Modern consumer behaviors are shaped by rapid advancements in online purchasing and the desire for instant gratification. Online shoppers are one click away from finding exactly what they want, researching, evaluating and purchasing faster than ever before. Searching for an apartment – an experience that’s been largely unchanged for more than a decade—is finally beginning to keep pace. But is it fast enough?

On one side of the transaction, renters are hungry for specific content, flexible touring options and transparency across channels. Meanwhile, operators are strategically determined to compress the leasing and touring process through self-serve touring options and centralized leasing scenarios. This tension is pushing multifamily inevitably to self-selection and optimized buying.

Selecting an apartment is an extremely personal decision, also a predominantly visual one. Personalized experiences raise the bar on customer expectations. Today’s renters want to see realistic pictures and experience virtual tours not only of the community, but for the specific apartment they’ll be living in.

"The world has moved to a much more visual medium. An apartment search is a digital overlay to the physical experience. The primary experience – a living experience—occurs within is a physical location. Multifamily needs to create a digital companion that complements physical needs."

Mike Gomes

Chief Experience Officer at Cortland

To meet these demands, apartment websites and internet listing services (ILS) are stepping up and transforming how content is delivered. The decades-old, floor plan-based website experience is giving way to unit-level search and myriad interactive experiences including photos, videos and interactive maps that provide context and specificity around individual apartments. Scarcity is driving the market and technology is providing new methods to take advantage of integration and self-conversion.

Read the full story on NAA to learn more about how Engrain's products enhance the apartment search.