The advent of technology has changed the way many industries operate. And though real estate may not have grown at the same pace as some, there is a clear shift in the way renters search for apartments today. Here are some of the ways technology is changing apartment hunting today.
New Ways To Search For Apartments
Today, apartment hunters don’t have to rely on magazines, newspapers, and word of mouth to find what they need. Instead, they can access online portals 24/7 through sites like apartmentguide.com, apartments.com, and Zillow.com as well as going directly to an apartments’ website to find a range of options available to them. Through these sites, renters have access to an abundance of information about apartments, floor plans, amenities, rent, neighborhoods and so much more.
And more often than not, they’re doing it while on the go – from their smartphones or tablets. This is a major shift from the previous trends of reading newspapers or magazines to find new apartments for rent.
With the Internet, renters can now sift through plenty more options than they ever could before.
Get A Virtual Tour Of The Apartment Without Even Visiting
There was a time when you probably got a glimpse of just a few images of apartments for rent. It was hard to grasp the layout or design of the property without physically visiting and inspecting it yourself. Often, these images would be granulated and difficult to see.
Today, online images are so sharp and clear; they can give you an in-depth view of the apartment. But apart from images, technologies like virtual reality help to create videos that give you a personalized view of the apartment as if you were actually there. These exhaustive videos are realistic enough to make you feel like you know everything about the apartment without the need to ever see it (though, if possible, we still think all prospective renters should visit apartments in person before renting).
Plan The Apartment Tour Process In Advance
With so much information already available about apartments online today, renters can make several plans in advance to save time. For example, you can start mapping out your apartment tour process by identifying the address on Google maps so you know exactly how long it will take to reach your destination.
You can use these navigation tools to help you estimate the time spent in each property making it easier to schedule multiple apartment viewings on the same day. And the best part? You organize your day before you even get into your car, further revolutionizing the apartment search.
Get Answers Instantly
When you’re on the lookout for apartments, quick answers to your questions help you narrow down your choices faster. Live online chats with agents (and chat bots) have made this possible. With chat technology incorporated in many property listings today, you can get in touch with property managers almost instantly so you know whether the property is worth viewing or not. Chat bots are an emerging technology that through artificial intelligence can help provide answers to your questions 24/7 without waiting for a human to answer.
Digital technology has made it possible to get access information faster, easier, and virtually 24/7, so you can make prompt decisions and move into your new apartment quicker.
Put simply, the digital world has given real estate a huge boost by simplifying and speeding up processes, as well as offering innovative new ways to rent apartments from the comfort of your house (or phone) allowing you to rent quicker, and hopefully make better decisions. Technology has and will continue to change the apartment hunting process.
