The simple answer:
You should tour 3 or 4 apartments maximum during your search.
How Many Apartments Should You Tour Total?
Why 3 or 4?
Kellie Koren, our Regional Operations Manager, says, “We suggest seeing between 3 to 4 apartment buildings. It’s the perfect amount to make a decision and not get overwhelmed.”
In fact, the more buildings you tour, the harder it becomes to narrow down your choices and make a final decision. Each tour requires you to keep track of a lot of information, from color schemes and floor plans, to amenity offerings and building services. Do that for too many buildings, and it all gets muddled in your brain.
Moreover, viewings take time, about 45 minutes each, and they use up a lot of physical and mental energy. Most people come out of their tour day exhausted, but also excited by the possibilities.
By the time you reach this stage of the apartment hunt, you should have narrowed your list of favorites down anyway. If you struggle to reduce your list to 3 or 4, that’s a sign that you need to assess your new place’s must-haves, wants, and deal breakers to gain a clearer picture of your priorities. Take a closer look at your list of preferences and compare them against each building to find the options that most closely match your needs.
If you still feel unsure, talk to your Apartment Locator. Your agent’s expertise could make the difference between a great decision and a less great one. At the end of the day, you don’t want to spend 45 minutes at a building only to realize that it strays way off base from your requirements.
Can I Tour Less Than 3?
Absolutely! Some people know what they want and set their eyes on a certain building or two from the outset. If that describes you, go for it.
However, we would recommend viewing at least two options for comparison, even if you think you found your dream place. Sometimes a building comes across differently in person than on paper. So, keep an open mind and know that you can change your mind if that building you thought looked spectacular online doesn’t wow you in real life.
Even better, go with the 3 or 4 tours that our experts over in Operations recommend. Their many years of experience led them to these magic numbers.
How Many Apartments Should You Tour in One Day?
The short answer: all of them.
Whenever possible, we recommend touring all 3 or 4 of the apartments on your list in one day. That way, they remain fresh in your mind as you decide which one to apply to. Plus, with how competitive the rental market gets, you’ll need to move fast and apply as soon as possible after your tour day ends to maximize your chance of scoring your top choice.
How Far in Advance Should You Schedule Apartment Tours?
When it comes time to schedule tours, you won’t want to wait too long to get those appointments on the books officially. But, the speed at which you move might vary a little depending on the season and the urgency of your move-in timeline. Once you decide where to tour, appointments will usually happen one to five days out from that point.
Kellie Koren explains why the time between deciding on your top choices and your tour day can vary from one situation to the next:
“It depends on the season. Summer is the busiest time to move, so if you’re looking to move and grab a deal, it’s best to schedule and tour asap! In the fall or winter, we usually see a range of 3-5 days. Luckily, with our team, if a client sees an apartment they like, our agents and Ops team can make a quick turn around and get you in either the day of or the next day. It all depends on the urgency of the clients.”
Keep in mind that this phase of your search occurs earlier than you might think in the middle of a process that, ideally, takes a full two and a half months. Of course, sometimes circumstances dictate the need for a truncated timeline, and that’s okay. AptAmigo can help you navigate that situation should it arise.
For a fuller explanation of how to time your entire search, check out our guide on how long it takes to find an apartment.
Now that we answered some of your questions, you might find yourself asking more about how this whole apartment hunt process works. Luckily, our online library of resources provides detailed information about every stage of this journey, as you can see in the list below. Don’t hesitate to reach out to your Locator at any time as well.
More Information about Touring Apartments
How Long Does It Take to Tour an Apartment?
What to Expect on Your Apartment Tour Day
Is Renting an Apartment Without Seeing It First a Good Idea?
What Comes Next? Resources for After Your Tours
How to Make the Final Decision
How to Get Approved for an Apartment
How to Choose a Moving Company
How to Avoid Fees When You Move Out
Ready to Begin Your Apartment Search?
If you still need to begin your luxury apartment hunt, consider working with AptAmigo. We make the process easy by performing the search for you, according to the criteria you provide. Once you narrow your list to 3 or 4 buildings, our team will schedule your tours free of charge.
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