A tenanted unit is the hardest listing to show. The tenant has a right to quiet use of their home, the timing depends on their schedule, and the best buyers are often abroad. Every wasted viewing costs the tenant's goodwill, and a tenant who stops cooperating can stall a sale for months.
Step 1: talk to the tenant first
Before the listing goes live, tell the tenant in writing what is happening and what you will ask of them. Keep it short and specific:
- One photo session, at a time they choose, if the existing photos are poor.
- No viewings without notice: at least 24 hours, and only for buyers who have seen the remote pack.
- A maximum number of visits, for example 3, on one or two set days.
- What they get in return, if anything: a cleaning before photos, a rent reduction for the visit days, or simply less disruption than usual.
Check what the lease says about access and notice before you promise anything to a buyer.
Step 2: reuse the photos you already have
Most units already have photos from when they were last let. If they are recent and show every room, use them. If not, one session with the tenant's agreement is enough: wide shots of every room from the corners, the view from each window, the bathroom, the kitchen, and the building's facilities. Take them in daylight, with curtains open.
Step 3: get the floor plan
Buyers abroad ask first about the layout. The developer's brochure, the juristic office or the original sale documents usually have the unit plan. A plan answers "where is the bedroom in relation to the living room" better than ten photos.
Step 4: build the remote viewing pack
Send buyers one link that holds everything:
- The photos, in order, room by room.
- The floor plan, with the room sizes if you have them.
- A walkthrough: a video recorded during the photo session, or a 3D tour rebuilt from the photos, so the buyer understands how rooms connect.
- The building: which floor, which direction the windows face, the facilities, the monthly common fee.
- The street: distance to the nearest station, schools, shops, and what the noise is like.
- The tenancy: lease end date, rent, deposit. Buyers who invest want to know the unit earns money; buyers who want to live in it need the date they can move in.
A buyer who has seen all of that and still asks for a visit is a serious buyer.
Step 5: qualify before any physical visit
Ask three questions before you book a viewing: have they seen the pack, what is their budget and timing, and what would they still need to check in person. If the answer to the last one is "nothing, I just want to see it", a video call from the unit on the next agreed visit day may be enough.
Step 6: one viewing day for the short list
Group the remaining buyers on one day the tenant agreed to. Thirty minutes each, the agent present, the tenant told who is coming. Three serious buyers in one afternoon is far better for everyone than ten casual visits spread over a month.
What does the walkthrough cost?
A video walkthrough costs nothing if you film it during the photo session. A 360° tour needs a camera and a second visit. A 3D tour rebuilt from the listing photos needs no visit at all: that is what we make at Highbuilt, $100 per tour within about 24 hours, refunded if it doesn't look like the unit. We are biased, so here are all the options and their prices in Thailand.
Does a virtual viewing really replace the first visit?
For many buyers, yes, for the first one. The one independent study we know of, on 43,000 listings, found that listings with a VR tour sold in 19 days instead of 34 (UT Dallas, 2025). A remote pack doesn't replace the final check before signing; it removes the visits that were never going to lead anywhere.
FAQ
Can I sell a condo with a tenant in it?
In most places, yes, and the buyer may take over the lease. Tell buyers the lease end date and rent upfront, and check with a lawyer how the lease carries over where the unit is.
How much notice should I give a tenant before a viewing?
Whatever the lease says; if it says nothing, 24 hours in writing is a common courtesy. Fewer, grouped viewings matter more than the exact notice.
What if the tenant refuses all viewings?
Then the remote pack does all the work until the unit is empty. That is where a 3D tour made from existing photos helps most, since nobody needs to go in.
What if the photos are old and the furniture has changed?
Say so in the listing. A buyer who finds different furniture on the day trusts you less than one who was told.
