We don’t do this as much anymore. Back when we were smaller, we’d list a unit and have 20 people ask about it. Doing showings for that many people would be more time consuming than a small company like we were could manage. So we’d ask people to apply first (obviously they could drive by, see the location, see pictures, ask questions, etc to make sure it was a fit first).  Understandably, most people wouldn’t want to do that. So we’d end up with just 3-4 apply out of those 20 who inquired.  Of those, it was easy to show that smaller number of actual applicants.  And we’d typically refund the application fee if we chose someone elses app over theirs.

Also, any time we request someone apply in advance, we’ll refund the application fee if they’re denied.

We don’t ask to apply in advance much any more as our staff is larger and showings are easier to manage. But there are a few times we might still ask. Such as:

1) We may list a unit that’s currently occupied, but they’re leaving soon. In order to respect their enjoyment of the property, we try to limit the number of people that view to those that are pretty serious about the place. The good news is, when it’s time for you to move on from one of our units, we’ll do our best to limit the number of people who we show your unit to before you leave.

2) Someone wants to view before/after ours or on weekends when we’re closed.  To make sure they’re pretty serious about the property, we ask them to apply as otherwise we feel its unfair to ask our managers to come in early or stay late or come in on weekends to show.  Often times, people are asking about dozens of properties, of which some may not be a fit due to the area or amenities.  But when they are asked to apply first, they’ll normally do a bit of research to make sure it’s a fit for them.

I know its unpopular to say showing units takes money and time on our part as schedules have to be set, other tasks put on hold, etc. to show a unit. While we understand some people don’t want to apply before viewing the unit in person, on the flip side, some owners and managers don’t want to show to someone that hasn’t applied. We try to supply as much information about our properties as possible to help make the decision as to if the property is a fit an easy one. You can drive by, and in most cases even walk the property. We supply pictures, answer questions, etc. Note that once an application is on file, it works for any of our properties. So if you apply and are not happy with the first unit you see, we have many more. We’re one of the largest owners of vintage Montrose properties so if one isn’t a fit, maybe another is.