be the tour that fades into the background. Be the one that makes a prospect say, “This feels like home.”
Want more leasing lessons and mystery shop insights? Tune in to the Rooms With Ronald podcast, where we spill the leasing tea weekly.
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