As multifamily operators consider ways to optimize the apartment-shopping experience, it’s becoming increasingly clear that self-guided tours are a fundamental part of the future of leasing.

Consider the numbers from the single-family home leasing market, in which self-guided tours are a more established practice. In this market, according to an Anyone Home analysis, 17.75 percent of all prospects book a property tour. Of those that take a tour, an eye-popping 76 percent choose a self-guided one while only 24 percent tour with an agent.