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The Pros and Cons of Self-Guided Property Tours

Franklin Tenants Touring a Potential Rental HomeIf you are searching for a new rental home, you know that touring the units is a huge part of finding that perfect fit. However, attempting to arrange showings with Franklin property managers can be a challenging experience, especially in our busy lives. Advances in digital technology have brought us listings with lots of photos and even virtual walk-throughs, but these tools sometimes aren’t adequate to get a full sense of the property. Maybe this is the reason 83% of renters prefer self-guided property tours over all other options. There are surely many advantages to self-guided rental home tours, but there are a couple of drawbacks too. Taking into account the upsides and downsides before choosing a self-guided tour during your Franklin rental home search is significant.

Pros

Self-guided tours are preferable for many renters because of the benefits they offer people with occupied schedules. In contrast to a traditional tour, where you would have to arrange to meet a landlord or rental agent at the property, self-guided property tours are set up so you can access the property at your convenience. You request a convenient time slot, get an access code, and then go to the property when you’re ready. When you have a time slot, another advantage is you don’t have to stress over other applicants showing up while you’re there. Due to security reasons, self-guided tours are never double-booked, which guarantees you won’t have awkward encounters with people against whom you might end up competing for the same rental house.

When you are at the property, numerous renters like you are free to explore the rental home without a landlord or rental agent looking over your shoulder. There is no reason for you to feel pressed for time or to hide your honest reaction to the property if you aren’t satisfied with it. Moreover, some renters appreciate not having someone there trying to ask revealing questions or make them feel like they need to decide at that moment. Few individuals want to be rushed into decisions, especially not ones as big as where you will be living for the next few months or years.

Cons

Self-guided property tours accompany a couple of disadvantages as well. Before you are given access to a property, the odds are that the leasing office will initially ask you to complete an application or a quick screening check. If you don’t pass these checks for some reason, there’s little hope of ever walking in the front door. You may not even know why you are denied unless the landlord or leasing agent is willing to explain it to you.

One more potential drawback to self-guided rental house tours is that you cannot ask questions while going through the property. While you can always text or email someone about it later, you may have questions during the tour that you forget to ask later. You may also miss out on learning a lot of helpful information about the neighborhood, nearby amenities, etc. These are details that a professional Franklin landlord or leasing agent should be able to explain to you when you visit a property. If nobody is there with you, you may not know about these things until much later in your search process.

Finally, it is up to you to decide which type of property tour works for you. While both traditional and self-guided tours have pros and cons, you can still utilize them to your advantage until you locate your next rental home. If you need a new place to live, Real Property Management All-Star offers flexible touring options for great homes near you. You can view our listings online.

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