Flexible access is not just a Class A amenity. It is an operational strategy.
Case Study
Case Study Results
0
Completed self-guided tours
0
%
Completed outside business hours
0
%
Same-day tours
0
+
Hours of added leasing capacity
“Flexible access has become an operational strategy. Of our 4,470 self-guided tours, 59% took place outside business hours. Those 2,637 tours created 1,978 hours of extended leasing capacity beyond the traditional workday. As search moves toward AI, that flexibility will matter even more. When a renter asks, ‘What can I tour after work tonight?’ we want our communities ready to be part of the answer.”
Kory Nelson, VP of Marketing, Birge & Held
Portfolio
85 communities included in the analysis
Property Type
Multifamily residential, Class A through Class C
Background
Birge & Held serves renters across a diverse multifamily portfolio, with more than half of the communities in this analysis estimated to be Class B. Different asset classes bring different renter needs, but one expectation is consistent: prospects want to tour when their schedules allow.
For renters working traditional business hours, that may mean after 5 PM. For others, it may mean early morning or the weekend. Birge & Held recognized that accommodating those schedules required more than extending office hours. It required a more flexible leasing model.
Results
Metrics/Results in 6 months
4,470 completed self-guided tours
59% completed outside business hours, representing 2,637 tours
39% completed on weekends
78% same-day tours
58% within 60 minutes of scheduling
3,350+ hours of estimated added leasing capacity
1,978 hours of estimated added capacity outside business hours
Challenge
Leasing opportunities do not end when the office closes.
Traditional leasing hours often overlap with the hours prospects are at work. That creates a fundamental challenge for operators: how do you make apartments available when renters are ready to tour without requiring leasing teams to extend their schedules or personally conduct every appointment?
Across a diverse portfolio, the challenge becomes even more important. A Class A renter may prefer a digital-first experience, while a Class B or C renter may need flexible access because of their work schedule.
Birge & Held needed a way to accommodate both, while creating more capacity for leasing professionals to focus on the activities that move prospects toward a lease.
Solution
Make self-guided touring part of the operating model.
Tour24 gives Birge & Held prospects the flexibility to schedule and complete tours on their own schedule, including outside business hours and on weekends.
Instead of requiring every renter to wait for an available leasing appointment, self-guided touring creates a direct path from interest to access. Prospects can find a community, schedule a tour, and experience it while their interest is high.
For leasing teams, the value is equally important. Tour24 allows more touring activity to take place without requiring a leasing professional to lead every visit, creating capacity for follow-up, application management, lease conversion, and resident engagement.
That flexibility also supports centralized leasing. While communication and follow-up can move to centralized teams, the physical tour still requires access to the community. Tour24 helps connect those centralized workflows to the onsite experience.
Results
Flexible access captured demand beyond the traditional leasing window.
Across 85 communities, 59% of Birge & Held’s completed self-guided tours took place outside business hours. Those 2,637 tours represent demand that could be accommodated without extending the traditional workday for leasing teams.
The results also show how quickly prospects want to act. 78% of tours were scheduled for the same day, and 58% occurred within 60 minutes of scheduling. By reducing the time between interest and access, Birge & Held gives renters a way to tour when they are ready.
Tour volume became leasing capacity.
Using 45 minutes as the average time required to conduct a traditional tour, Birge & Held’s 4,470 completed self-guided tours represent 3,352.5 hours of added leasing capacity in six months.
That is approximately 419 eight-hour workdays of touring capacity that did not require a leasing professional to personally conduct each appointment.
Of that total, 1,978 hours were created outside business hours.
These figures represent estimated touring capacity, not eliminated labor or measured payroll savings. The operational value is the ability to redirect leasing professionals toward higher-value activities while accommodating more prospect demand.
One strategy. Multiple asset classes.
Birge & Held’s results demonstrate that self-guided touring is not simply a luxury amenity. It is a scalable strategy for expanding access across a diverse portfolio.
“A Class A renter may choose self-guided touring because they prefer a digital-first experience. A Class B or C renter may need it because their work schedule makes a traditional appointment difficult.”
Kory Nelson, VP of Marketing, Birge & Held
As apartment discovery evolves, that flexibility may become even more important. When a renter asks, “What can I tour after work tonight?” communities need to be ready to accommodate that demand.
Birge & Held has turned flexible access into an operational advantage: more opportunities for prospects to tour, more capacity for leasing teams, and a leasing model that scales beyond traditional office hours.
More Tours. More Leases. With Tour24.