Planning on listing your South Florida rental property? Advertising your rental involves several steps that you shouldn’t skip. In this article, we’ll teach you how to attract long-term tenants with your listings. Plus, we’ll share some of our best-kept secrets of a successful showing.
Tips on Listing Your Rental
#1 Identify Your Ideal Tenant
Before listing your rental on websites such as Zillow and Trulia, it’s important to get a general idea of your ideal tenant. While you can’t discriminate due to the Fair Housing Act, you can write your ad copy in a way that attracts your target tenants. For instance, if you want to rent it out to student tenants, you could highlight the distance from campus. You could also mention the activities that might interest them, such as local bars and clubs.
#2 Write a Compelling Ad Copy
It is estimated that 91% of tenants use a listing service to search for a rental. To attract prospective tenants, you need to write an ad copy that compels them to schedule a showing at your property. We’ve written about writing effective rental listings before, but to sum it up, here’s what you should remember:
- Hook prospective tenants with your headline
- Describe the rental in detail (e.g. number of bedrooms and bathrooms)
- Describe its unique features (e.g. beachfront views)
- Include your contact details
- Include the complete address of the property
And remember, if writing isn’t your forte, you can always hire a property management company. They can help you write professional ad copy for your South Florida rental property.
#3 Take High-Quality Photos
If your listing doesn’t include photos, don’t bother posting it. If you do, people will ignore your listing. Your rental listing should always be accompanied by photos that show your property in the best light. So, if your living room has skylights and stunning views of the sunset, show it!
Here are some helpful tips to remember when taking photos of your property:
- Don’t use your phone to take photos. If you don’t have a digital camera, consider hiring a professional photographer.
- Don’t use flash as it will reveal your rental’s imperfections.
- Take photos during the daytime. Artificial light can make your rental look unrealistic. Use natural light as much as possible.
- Avoid using wide-angle lenses. These lenses may make the room look larger, but they’re also misleading. Don’t fool your prospective tenants into thinking your room is twice its actual size.
- Hire a professional home stager. An empty rental won’t attract renters. Staging the room will help tenants envision themselves there.
Before snapping away, make sure that the rental is clean. Do a little dusting, clean the carpets, and so on. If you don’t have the time to clean it yourself, consider enlisting the services of a property management company.
#4 Don’t Be Too Eager To Post
Compelling ad copy? Check. High-quality photos? Check.
We get it. You can’t wait to click “Submit” on your listing, however, you need to learn to control your excitement. Advertising your South Florida rental too early (more than a month before the property becomes vacant), could result in prospective tenants who aren’t that committed to your property. In other words, they’re simply shopping around.
On the other hand, listing too late (less than a month before the property becomes vacant) means you’ll likely end up with applicants who want to leave their current rental agreement. This means they’re rushing to find a replacement rental.
Ideally, you should list your rental four to six weeks before it becomes vacant. By this time, you’ll attract applicants who’ll likely become long-term tenants.
Tips for Successful Showings
After listing your rental, you’ll receive a lot of inquiries from prospective renters. Chances are, they’ll also ask to schedule a showing to see the property in person. If this is your first time showing a property, here’s what you should do:
#1 Get the Timing Right
You don’t always have to show the property during the day. For instance, if your rental has skyline views that look stunning at night, you should schedule the showing in the evening. This is especially true if your rental unit is in a condominium. Similarly, you should avoid scheduling showings when there’s road work going on. You don’t want your prospective tenants to think that the noise will be in their day-to-day lives.
#2 Know Your Rental
To make sure you aren’t caught off-guard, prepare a list of possible questions that they might ask. Thoroughly research the rental so that you have all of the answers. Prospective tenants will be turned off when the owner doesn’t seem to have a solid understanding of the property. So, if you don’t know what your kitchen counters are made of, it’s time to find out.
Don’t forget to research the area’s amenities, such as playgrounds, parks, daycares, senior centers, and so on. You don’t need to memorize the map of the place — you simply need to offer enough information to seem like you’ve lived there all your life.
#3 Prepare Handouts
If you have the resources, consider preparing handouts that contain the relevant information about the property. This is because some prospective tenants won’t feel comfortable asking questions during the showing. Having a handout means that you can answer all of the concerns that are lingering in their heads.
Handouts should help prospective tenants remember important details about the place, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms. It should also summarize important information, such as the move-in and move-out fees, security deposit, rules and regulations, and so on.
#4 Clear Your Weekends
Your prospective tenants probably won’t be available during work hours, so they’ll likely schedule the showing on the weekend. Additionally, some prospective tenants may want to change their schedules at the last minute. This means your schedule should be as flexible as possible.
If you’re a long-distance landlord, you should consider hiring a property manager to handle your showings for you. If you can’t meet prospective tenants at their most convenient time, they’ll likely lose interest.
The Bottom Line
Listing your rental isn’t as simple as uploading and posting. It takes a lot of time — something you might not have if you’re self-managing your rental, or if you’re out-of-state. If you ever need help advertising your South Florida rental, remember that you can count on Luxury Property Care. We’re a team of property managers who are committed to minimizing your vacancies and maximizing your investments.
Call us at (561) 944 – 2992 or complete our contact form to learn more.
