How to plan a Memphis viewing trip from out of town — sequencing tours and confirming availability before you book travel.
Scheduling Tours From Out of Town
Getting the most out of one trip — or avoiding the trip entirely.
If you are relocating, you probably get one visit, and possibly none. Either way the planning problem is the same: see enough real units to decide, without wasting the window on places that were already leased.
That means confirming availability before you book travel, not after.
Planning the trip
Confirm availability first
Ask which specific units will still be available on your dates. Listings move; a shortlist built three weeks ago is fiction.
Cluster geographically
Group tours by area so you are not crossing the metro between viewings.
Leave gaps
Back-to-back slots collapse the moment one runs long. Build in buffer.
Drive your commute
While you are here, drive the route to your worksite at the hour you will actually travel it.
Bring your documents
If something fits, you want to be able to apply that day rather than a week later.
Have a fallback
If nothing fits, know what your remote option looks like before you fly home.
Planning a viewing trip? Tell us your dates and we will confirm what will be open.
A workable sequence
- Two to three weeks out
Tell us your dates and target move-in so we can flag what is realistic. - One week out
Confirm the shortlist again — availability changes. - Book the slots
Through the showing scheduler, clustered by area. - Day of
Tour, photograph, and drive the commute route. - Same day if it fits
Apply through the online application while you are still in town. - If nothing fits
Switch to video walkthroughs rather than forcing a decision.
If you cannot travel at all
Plenty of people lease here without visiting first, and it works when the process is followed properly: a video walkthrough of the specific unit, verification of the management company, and a full read of the lease before anything is paid.
What does not work is treating photographs as a substitute for a tour. Ask for the actual apartment on camera, with the taps running and the cupboards open. If that is refused, treat it as information about who you are dealing with.
Before you book travel
- Target move-in date decided
- Specific units confirmed as likely to be available
- Tour slots booked and clustered by area
- Application documents packed
- Commute route planned for the right time of day
- A remote fallback agreed if the trip does not produce a match
Current ELM rentals
Our Memphis rentals include apartments in the Raleigh area of northeast Memphis. Availability changes frequently, so the listings page is the current source of truth.
Frequently asked questions
How many units should I try to see?
Enough to compare, few enough to remember. Three to five in a day is realistic; eight is not.
What if everything is leased by the time I arrive?
It happens, which is why confirming close to your dates matters. Tell us early and we will keep you posted as units come available.
Can I apply before I visit?
Yes, if you have toured remotely. Many people do exactly that and use the trip to confirm.
Is it worth flying in at all?
If you can, yes — standing in a unit tells you things video does not. But it is not required.
Related guides
- How to rent before moving to Memphis
- Can you rent a Memphis apartment from another state?
- Apartments in Raleigh, Memphis
- Moving to Memphis: the full guide
Ask Lia
Lia is ELM Property Management’s leasing assistant. Tell us your travel window and we will tell you what will actually be available. Send your question through our contact page, email info@elmpropertymanagement.com, or call 901-350-5502, and a member of our team will follow up.
Planning a viewing trip?
Send your dates and we will confirm what is worth seeing while you are here.