Tips for Marketing Your Vacancies on the Web
Remember when finding a new tenant meant throwing up a sign in the yard and placing an ad in the weekend paper? Times were simpler then. With sites like KSL and Craigslist attracting tons of local traffic and allowing free classified ads, the web has become your go to spot for finding quality tenants for your Utah rental property. But how can you make your rental stand out in the crowd? Following these simple steps will give your property a strong web presence and help find your next tenant faster.
Create visibility – Telling you to publish your vacancy to as many websites as possible may sound obvious, but do you know why? The more links available to your rental, the more likely it is to show up on your prospective tenants search results and ultimately on their radar.
Let your photos do the talking – Almost anyone can write a glowing description that will make even a toolshed sound luxurious, but searchers want to see it. In fact, you should add as many pictures as the site will let you. Make sure they highlight your property’s best features and watch your lighting, because dark photos can make your top floor condo look like a basement apartment.
Add video – Sometimes photos just don’t tell the whole story. A virtual tour can really help people visualize the space and picture themselves living in it. Another huge advantage to using video is it will limit your showings to only truly interest parties since everyone will have already had a chance to “walk through” your property.
Update your information regularly – One of the biggest advantages web marketing has over print is that it’s editable. If you change your price or forget to mention a particular benefit, you can easily make the change at no additional cost.
Make it convenient for tenants to contact you – Not everyone does their searching during daylight hours when it’s appropriate to call, so always make sure your prospective tenants can contact you by email to ask questions. In fact, if you hire a property management company, they typically offer software that will allow tenants to schedule showings or send an application right from their computer.
If you aren’t already marketing your vacancies on the web, I suggest you start now. Your competitors are already showing their properties off online. The web can be very competitive, but following these simple tips will help you build a web presence and decrease your vacancy rates.
