COVID-19 Has Changed How We Tour Senior Living Apartments

Over the past year, many consumer behaviors have changed as a result of the pandemic. One area that has been impacted and as a result, evolved out of necessity, is the sales process for senior living residences. With senior living campuses having had to temporarily close across the country (at all levels from independent housing to skilled nursing care) due to COVID-19 restrictions, sales and admissions personnel were required to innovate to serve prospective customers who want to “view before they buy.”

In a survey of 3,500 Americans conducted by RENTCafe, 83% said they would use self-guided virtual tours as an option if they could not physically visit a property and meet with a sales representative. The insurgence of technology solutions in this area has also made this an easier and more cost-effective option for operators as well.

Virtual Tours at St. John’s

Using one such technology solution from EyeSpy360, St. John’s has now been able to make available to propective residents of any one of our communities (from Brickstone by St. John’s to St. John’s Home) virtual walk-through tour options for the majority of our types of residential offerings. A full listing of all of the virtual tours available through St. John’s can be found on our Virtual Tours webpage.

Seniors accessing the links found on this landing page, can manually “walk” through the properties, room by room with a 360-degree view (starting with the front door) of the apartment, cottage, or resident room (for skilled care). Different features are also available through the virtual tour such as a 3-D floor plan (with an option to print a floor plan for use in planning the move) and an opportunity to connect directly with a St. John’s representative, who can share the tour experience with the user “live” to answer questions.

Why Take Virtual Tours?

What developed out of necessity has proven to provide many advantages for certain types of prospective buyers. “In some cases, we have seen that consumers prefer this type of ‘window-shopping,’ which is low pressure and can be done from the comforts of home,” says Jennifer Lesinski, St. John’s Vice President of Marketing.

Some of the real benefits we have heard consumers share with us certainly emphasize the convenience of this type of offering and explain why it will be a growing tool in the senior living salesperson’s tool box:

• It is a cost-effective way to tour out-of-town communities.
• More family members can be included in the touring/ property search process.
• Provides prospective buyers with more time and less pressure to develop their questions.
• While COVID-19 pandemic cautions are still in place, virtual tours are a safe option for those wanting to minimize exposure.
• It is ideal for those seniors with mobility challenges.

Connect with a Sales Representative

When you are ready with all the question you have formed from visiting the St. John’s website and taking some of our virtual tours, a sales respresentative would be happy to connect with you by phone, email, or in-person and on site in a social-distanced, safe manner. Scheduling a tour can be done through our website or by calling 585-760-1300.

We look forward to you “virtually” walking through your new home and letting us know about the experience.