What to Expect on Your Apartment Tour Day

If you started your apartment search with the help of an expert Apartment Locator at AptAmigo, then you already recognize the benefits of relying on their knowledge. Our apartment locators work tirelessly to find the best luxury apartments for your lifestyle in an awesome location, but the support doesn’t stop there.

In addition to identifying the top matches for you, our teams collaborate to schedule your tours and create the most efficient itinerary possible for your tour day. We provide a Touring Agent (TA) to accompany you throughout the day and guide you through the decision-making process. But, if you made it this far on your apartment-hunting journey, you might be wondering what to expect when your tour day arrives. 

Below, we answer your most pressing questions about how to prepare and what to know so that you can relax and enjoy the experience. However, if you still need to start your apartment search, you might want to learn more about how using an apartment locator makes the process so much easier.

Side Note: This article covers in-person tours only. If you need information about virtual tours, check out our guide to taking virtual tours. Your Locator can help to arrange those as well.

How to Prepare for Your Apartment Tour Day with AptAmigo

As the initial stages of your apartment hunt come to a close, the hardest choice still looms large: the final decision. To make the best decision, you need to see the units on your favorites list for yourself, assess their strengths and weaknesses, and discover which building feels right. 

We understand that anxieties might begin to creep in as you prepare for your apartment tour day. You might worry that you’ll overlook a key feature of a unit, forget to ask some of your questions, not notice the terrible (or great) water pressure, neglect to take pictures, or not double-check the layout and space inside the cabinets. With AptAmigo at your side, you can rest assured that we’ll stick with you to alleviate any challenges that arise throughout the day.

Meet Your Touring Agent

Sometimes our Apartment Locators accompany clients themselves on tour day, but most often one of our professional TAs takes over for this step of the journey. Jessica Pennachio, our Touring Agent Advisor, explains how this works,

“Your Touring Agent will act as your advocate, guide, and additional support system during your day of tours. We’ll introduce you to them the evening before, and they will reach out again the day of to coordinate an easy meet-up at the first building of the day. You have access to their contact information in case you need to get in touch with them directly to plan transportation to your first tour, make adjustments, or ask tour-related questions.”

Essentially, your TA will make the day run as smoothly as possible. Let them handle the hard parts, such as time management and rideshare arrangements. We want you to focus on seeing the apartments and thinking through how well each one fits your needs and wants.

Your Custom Tour Schedule

AptAmigo’s Operations Team works with your Apartment Locator to schedule your tour day for you, according to an optimized timeline that fits both building availability and geographic considerations. We take great care in putting together the most efficient and hassle-free experience, and we continue that service throughout the actual tour day. If any issues arise, we troubleshoot them for you so that you don’t need to worry about any logistics. 

Apartment Tour Transportation Paid for by AptAmigo

On the day of your tours, we’ll shuttle you to your appointments with free rideshares so that you don’t have to deal with parking. Your TA will arrange these rides and, when possible, set aside some time to get to know the area. 

TA Advisor Jessica Pennachio provides more information about the benefits of this practice:

“We’ll take care of transportation to get you from one building to the next throughout the day. If you’re interested in a specific neighborhood, many of our building partners are close together, so you may have the opportunity to explore the neighborhood in between each tour, which is a great way to learn more about the area.”

By eliminating the stress of transportation and/or big-city parking, we reserve that mental space for you to focus on the apartments and the neighborhood throughout the day.

What to Bring to an Apartment Tour

Unless you plan to apply on the spot (in which case you’ll need pay stubs or proof of income, an ID, and landlord references), you won’t need to bring much. 

