Colleges and universities do not simply welcome individual students when they enroll, but rather, they create a long term relationship with both the student and their family. Parents, guardians, and extended family members naturally become a part of a college’s community. It is important to understand this when marketing your student housing facilities. Parents want to know that their family is getting a good value while also expecting that the residence halls are going to be safe and secure for their student. Highlighting that value as well as safety and security features throughout the tour of your student housing options is a strategy that you should use. Remember that you are showcasing a life-changing experience and not simply marketing a room with a bed and a desk. Make sure that you provide a short and descriptive narrative online and in-person for prospective students and their parents.

Here is a list of tips and tricks for student housing tours that appeal to parents:

1. List safety features, such as key access, smoke alarms and sprinklers, and individual rooms and bathrooms (if available).
2. Provide various important measurements of the room, including bed sizes, window height and length, and any storage space.
3. Decorate lightly so visitors can get a sense of what the space looks like when lived in.
4. Highlight common and recreational spaces along with mentioning the type of activities and programming that occur there.
5. Briefly describe the types of professional and student personnel who live in the residence halls and the importance of their various roles.
6. List important amenities within the rooms, which can include any appliances and utilities, such as bathroom and kitchen features as well as Wi-Fi and expanded cable if offered.
7. Highlight if any academic classes are held within the building, particularly if you showcase those areas within your tour.
8. Emphasize the benefits of living on campus, which includes convenient access to campus resources, fire & life safety measures, dedicated building staff, the types of academic and social activities offered, and student persistence benefits.
9. Discuss any savings related to living on campus versus living off campus, particularly depending upon the market of your campus community.
10. Call attention to any living-learning communities offered and how students can apply to be in them.

There are multiple benefits by appealing to parents and we would love to help you share the highlights of what your campus has to offer. Please contact us if you would like to explore more about creating a virtual 3D tour of your student housing facilities or enhancing the one that you currently have.

Vivid Media LLC is a multimedia company specializing in creating interactive virtual tours across multiple industries. Our mission is to deliver a high-quality product and service at a fair price. Our tours are of the highest quality, customizable, and include the most cutting-edge features.