One third of people now willing to rent their homes without even seeing them

Data from neighbourhood operator Get Living has revealed that one third of renters (34%) would be willing to move into a home without viewing them in person.

According to the build-to-rent pioneer, which operates East Village and Elephant Central in London, as well as New Maker Yards in Manchester, the pandemic has accelerated the trend for people to choose their new home based on a purely virtual viewing experience.

At Elephant Central in South London, some renters are even viewing the property online and then moving in within 24-hours ‘contact-free’, collecting their keys and setting themselves up in their apartment with the help of Get Living’s very own virtual assistant.

Further data from Get Living showed that 70% of enquiries state that the movers are looking for a change of scenery, 90% of its largely young professional audience ask for desk space, while 10% are on the hunt for pet-friendly properties.

Get Living apartments – which come fully-furnished with superfast WiFi already installed and included in the rent – have seen 75% of new residents with a spare bedroom retool their free room as an office, while 24% are using the vacant area as a home gym, reflecting needs brought on by the pandemic.

The neighbourhood operator believes that the demand for a slick online experience that reflects the reality of the properties being offered is now key to attracting renters – with viewings overall up 38% on last year, and boosted by an increasing trend for virtual visits.

Ian Gibbs, Director of Neighbourhoods at Get Living, said: “A third of our customers are telling us that they would be willing to choose their future home without viewing it in person ahead of moving in.

“In part, this can be attributed to current guidelines on not leaving your home, but it also reflects the way we’ve come to live our lives virtually over the past year, as well as showing consumers’ demand for a slick, easy online experience. This was something already in the works that has been accelerated by the pandemic for sure.

“With thousands of residents across London and Manchester, we’re finding that word of mouth alone is proving a powerful tool in attracting people to our neighbourhoods, and some are now opting for same-day move-ins, whereby they can see a property, sign a flexible contract, and be in their new home in the space of 24 hours.

“While we’ll offer in-person viewings as long as it’s safe to do so, the pandemic means that potential residents are doing more online research on the homes they’re looking for, whether that’s eyeing up the location on Instagram or browsing videos of what homes and neighbourhoods look like on our Get Living website.

“For those looking to limit their interactions during this time, we also offer ‘contactless’ move ins, so residents can collect their entry fobs and be taken through guides on how to work their appliances and information about the neighbourhood by our bespoke virtual assistant.”