Most prospective tenants search for their next rental home online. The secret to attracting prospects online is quite apparent: publish a fantastic listing.
- A successful rental home listing is displayed to as many prospective tenants in Chesapeake as possible.
- An excellent rental listing piques the prospect's interest and allows them to visualize themselves living in the home and enjoying its benefits.
- Fantastic listings answer enough questions about the house while still enticing the viewer to contact the landlord for more information.
This post details essential aspects of what you need for a successful rental home listing. If you don't have the time to perfect your listing, partnering with a property management company in Chesapeake is the easiest way to ensure your rental listing is useful—and that it turns prospects into renters.
Drafting an Attention-Grabbing Listing Blurb
When you purchased your rental home, hopefully, you made some excellent choices for an investment property. These good choices translate to valuable features that get your Chesapeake home rented fast.
Once your listing catches a potential renter's eye, they are going to look to the listing blurb to answer their most pressing questions. If the listing blurb does not immediately answer their questions, the prospective tenants may get frustrated and discouraged toward calling—which is already a challenge if you're targeting millennials.
An excellent rental listing blurb highlights the essential features of the home and helps prospects decide if this home is right for them.
Detailing the Features and Benefits
When you are listing your home's features, try to "paint a picture" of what these features are.
- What makes your Chesapeake rental great? Help your prospective tenants picture themselves in your home and detail how the home's features will enhance their lives.
- Does the kitchen have an island? Discuss how easy and fun cooking will be.
- Is there a large dining room or backyard? Highlight how well the home will entertain guests.
- Did you recently renovate some or all of your rental home? Be sure to brag about the home's enhancements.
One trick to drafting a listing blurb is not to list every single aspect of your rental home. Give your rental prospect necessary information about the rental house, but leave them wanting to find out more. Conclude every listing blurb with a lively suggestion that they call—or text—for more details.
When prospective tenants call or text you directly, subconsciously, they are already interested in renting the home. You can also begin to establish a relationship with your potential tenants this way. When you work with a property management company in Chesapeake that offers exceptional service, you have the advantage of their image as well. If your applicant's first impression of your property management company is professional and positive, they are much more likely to rent your home.
Capturing Your Chesapeake Rental Home in Pictures Is Crucial
The central aspect of a rental home listing is the home's pictures. Pictures can instantly grab a prospective tenant's attention—for better or worse—and set the home apart from any other rental in Chesapeake.
Bring in the Professionals
Hire a professional photographer to capture these pictures: this will make your rental home stand out from the competition. An experienced property management company in Chesapeake already has connections to skilled photographers. They can help you maximize your shots and get them posted to the top rental websites when it's time to attract new tenants.
What's the takeaway?
- Pictures are a must for your rental home listing—and they need to be professional.
- Online listings with no pictures get passed over very quickly.
- If your home is undergoing renovations, capture some starter pictures to post first.
- List in your description "More pictures coming soon!"
- Even adding just a few pictures helps catches the eye of potential renters online.
Showcasing the Ideal Side of Your Rental Home
Just as the listing description should not detail every aspect of your rental home, nor should your home's pictures. Avoid posting a picture of every toilet, sink, or closet. This will entice the viewer to visit your home in person, and potentially fall in love with it.
- Be selective about which pictures you post.
- If there are imperfections easily seen in a picture, don't post them.
- Use the rental listing to showcase the best side of your house.
- If possible, take photos in spring or early summer, so the lawn and trees are fresh and green.
- Pictures of rooms should be taken from the corner to maximize the room space in the photo.
If you're struggling to keep up with the artistic and practical element of taking the best photos, we cannot emphasize enough how helpful a property manager can be. Your photos will dominate the success of your listing: working with a seasoned professional means you'll select the right photos to draw in tenants.
Using Storytelling to Sell Your Home
A creative aspect of a rental listing is detailing a story to the prospective renter.
- Talk about a memory that could occur in your rental home.
- Discuss areas nearby that would play an integral role in the home renter's life.
These techniques draw in the prospect and help them picture themselves living in your home. If you are trying a storytelling approach and don't feel ecstatic about writing it yourself, you can also work with an expert property management company in Chesapeake to craft the ideal listing for your rental property.
Drafting a useful rental listing takes time and effort, but a property management company in Chesapeake can be your ace in the hole. The work of a landlord doesn't stop with finding the right tenant, either: once your listing finds its mark, you need to prepare your Chesapeake rental home.
That's why the Professional Landlords at Renters Warehouse Hampton Roads put together a free make-ready checklist. A perfect property listing deserves a perfect property: get your home ready for tenants the easy way; download our checklist today!
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