Unless you have a sweet hookup for housing, you're going to be competing for your dream home just like everyone else.
All those people you saw at the showing are now racing to complete their applications before you. Multiple groups competing for the same house is not only stressful for you but also the landlord! They have to manage and coordinate the applications and guarantor forms of every group as they come in, while simultaneously making their tenant choices. Their goal is to find quality tenants who will take care of their investment, and they don't want to spend a ton of time on this process.
The easier you make things for the landlord, the easier it will be for them to rent to you.
Be Early: Show up 5-10 minutes early for your scheduled time slot.
Dress Up: At a minimum, dress like you would for a date. Ideally, dress like you would for a job interview.
Come Prepared: Take a one-page resume with a personal bio and your photo with a copy of your application. Landlords want to know who is living in their property (builds some trust) and have a face to associate with a name. You can either create your own or use PolyRents.
Be Conservative: Don't talk about drinking, partying, pets, etc. It won’t help and might worry the landlord enough to avoid your group all together.