We recommend bringing…

• Your phone, to take pictures and notes (if you prefer paper & pen for notes, that works too);
• A portable phone charger because, as TA Grace Brase notes, “taking a lot of pictures and videos can drain your phone battery;”
• A water bottle, because even though “a lot of buildings offer refreshments” along the way, it helps to also carry your own “if the day goes on awhile,” says Grace;
• Snacks, at least a granola bar, since “walking around the buildings can build up your thirst and appetite, so it’s good to bring some options just in case,” according to Grace.
• And, as our TA Advisor, Jessica Pennachio, suggests that you wear “comfortable walking shoes. These building tours will take you through amenity spaces, model units, and potential apartment options. It will add up to more walking than you might expect over the course of the day.”
• Before we move on, Grace requests one last intangible item as you pack your day bag: “The main requirement is to show up with an open mind to finding your dream home!”

How Long Does It Take to Tour an Apartment?

The length of a tour depends on the building, but it typically takes 20 minutes to an hour. TA Grase Brase says, “Each building varies depending on how many units you plan to view, how many amenities the building has, and any wait time in between tours.” Our team schedules a buffer period in between each tour just in case your showing runs long, and our TAs ensure you arrive on time for each appointment. If any adjustments become necessary during the day, your TA will handle it.

Note-Taking and Photos

In addition to any notes that you take yourself, “our TAs will jot down notes at each building, tracking the pricing information, current specials, standout features, and, most importantly, your feedback” (Jessica Pennachio). Don’t fret over any information you miss. Between your own and your TA’s notes, you’ll end up with a comprehensive assessment of each building, and your Locator and our Operations Team can easily answer any lingering questions.

As for photos, Jessica Pennachio encourages “clients to take photos throughout their day of tours. After the third building tour, you’ll be glad you did. You may forget which building had granite countertops or an open floor plan with river views. To keep them organized, photos are very helpful.” Examining your photos side-by-side will come in handy as you compare your experiences at each unit, especially once you narrow your choice down to the final two options.

Throughout the day, your TA will “help you reflect on what you’ve seen so far and remember which buildings stood out. At the end of the day, you’ll compare notes and photos together” (Jessica Pennachio). This process ensures that you end the day with the information you need to make the best decision possible.

Asking Questions

To prepare for your tour day, we suggest that you come up with some core questions ahead of time to help you gather information at each building. You don’t necessarily need a long list, but you will want to prioritize your must-ask questions, and it doesn’t hurt to write them down for reference at each stop along the way. 

Jessica Pennachio explains, “It’s helpful to have a few questions in mind to ask at each building. Think about what is most important in your decision-making process – natural sunlight, all-inclusive utility packages, or maybe what size furniture will fit in the space. The Leasing Staff are experts at each building and will be able to answer your questions. If you forget, our Touring Agents know what to ask to help you make the most informed decision.” If you created a list of must-have and nice-to-have features when you first embarked on your apartment search, those lists can guide your questions.

Again, don’t stress out if you forget to ask one of your questions. If you do overlook an important one, there’s a good chance that your TA already knows the answer, and, if not, they know how to get answers quickly.

1-on-1 Decision-Making Support

Our clients love the 1-on-1 support more than any other part of our service. When you work with AptAmigo, we focus our attention on you during the entire process, and we can’t wait to share our expertise as we guide you through each stage of the apartment-hunting journey. We aim to set every client up to live their best lives in the home of their dreams. And, you will receive this high level of service during and after your tours. 

Think of your TA as your best friend for the day, but this particular friend happens to know an awful lot about how to decide on your next apartment. At each building, your TA “will facilitate conversations with Leasing Staff on-site to ensure that you see units that check all of your boxes. Your personal Apartment Locator will receive updates throughout the day in order to provide guidance on your next steps and guide you through the application process” (Jessica Pennachio). During and after your tours, they will talk you through the positives and negatives of the places you saw and help you weigh all of those pros and cons as you decide.

Just Getting Started with Your Search? Connect with an Expert Apartment Locator.

Before you get to tour day, you need to locate the best options out there for you, and we can help. If you’re just getting started with your search, you can access our free help by simply reaching out. Our local experts will match you with the luxury buildings that best fit your needs.