All online rental ads are not created equal. In fact, many factors determine whether a rental ad will be successful at attracting renter leads. With so much information and so many choices on the internet, rental marketers need to make sure their ads catch – and hold – the attention of potential renters.
- Photos – photos of your rental are extremely important! When renters are searching online for their next place to live, appealing property photos are a must. If an ad has sparse (or no) photos, its chances of attracting leads are slim to none. Additionally, if you have an option to ad a video of the property and grounds it’s worth the time.
- Text – providing as much detail as possible is a must. If the property has deep drawers, trash compactor, garbage disposal or any additional features not obvious or just worth pointing out to a potential renter, do it. The detail in your ad may be the difference that makes your property standout over another comparable property.
- Competitive Rental Rates – In a competitive market, the price often matters more to potential tenants than anything else. A great way to find comparable prices in your area is to view other rental ads listed on classified sites and rental marketplaces like Craigslist or Zillow. If you have great text, photos, widespread distribution, incentives and aren’t getting showings or showings that lead to completed applications in your hand you may want to look at your rental rate. It’s always a good idea to call a local property manager to get an expert opinion on value as well.
- Low Deposit or Incentives – Another great way to help your rental stand out from the crowd is to offer a low deposit or move-in incentive. Especially true during times of recession and employment uncertainty, large deposits are hard to put together and may deter renters from choosing your property.
- Allow Pets – People love their animals. And with many rentals not being pet friendly, this may help to make your property standout. I have had great success with tenants and their pets. Still on fence about pets, consider charging a pet deposit and an additional charge each month for the pet.
- Widespread Distribution – Recent studies show that 90% of online renters search multiple sources online before making a decision about where to rent. This fact alone makes it essential to have your rentals advertised on as many places online as possible.
Easy to Contact
- – Isn’t it frustrating when you find just what you’re looking for online, but then have no idea how to contact the property manager. If they stumble across your online ad, the contact information should be absolutely obvious.
To sum up, renters searching online have a lot to choose from. By including plenty of attractive photos, text, offering competitive rates and incentives, and distributing the ad across the internet will increase the quality, numbers of prospects and insure you find the right tenant for your property.