Use of Texting has made a significant improvement when confirming apartment showings. That is; we will text the apartment shopper the morning of the showing - no reply and we will not travel.

However, on occasion, we still get a reply confirming the apartment showing and they still do not show - or bother to call.

Wondering what the best in class do to maximize attendance at showings and minimize lost time traveling to a showing that never happens?

no texting to confirm. call only. no call no go.

I schedule everything between 8-9 in the morning and 4-4-5 in the afternoon.

I don't schedule out more than 48 hours.

I have them call me 1/2 hr ahead or time to confirm.

If a party wants to see the unit tomorrow at 4:30, then after that, I schedule all showings for 4:30.

I still tell everyone to call 1/2hr ahead of time. If they don't call and still show, I make a mental note of it as them not being able to follow instruction.

If they want to schedule it a week out, I make them call me a day ahead when they are ready to schedule.

If the scheduled party calls to confirm, I go. If they are 10 minutes late, I leave. (Unless I know they are coming from a great distance.)

If they call me 20 minutes late and ask me where I am, I tell them that I had another appointment to be at and they will have to reschedule. Most of the time they don't call to reschedule. Maybe they're mad, I don't care.

I've had them not call to confirm and be there on time and they call and ask me where I am and I tell them they were supposed to call 1/2hr ahead of time and they will have to reschedule.

My pre screening process and application process works very well and produces good tenants for me.

The ones that don't follow it to a T through the whole thing get weeded out.

These things are what I think some of the folks that only do lock box showings miss out on, is the ability of the prospects to follow instruction.

Last year I had a vacancy in a Duplex, a Triplex and a 5 unit -- all within blocks of each other. I had an open house for one at 10-11:30, another at 12-1:30 and the last at 2-3:30. No one was told about my other two rentals. People that didn't show up or call to say they will be late showed up at another unit -- they were checking on rental in that area (No-Ho of North Hollywood, ca).

I was happy not to give them an application because they failed the test of responsibility. As a contractor I make each rental shine in A+ condition with extra's.

If they pass my Preview Questions in Google Forms, I send them another Form to pick a time. I schedule all showings 15 minutes apart on the same day. When they pick a time I send them a Google Calendar appointment.

I don't send address until they confirm, by text or email, that they are going to show up. If they confirm, I send address. OFTEN I get, "Oh sorry no I can't come today!" and so that ends that.

Yeah, I am finding this very frustrating. Seems worse than ever. 62 contacts since posting on Craigslist and Hotpads a week or two ago. 3 cattle call/open houses (I tell everyone the same time) with about 5 people confirming for each but only 1-2 showing up. Some with several kids in tow for a 2 bed 1 bath place. One guy who just got out of jail according to my Google search (at least he never showed up). I guess ithe pre questionnaire scares some off.

Several 10 min before meeting time texts saying, sorry, I just realized I can't make it. One said, I thought it was at 10:30, not 10. I said, well, it's only 10:15, you still have time to make it. They were like, uh, we have a family emergency. What BS!

Today, they were all told to text 15 min before (we live 1-2 miles away), one person called to see house a few hours earlier (house hunting from out of town) and was a good prospect. Other 4 did not text and did not show up. We are sitting here, I thought, should we text to remind but, nah, they are not tenants I want.

We now have 2 decent prospects from 62 leads. Sigh.

My favorite...

The couple that showed up on time and two days later wanted to drop off the application but kept me waiting because...

1. They had to make a stop at WALMART FIRST TO PICK UP A FEW ITEMS (their excuse was they lived in a Podunk area with no Walmart). In hindsight considering what was to follow I should have written them off right then and there, gone home and taken a nap (it was a Sunday afternoon).

2. They got lost on the way to the rental even after telling me they were leaving Walmart (!)

3. When they finally showed up the couple and one child had now swelled to include an aunt and uncle plus their kid all planning on living in my 3 bedroom, 1 bath house and everyone except the dad was on some type of disability (kids included) while dads employment was listed as a "chicken plucker" at a local chicken plant.

4. When I pointed out EVERY adult needed to pay the $15 screening fee for the credit check the woman turned pale and said "heavens, that's $60!" (10 points for being able to multiply); she then forked over $30 and told me to run it on she and her husband until they could come up with the additional $30 in a couple of weeks.

A waste of a good sunday afternoon.

Open house showings for pre-screened applicants. We work in teams, and bring a copier with us. Applicants need to bring ID and a copy of their earnings statement.

With our last vacancy, we had 14 scheduled for an open house. 4 showed up, but we got 2 good applicants.

Scott ... I do it similar to what you state but I do not do it in the morning ... I do it about an hour prior to the showing time. I also advise them that I will be contacting them and that we need to SPEAK or COMMUNICATE at that time or I will not be there.

Yes, it still (unfortunately) occurs that they just lie and say "yup, I'm going to be there" and don't show up BUT - not as much.

I've had them call me when I was in the neighborhood/close (I don't do this often... but if it's vacant I may) and say "I'm standing in front of it" ... I swing by. Guess what? NO THEY AREN'T!!

