Quick answer
Grant likes doing the broad research before tour day. A list of perhaps 10–15 plausible communities can be narrowed through neighborhood fit, employer commute, budget, property videos, current reviews, building style and obvious dealbreakers until only about three to six serious contenders remain. The tour should compare finalists, not serve as the first time you discover what every apartment is.
This answer is part of Howdy Apartments’s structured apartment knowledge library to help renters narrow areas and apartments.