The strategies you employ to advertise and market your rental property will influence the length of your vacancy, the amount of interest you generate, and the quality of tenants you attract. Bad marketing will lead to long vacancies and bad tenants. However, if you market your home properly, you will have excellent tenants eager to see the property and apply to live there.
Today, we’re discussing some of the marketing we do for the properties we manage at Charleston Home Rentals.
Online Advertising is Critical
The best way to advertise your rental property is obviously on the internet. The tenants you want to reach are looking for their next home on sites like Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, Rentals.com, and Craigslist. Make sure you have your listing on all the major real estate and rental sites so you can reach a large pool of potential renters.
In addition to those rental sites, you’ll wanted to use the local Multiple Listing Service (MLS), which can help you reach real estate agents who might have clients looking for rental properties. It’s a good way to connect with highly qualified tenants. If you work with a property management company to lease your home, you can also expect to have your listing featured on their website and social media pages.
Leveraging Relationships and Networks
In addition to online advertising, you need to work your relationships and tap into the professional associations or networks to which you belong. You might have great tenants looking for a place to live, or you might be connected to people who know potential renters. We are proactive in reaching out to members of the community through different means. We have a database of agents who receive regular notifications when we have a new property available. We also advertise on social media. Every possible advertising channel is used, and we make sure to cast a wide net when we’re generating interest in your property.
Professional Photography and Innovative Videos
Smartphones can do amazing things these days, and we love to embrace and invest in technology. However, when it comes to taking marketing photos of your home, we strongly advise you to invest in professional photographs. It won’t cost a lot of money, but it will deliver huge results. A good photographer will know how to make use of lighting and space. You’ll have photos that really emphasize the positive benefits of your home. Tenants will likely ignore listings that don’t have any photos. They also won’t bother calling about an ad that has sloppy or unclear photos. Get some high quality pictures taken before you begin marketing your home.
A marketing walk-through video is another worthwhile idea. With a video, you can give your prospective tenants an idea of the home’s layout and floor plan. They’ll be able to make a quick decision about whether they want to see it. It’s especially beneficial to tenants who are relocating to Charleston from out of the area. They may be nervous about renting a place without seeing it, and a video will provide details and peace of mind.
These are some of the tips we can offer you as professional Charleston property managers. If you need help marketing your rental home or you’d like some more advice, please contact us at Charleston Home Rentals.