I also try to make the appointments either at the same time (if vacant) or 15 minutes apart if there is a tenant in the apartment. This way, if one doesn't show hopefully another will so it's not a total waste of time for me.

I don't know HOW many tell me when I call "Oh, yeah - I was about to call you - I can't make it" ... yeah, right.

The other thing when you speak to them (and I prefer this vs texting and this is why:) YOU NEED TO LISTEN to them. I had one a few weeks ago answer his phone and say "uh, yeah - I'll be there" ... I said "ok, where are you now?" He answered and then I said "and you WILL be there at this time? Because if you AREN'T planning on it then don't waste my time." It sounded as though he just woke up. He then advised me that he worked a double and was very tired and probably wouldn't be there and would call me later. He never has.

It's odd but I guess that's what we have to deal with. Try to get more than one showing at the similar time and hope for at least one to show.

Scott,

I find it interesting that so many LLs use themselves, their personal time, and their personal safety as the test of a total stranger's integrity. I place a high value on my time and my life. There are other ways to screen people than with your body.

LLs tend to have diarehha of the mouth, tell tell telling and say "Would you like to see it?" Before they know ANYTHING about the caller. They talk the caller into an appt then act disappointed when it's a no show.

Best in class: #1 a quality website with pics, video walkthru, and an onlince app. They can see the street and the home and not waste my time on something that does not meet their parents' standards. One video has 235 views. In the last 28 days we've had 960 views.

#2 Lockbox. Over the past 22 years and 1,000 leases I've NEVER had a no show on a vacant home. It works.

I don't spend a minute on them until we have their app in hand. How much is that worth?

This year, due to the opiod crisis we are giving the lockbox code by text after they submit a decent application, with instructions to text when entering and text again when locking up. If anything seems suspicious our guy runs over and changes the code.

Showings for occupied units: $100 bonus to the exisiting res if we get the lease signed before the res leaves. This is for their cooperation to show, say nice things, post it on Facebook. (Thanks Jeffrey!)

If for some reason we have to show it, we set the appointment with the instructions that we will text to confirm before leaving the office. If no reply we do not go.

I find that 30-60 minutes before the appt is a great time to send the confirmation text.

We do an Open House every Saturday at Noon. People are often there waiting when I arrive early to turn on the lights. I stay for 20 minutes if no takers. The LookyLous and casual shoppers can come without an appt. We give out apps and our flyer with our other homes on it for cross-selling.

BRAD

PS our call count and lockbox requests have gone down in direct proportion to the increase in webpage views and video views.

It's how it's done.

Very good perspectives from all.

Brad, Does seem like he has the best in class for what we LLs need to do to improve showing results.

The one thing that holds us back from Lockbox showings – the possible and perhaps rare situation that the applicant keeps the key and moves in. Then (in PA) we would be facing an eviction of someone we did not even meet or offer the apartment to.

Could we get feedback on experience, pro and con with lockbox showings?

In my area there is a shortage of rental properties.

Been in the business for more than 30 years, and I have found a YouTube video is helpful, and very enticing for those that have credible and verifiable qualifications.

The honest truth is people love clean properties and I usually post some very enticing videos-pictures of the home in and out, as well as the neighborhood.

I simply tell the client if they're serious they can give a drive-by and view the property. Also, I tell them if it feels like someone is watching the neighbor or two, they can rest assured they probably are. This keeps them on their toes!

The key to my success has been to be very thorough with my advertising, descriptions, qualifications, criteria, pictures, videos, and then if they really want to talk to me. They need to go to the property and get my phone number off of the sign,................. that is in the window.

If I were to have a number at property. That would be the only place I would put it, this way when I get a call that number. I know that I have someone is driven by the property, and they know the qualifications and they know exactly how nice the property is.

This way they don't waste my time, and I don't waste theirs either.

I always schedule. Open houses and plan on having multiple applicants at the property to create the atmosphere of desire.

first things first they are required to do a driveby. getting them to jump through hoops is part of the training. they may have been loosely dealt withb by other but they will be dealing with a new sheriff this time.

the driveby ONLY happens after they respond to my ad with a FULL NAME, phone number, number of people in the "family", their real email addy, and the number of pets,. if their reply to my ad is deficient IN ANY WAY they do not get a reply. if the reply has any "text speak", i ignore it terms like 'hit me up' and 'R U' show low life skills. if their email is indicates they're stupid i do not reply (OGGangstaBobby@). the first reply they lob in is their true self...if they cannot read and include their basic info then so be it...let them torment some other landy.

my call to them needs to be answered and i call from a blocked number. my application needs to be back before i go out. that call is after they get the app in their email. they are expected to be able to figure out how to print fill out, and scan me back a two page doc or drop it and a check off i the mailbox at the property they are looking at

recent events have reinforced my insistence that ALL tenants have a checking account. those that do not are shifty.

lockbox? not on a dare. never. not in a million years.