Even when the housing market is good, it can take a little time to find a tenant because you have to find someone with the right qualifications. Wouldn’t it be great if you could generate a flood of qualified prospective tenants so you could rent your property faster?
Here are 5 tips to ramp up your marketing efforts in order to reach more qualified tenants and rent your property faster.
Marketing your property is all about appealing to people through the written word and photos. When you write your ads, every word counts. If you want more calls from prospects, you can achieve that by carefully selecting the adjectives you use to describe your property.
For example, if your property has double paned windows, a programmable thermostat, or energy-efficient appliances, you should note that your home is “energy-efficient” or “green.” These are buzzwords that most people will respond well to.
If your property has a creek in the backyard, don’t just say, “A creek runs through the backyard.” Instead, say something like, “the lush view from the back porch overlooks a babbling creek leading into the forest.”
Other words you can use to spice up your ad include, “elegant, relaxed, casual, vintage, original, secluded, private, friendly, lively, and generous.” Be creative with your ad, but don’t go overboard. You want to paint a picture for your prospects but you don’t want to write a novel.
One search on Craigslist will reveal that many people don’t take the time to stage their photos or capture high quality images. Some people don’t even bother removing dirty laundry and random stuff from the floor. Bathroom photos are full of half-used toothpaste tubes with missing caps, toothbrushes, broken bars of soap, dirty towels, and open toilets – everything you don’t want your prospects to see.
Marketing your rental property requires painting an elegant picture for your prospective tenants through your photos. The more work your prospects have to do to picture the property clean and in proper light, the less excited they’ll be to check it out.
It’s worth the time and money to hire a professional photographer to take photos of your property; if you aren’t a photographer, you won’t know how to get the angles and light necessary to create flattering photos.
Professional photos taken with proper lighting can make your rooms look bigger, more open, and brighter. Using staged furniture can give people an idea of what’s possible, even if their furniture isn’t as nice.
If you can’t stage your rooms with amazing furniture, have a professional photographer take all of your photos after your property has been thoroughly cleaned. If you can’t afford to hire a professional photographer, find a photography student from your local community college. Just remember to pay them well. Their skills are often just as good as people with an established career, and they are worth it.
What appeals to you and what appeals to potential tenants might not be the same. Before listing your property’s amenities, take a visual look around and note anything you think could be considered an amenity to others.
Is there outdoor space? Is there room for a table and chairs on the patio, even if it’s small? Is there space for a garden, even if it’s created with raised beds?
Does your property have any specific security features like motion sensors, peepholes with wide-angle views, or strong windows?
When it comes to entertainment, many people have big screen TVs that require a wall mount, and they may have left their wall mount in their former residence. If you have one already installed, you’ll want to mention this.
Energy efficiency as an amenity
Whenever you have energy-efficient appliances and windows, your tenants are going to save money on their heating and cooling costs, so be sure to mention this fact in your ad.
Social life as an amenity
One wonderful amenity you may not have considered is how accessible the rest of the city is from your property. What are the hot spots in town, and how far are you from them? Is there a shopping mall nearby? Any five-star restaurants? Be sure to list how far you are from these hot spots, as well as public transit.
Believe it or not, there are people who don’t look for housing on the internet. If you want to reach as many people as possible, find places to publish your ad in print or post on a bulletin board. In small towns, especially, it’s common for bookstores, convenience stores, and gift shops to have community bulletin boards where people can post their ads for 30 days.
When you do post on a bulletin board, be sure to collect your ad when you’ve rented your property or have reached the allowed time limit. This way, you’ll maintain a good reputation with the business owner and will be able to post future ads. If you pay for an ad or post boost, you can do so for a short period. Organic online marketing isn’t going to be your friend in this situation. You need a quick boost from paid marketing channels.
Marketing is about attracting the right people and repelling the wrong people. You want tenants who will take care of your property, and advertising your expectations for yard maintenance can deter people who won’t take care of your property. Some tenants don’t find out they’re required to maintain the yard until they sign the lease, and that surprise can create resent that might lead to further consequences not in your favor.
If your rental property is a house, you’ll probably assign the responsibilities of basic yard maintenance to your tenants in the lease, and this should be mentioned in your ad. By making yard maintenance responsibilities known ahead of time, the lazy folks will weed themselves out (pun intended). Landscaping influences the value of your home, so you’ll want to find people who will happily mow the lawn.
At Green Residential, we have a team of experts with decades of experience marketing rental properties in the greater Houston area. We can help you with all of your property management needs. Contact us today to find out how we can work with you and get your property rented and preserve your peace of mind.
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