Turn Construction Projects into Profitable Rentals with AppFolio 3D Tours

Cloudpano
July 14, 2025
5 min read
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🏗️ Turn Construction Projects into Profitable Rentals with AppFolio 3D Tours

Every construction project has a finish line—but that’s just the beginning when your goal is turning properties into income-producing rentals. 🏠 The moment your build is complete (or nearly complete), you need a system to fill units fast, attract quality tenants, and maximize your return on investment.

The best way to do that? Pair the powerful property management tools of AppFolio with immersive 3D virtual tours to market your new rentals like a pro—even before they’re ready for in-person showings. 💼📸

Let’s explore how to transform your construction projects into profitable, high-occupancy rental properties using AppFolio and 3D tour tech.

🚧 Why Construction-to-Rental Projects Need 3D Tours

When you're converting new builds into rentals, traditional marketing methods often fall short:

  • There’s no tenant history to highlight
  • You can’t always schedule walk-throughs (especially during finishing stages)
  • Renters are hesitant to commit to something they can’t see clearly

This is where 3D virtual tours make all the difference. 🤳

They help prospects visualize the space, walk through remotely, and get excited—even if the property isn’t move-in ready yet.

🔗 Related: Using 3D Virtual Tours to Showcase New Construction Rentals on AppFolio

📦 From Construction Site to Clicks: AppFolio Makes It Easy

AppFolio offers an all-in-one leasing and management platform for rental operators. But when paired with 3D tours, it becomes a leasing machine.

Here’s what AppFolio enables you to do:

  • Create stunning listing pages in minutes 📄
  • Embed virtual tours directly into property listings 🔗
  • Accept online applications and collect payments seamlessly 💳

By using AppFolio + 3D tours, your brand-new rental homes look professional and lease-ready, even before final cleaning.

🧠 More Insights: Seamless Virtual Tour Integration with AppFolio: A Complete Guide

🧱 Case Study Example: Leasing While Under Construction

Imagine you’re a builder finishing up a 12-unit duplex project. The paint isn’t dry yet, but you want to start cash flowing immediately after final inspection.

With 3D tours captured at 95% completion and listings published in AppFolio:

  • 🔑 You start receiving applications before the CO is issued
  • 📈 You lease 80% of the units before doors officially open
  • 💰 You eliminate 30+ days of vacancy per unit

This is the construction-to-rental profitability advantage you gain with immersive media.

📌 Related read: 3D Virtual Tours for House Builders: Enhance Rental Listings on AppFolio

🎥 Don’t Have a 3D Camera? Use AI Video Instead

Don’t worry if you don’t own a 3D camera or Matterport scanner. You can still create immersive media with AI-powered photo-to-video tools.

Platforms like PhotoAIVideo.com let you:

  • Upload standard property photos 📷
  • Auto-generate smooth video tours with motion and music 🎞️
  • Download, brand, and upload to AppFolio or share on social media 🔄

This approach is perfect for:

  • Pre-leasing based on renderings or construction photos 🏗️
  • Showing progress while under construction
  • Social media promotions of upcoming rentals 📲

📘 Learn more: How to Generate Real Estate Videos From Just Photos in Under 5 Minutes

🧲 Attract Higher-Quality Tenants Faster

Listings with 3D tours or video tours perform significantly better than those with just static photos. Here’s why:

  • 🧭 Renters get spatial understanding of layout
  • 💡 They visualize furniture placement and lifestyle
  • ⏳ They stay on your listing longer
  • 🎯 They submit more informed applications (and fewer tire-kickers)

With AppFolio tracking analytics, you’ll see:

  • ⬆️ Higher listing views
  • 🕒 Shorter time-on-market
  • 📬 Better lead-to-lease conversion

🎯 Improve your listing results: The Anatomy of a High-Converting Real Estate Video (with AI)

🔄 Systematize the Process for Future Builds

To make this repeatable across future projects, create a virtual tour + listing launch SOP:

  1. Capture or render images of the property
  2. Generate a 3D or AI video tour
  3. Create AppFolio listing template with embedded media
  4. Syndicate the listing across channels (Zillow, social, your site)
  5. Track conversion and update your process regularly

📅 Bonus: The Weekly AI Video Content Plan (Template + Tools)

💡 Combine With Other Media for Maximum Impact

While 3D tours are the core asset, your marketing can shine brighter when you include:

  • 📐 2D or 3D Floor Plans
  • 🚁 Aerial drone footage
  • 🧠 AI-generated walkthrough videos
  • 🔗 Embedded links and call-to-action buttons

💥 Use these elements to stand out on platforms like Zillow, Facebook, and Google Maps.

📚 Read: Why AI Video is the New Standard for Listing Presentations

📊 Real ROI: The Financial Impact

Vacancy is expensive. Let’s do the math:

Example:

  • Rent = $1,900/month
  • Vacant for 30 days = $0
  • 10 units = $19,000 in lost revenue

If 3D tours and AppFolio cut vacancy by just 2 weeks per unit, you gain back $9,500 in income—on just one project.

💸 Expand your margins: AI vs. Traditional Video Editing: Cost, Time, and ROI Breakdown

✅ Conclusion: Go From Dirt to Dollars—Faster

Every day your property sits empty post-construction is money left on the table. But by combining AppFolio’s modern property management system with 3D tours or AI video content, you can:

  • 📢 Market earlier
  • 🏡 Fill faster
  • 💵 Increase profits

Whether you’re building duplexes, single-family homes, or entire communities—this approach will help you turn projects into profitable rentals with zero delay.

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Cloudpano

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Property Marketing
Allows potential buyers to explore properties in detail from anywhere, enhancing the real estate marketing process.
Automotive Spins
Create an interactive virtual showroom and engage affluent digital buyers with live 360º video calls, all through the CloudPano mobile app for a complete automotive sales solution.
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Create 2D and 3D floor plans with measurements in 4 minutes or less, all from your phone. Download the Floor Plan Scanner app and get your first scan free.

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