Whether you’re selling or renting out a property, firstimpressions are vital in real estate. As a landlord, you need all the helpyou can get to attract new tenants and rent out vacant properties.
Make sure your rental listing isdoing as much as possible to both grab attention and persuade potential tenantsto get in touch.
Here are five ways to make yourrental listing more successful.
Your title is one of two make orbreak elements for a good listing. The other is pictures, which we will covernext.
But first, your listing title.
Titles should be short and shouldinclude vital information front and center. No need for descriptive language orverbal embellishments, just get to the point.
Always include:
· Monthly rental price
· Number of Bedrooms
· Location
A few examples:
“$1200/month|3 BR Townhouse|MarketSt.”
“$2000/month 4 BR house in Newark”
“$500/m – Single Room – CollegeSt.”
People looking for a rental arebombarded with so many different listings. By putting these details in thelisting title, you’re making it easier for them to screen your propertyimmediately to see if it matches their criteria.
Listings with great pictures, andlots of them, do better than those with either few descriptive pictures or badpictures. Make sure you’re giving a good visual first impression with yourrental listing.
Any pictures you upload should be:
· Bright
· Well lit
· Focused on main features
· HD images
· Clutter-free
If possible, edit any picturesbefore you upload them, just to balance out the lighting and make everything aslifelike as possible.
It’srecommended that you take at least 1-2 wide angle pictures of each mainroom, including the bedrooms, kitchen, and living room. Then, take 1 picture ofevery bathroom, or more if there’s a standout feature in a particular bathroom.For the outside, take 1-2 pictures from the front and 2-3 pictures of thebackyard.
Always create a photography planbefore you start taking pictures.
As long as you have high qualitypictures, it’s always better to have more rather than less. Let potentialrenters get a solid feel for the property before they even see it.
Twenty-two to 27 pictures is the ideal range ofphotos for real estate, according to Zillowresearch. Homes with fewer than nine photos are about 20 percent lesslikely to Rent within 60 days.
Place your rental listing whereit’s most likely to get the right attention. While places like newspaperclassifieds or Craigslist may feel traditional, you’re not as likely to get agood ROI for your marketing budget (or your time!) because you’ll be reachingfewer relevant people.
The easiest way to find newtenants today is through online listing platforms.
These are a few of the bestlisting platforms for landlords:
· Zillow
· Realtor.com
· Apartments.com
· Zumper
· Rentometer
Give as much information aspossible with as few words as possible.
People don’t want to read a largewall of text. Keep it relevant to the renter and get straight to the point.Bulleted lists are an easy way to sum up important information.
Focus on giving the details thatpotential renters would care about. Things like:
· Additional costs (parking, pet fees, utilityarrangements, security deposit, etc.)
· Neighborhood security
· Maintenance & repair availability
· Pet policies
· Smoking policies
· Lease terms
· Proximity to transport & important localfacilities
Above all, write for your renters.Know whatyour potential renters want and make sure you give the information thathelps them make a decision.
One of the most compelling ways towrite is in second person tense. This is where you address the audiencedirectly, as “you”. This blog post is written in second person, because it’sgiving you specific tips to apply to your own rental listings.
Whatever you do, don’t write yourlistings from the third person perspective!
The simplest way to explain allthese perspectives is through examples:
First person: I recentlyrenovated the kitchen and the master bedroom.
Second person: You’ll enjoycooking in the newly renovated kitchen.
Third person: The tenant willenjoy many different shared amenities on the premises.
Second person writing is best forselling. Help the reader visualize themselves in the property by addressingthem directly and stating the benefits from their perspective.
This small change will take yourrental listing from informative to persuasive.
Your listing is the first thing potential renters will see. Makesure it’s helping you get the right kind of attention to fill your vacanciesquickly.
Rentsavvy has valuable tools to help landlordsmarket their property across multiple listing sites, scheduling your tours, collectand screen your applicants. To find out more visit www.rentsavvy.co
