Being able to differentiate your rental listings from the hundreds of other local property listings in circulation is a skill that every landlord needs to hone. It’s not an easy skill to perfect, but it’s important, nonetheless. The ability to write high converting listings with descriptive and compelling language is something that can really set your properties apart from the competition.
When it comes to marketing a rental property, few things are as important as the rental listings you produce for online listing sites. While a “For Rent” sign in the front yard of a property will help you capture a handful of leads, the majority will come from your online efforts. Gone are the days where people drive around looking for signs. These days, most of the search process takes place via an internet browser. In particular, there are two reasons why online rental listings are so valuable.
• Visibility. Listings on websites such as Zillow are incredibly visible. When renters conduct Google searches, listings on high authority sites naturally appear at the top of the search rankings. This visibility increases the chances of an interested renter finding your property.
• Volume. Secondly, online rental listings drive high volumes of traffic. Whereas 250 people per day may only see a sign in the front yard of your rental, 2,000 people per day could see an online listing. This volume naturally means you’ll find more qualified leads.
Developing a rental listing may not be the most fun or entertaining task, but it’s an important component of being a profitable landlord. Keep this in mind and look for ways to improve upon this aspect of real estate investing.
Developing high-converting rental listings is an art form. While it’s largely a hands-on learning experience, you can start by using the following tips and tricks. If you’re able to master this advice, you’ll be well ahead of most of the competition in your area.
1. Write a Catchy Headline
First impressions are everything in real estate. While it’s a good idea to focus on the curb appeal of your rental properties, most interested renters form an impression well before driving up to the property. In most cases, a first impression is made when looking at the listing. And which part of the listing does a person see first? The headline.
A catchy and descriptive headline is an integral component of a high-converting listing. Unfortunately, most landlords don’t look at it this way. The headline is frequently the last part to be completed. Don’t make this mistake. The headline is the first thing a person will see and needs to offer a compelling reason to click. Everyone has a different formula for writing headlines, but try to be consistent. Here’s one good model:
• Price – # of Bedrooms/# of Bathrooms [property type] in [location] with [top feature]
Here’s an example of how that title would look when used on a specific property:
• $1,250 – 3 Bed/2.5 Bath House in Main Street Area with Newly Renovated Kitchen
Do you see how effective that title is? It’s concise, yet provides all of the information a person needs to decide whether the property fits their criteria. All too often, you’ll see a headline that looks like this:
• 3 Bedroom House on Main Street
Would you really click on this listing if you were a renter? It does very little to market the property. A descriptive title, on the other hand, is compelling and click-worthy.
2. Use Professional Photos
Professional photos are very important. While your iPhone’s camera may be convenient and cheap, it shouldn’t be your first choice. A professional photographer will cost you money, but the ROI almost always justifies the investment. Remember, we’re trying to make a good first impression. The images on your listing determine whether or not a person will hit the back button or dial your number.
3. Start with the Best Feature
When crafting a listing, you have to assume that people have short attention spans. It’s possible that most people will never make it to the bottom of a listing. With that being said, place your best features and the most important information at the top. This diminishes the chances that someone will overlook something.
4. Clearly State the Price
It’s amazing how many landlords don’t put a price on their listings. There’s absolutely no advantage to leaving the price out. Most people won’t even call if they can’t see a price first. Clearly state the price in the headline and at the top of the listing. While your price may not fit everyone’s budget, you’ll at least cut down on the number of unqualified leads you collect.
5. Provide Multiple Forms of Contact
The purpose of a rental listing is to capture leads. How are you going to capture leads without providing contact information? The mistake many landlords make is not providing contact options. It’s important that you provide both your email address and phone number. Some people work strange hours and are only able to browse listings late at night or early in the morning. Since they aren’t able to call you, they’ll need to email. Other people don’t like using email and prefer to call. By giving both options, you can increase the number of leads you capture.
Nobody knows the Houston real estate market quite like we do. At Green Residential, we’ve been the go-to property management resource for Houston landlords for more than three decades. Over that time, we’ve developed a reputation as being the most honest, experienced, and versatile property management company in the area.
Whether you need help crafting quality listings, finding tenants, collecting rent, scheduling maintenance, or anything in between, we’re here to help. Our goal is to handle the burdens commonly associated with being a landlord so that our clients are free to focus on the bigger picture. For additional information about any of our services, please reach out today!
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