How Technology Is Changing the Apartment Hunting Process

We rely on technology so much in our day-to-day lives, more so than I think we even realize. It's an open line of communication at all times. It's how we navigate unfamiliar surroundings. It's how we find new restaurants to try and places to visit. It's how we entertain ourselves after a long day. And more and more, technology is changing how we look for apartments.

Technology has taken some of the stress out of apartment hunting by making it more accessible and more efficient than ever before. This is especially beneficial for people with chaotic schedules and people looking to move out of state.

Below are some of the ways technology has made looking for an apartment more convenient.

New Ways to Discover Available Listings

Traditionally, renters had to constantly check newspapers and magazines, or rely on word of mouth, to find apartments for rent. Now, typing "apartments for rent near me" into Google is all that it takes to populate hundreds if not thousands of available listings. Third-party websites like Apartments.com and Zillow are great resources, but people can also go directly to a property management firm's website to see all their available listings as well. We are constantly updating ours!

These websites give an overview of the space, complete with photos, so that you know which spaces aren't worth an in-person visit or which could be your next dream apartment.

Virtual Tours

While there are perks to viewing an apartment in person, virtual tours offer a number of benefits to apartment hunters. Technologies like virtual reality make it possible for people to walk through an apartment as if they were really there, rather than relying on descriptions and photos for reference. This is a great way to get a more detailed look into a space to determine if it's a good fit for you.

We'd still recommend seeing a property in person before signing a lease, however. But virtual tours take the apartment hunting process to the next level.

Plan an Apartment Tour in Advance

It's highly unlikely you'll only tour one apartment during your search, so consider planning an apartment tour so you can see as many properties as you can fit into a day or the span of a weekend. By searching the addresses on Google, you can determine a timeline and a route that allows you to schedule multiple viewings you can hit in one straight pass. This approach saves you time and money.

Faster Communication

Do you have questions about an apartment that you forgot to ask during the tour? Chat technologies make communicating with a landlord or property management company quick and painless. You can get answers to your questions almost immediately, which reduces the amount of time it takes to finalize your decision, which is important for people who are working around a tighter timeline.

The next time you need to look for an apartment, don't forget to take advantage of all the benefits technology has to offer.