The Anatomy of a Good Rental Apartment Ad

Written by on August 14, 2011 in Marketing - No Comments
targeted_ad

When crafting an advertisement for your vacant rental property, there are a few things landlords should make sure they include. Renters are looking for specific information and only give apartment ads a few seconds before they move on to the next if it does not catch their eye. Here are a few tips to help your vacant apartment ad stand out and generate interest.

1. Good Title – The title of your rental ad needs to grab a renter’s attention and make them click on the ad for more information. A good tip is to include the number of bedrooms, bathrooms, location, and availability date. These are highly searchable terms for renters and often on their “must-have” list.

2. Beautiful Photos – Good rental property photography is an essential part to renting your apartment quickly. This is your first impression for a renter so make sure it is the best one you can put forward. The ad above is missing interior photography because it was being renovated. If the apartment had not rented in 3 days, it would have been wise for the landlord to update the photos when they were available.

3. Contact Information - Make sure it is easy for a renter to call or email you as soon as they are ready for more information. The more difficult it is to contact you, the less likely they are to go to the trouble.

4. Enticing Description – Again, the rental ad is your potential tenants first interaction with your property. Take a moment to look at your property through the eyes of a renter. What is it that matters the most in your market? Do you have extra parking that’s hard to come by? Are you close to the local college? Is there easy access to public transportation? Find out what attracts people to your rental property and play up those assets!

5. Quick List of Features – Renters are crunched for time just like the rest of us and are often looking at rental ads whenever they get a spare minute. By including a quick list of your rental highlights, prospects can quickly glance to see if your property fits their needs.

6. Embedded Map – When prospective renters are looking at an ad and they do not know where the rental property is located, the first thing they usually do is go to Google Maps (or another map application) to look it up. Often times they never return to learn more about your great apartment. Don’t loose a potential renter just because you do not have a map on you ad!

Photo by: sicoactiva

Related Posts:
What Makes a Good Rental Ad?
Get More from Your Rental Ad
10 Ways to Market Your Rentals

5 Ways to Use Videos in Property Management

Written by on June 20, 2011 in Landlord Tips, Management, Marketing - No Comments
video_camera

It’s no secret that videos are growing in popularity. Every week you see new viral videos spreading like wildfire across the Internet and we often wonder how we can tap into that craze. The truth is that very few videos will make it to the level of Friday, Charlie Bit My Finger, or Numa Numa. Our goal in property management should be to connect with our renters rather than get the most views.

Good news is that it is easier than ever to create a quality video campaign for your apartments. You no longer need a studio or professional media equipment. All that is required is a handheld video camera and a computer with editing software. But if you’re still not convinced that videos can be beneficial to your marketing efforts, consider that videos can increase your business, help drive traffic to your properties, build better relationships with your renters, and increase your credibility.

Here are 5 ways you can use videos to connect with your prospective renters and help your rental property business.

  1. Walk Through Tours – Renters are very savvy these days and most do their research before ever stepping foot on your property. They want to know if your rental fits their needs and if it’s worth their time for a tour. What better way to show renters what your property really looks like? As a step above photos, your property videos will help pre-qualify candidates for you. But be sure they are a good representation! It’s a pretty straight forward idea, but there are many people who get this wrong. With video walk throughs, you want to keep the camera as steady as possible and walk slowly through each room, scanning the rooms in the same direction each time.
  2. Company Bios – People buy from people they like. The same is true in the rental industry. By creating a video bio of your leasing agents, or you as the landlord, your renters can connect with you on a more personal level making it easier to build rapport. Just remember to keep it simple and concise while letting your personality show. Focus on your expertise and why renting with you will benefit your future tenant.
  3. Video Testimonials – Do you have satisfied renters living in your properties? Sure you do! Ask them if they would be interested in giving a video testimonial about why your building is such a great place to live. Some people will be very happy to agree, while others may not wish to be on video. Don’t get discouraged. You could always gather testimonials in the form of quotes and include them in a video with pictures of your property and rental units.
  4. Neighborhood Tours – One of the biggest obstacles about moving to a new city is not knowing the neighborhood. Become a resource for people relocating to your area by creating neighborhood tours. Take a walk down your main shopping street with your video camera. Photograph the major retailers in the area. Showcase the outside of your property and the surrounding area and explain why your location is a great place to live.
  5. Contests – People love to win things so why not host a video contest for your renters. Some ideas for video submissions include why you chose to live here, showcase your apartment, and what’s your favorite thing about living at XYZ community. If you are on a tight budget, coordinate with local businesses for prizes in exchange for advertising to your renters. It’s a win-win.

We’d love to know if you’ve used videos in your apartment marketing before and if it’s worked for you.

Photo by: ceasedesist

Landlord Tip – Marketing Your Rentals

Written by on May 28, 2011 in Landlord Tips - No Comments
redDoor

It is in your best interest to accurately describe your rental property in your advertisements. You do not want to waste your time taking phone calls or showing prospects if your rental does not fit their needs.

Photo by: Sunfrog1

What Makes a Good Rental Ad?

Written by on April 12, 2011 in Landlord Tips, Marketing - No Comments
newspaper

Keeping rental apartments filled with quality renters is vital to every landlord’s business. So, when there is a upcoming vacancy on the horizon it is important to maximize advertisements and marketing efforts to attract the best tenants. There are several ways you can advertise vacant rental properties, but what information you post in the ad is just as important. A good rental ad can also be used as a screening tool to match prospective tenants to the types of rental property available if done correctly.

The following rental details will help renters decide if your property meets their needs and appeals to them. This helps both the landlords and renters because it will cut down on non-qualified prospects calling about your rental property.

  • Monthly or weekly rent price – If the monthly rent is too high for a prospective renter’s budget, why should anyone waste their time with a phone call or worse yet, a property visit? Plus, studies show that ads with the rent price listed generate more interest.
  • Number of bedrooms / bathrooms – Landlords should set their renter qualifications and stick to them for every prospect and renter. These qualifications should include the maximum number of people that may occupy each bedroom or apartment.
  • Amenities – Some renters are interested in community rooms, others a swimming pool. Make sure you include what makes your property special.
  • Appliances – The refrigerator and oven are givens, but renters are often looking for washers & dryers and dishwashers. Highlight them if you have them! Not only should you list the appliances included, you should also list their age if they are less than 5 years old.
  • Location – As the saying goes the three most important things are location, location, location so it’s important to include your area highlights. You might also want to consider including a map in your listing. Your prospects will often look up your rental’s address on a map first to see if they like the location, so why not save them a step.
  • Pet policy – If you allow pets, you should include that in your listing. People with pets will often only call ads that list their pet policy because if it’s not listed that usually means pets are not allowed.
  • Parking spaces per unit - If your rental includes a parking space or two, be sure to highlight this benefit. This will be more important in some cities or others, but knowing parking is included can be helpful.
  • Any additional benefits – Is there something at your community that sets you apart from your competition and other rentals in the area? If so, make sure to point it out!

At the end of the day, your rental advertisement is like a resume. The purpose is to peak your prospect’s interest so they set up the interview or property visit. As the landlord, you also want to make sure that the people you are “interviewing” are qualified candidates. Use your vacant rental ads and phone calls with prospects as a time to gather information, see if they fit with your qualifications and standards, and determine if it is worth everyone’s time to schedule a property visit.

Are there other pieces of information that have worked for you before? What have your most successful ads included in the past? Take a look at what has worked for you and consider sharing with the RentMonitor community.

Photo by: Dominique Godbout