Your primary objective as a landlord or property owner should be to fill your rental vacancies and maximize your financial gains. In an endless sea of apartment hunters looking for a place to call home, you’ll need to present your property as the best option on the market. Advertise your rental property like a pro with these tips from Apartments.com.
1. Evaluate your target audience.
A property can appeal to different crowds depending on its style, location, and price. For example, a rental near a bar or university may appeal more to young college students, while a property in a quiet suburban area might attract more families. Identifying your primary targets can help you tailor your advertising to match their expectations.
2. Take high-quality photographs.
Clear photographs are one of the most valuable components you can include in your advertisement. They often serve as a prospective tenant’s first view of your rental property. With photographs, renters can better assess if your property meets their needs. Here are a few tips to help you use pictures effectively:
- Use proper lighting to improve the clarity and resolution of your images
- Ensure your property is clean of trash and debris
- Capture the rental property from flattering angles (inside and outside)
- Stage the inside of your property naturally so renters can envision themselves living in it
- Photograph bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, major appliances, dining room, living room, outdoor spaces, and any additional areas that express the atmosphere of your property and surrounding community
- Use a high-quality camera, if possible, with a wide scope that can capture most of each space
- If necessary, hire a professional real estate photographer
3. Use the headline formula.
If you’re uncertain about how to advertise your property, try the headline formula. This formula covers the essential elements you need to feature in your advertisement, including:
- Rent price
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Property type (apartment, condominium, single-family home, etc.)
- Location
- Selling point (one or two defining features about your property that make it stand out)
4. Write a catchy property description.
The property description highlights your property’s best qualities. It should be catchy, fun, and engaging. Describe your rental in a way that illustrates a beautiful image and informs renters why it is so special. For example, “This 1920s vintage apartment features the original shining hardwood floors and large French windows letting in copious amounts of natural sunlight.”
5. Include information about the rent, lease, and fees.
While the beautiful prose and pretty pictures are always helpful for engagement, renters need to know the technical elements of your rental property. Include pertinent information like the rent, leasing rules, and fees.
6. Emphasize any recent additions and upgrades.
Highlighting new upgrades and additions is beneficial because they improve the value of your rental property, attract more candidates, and enable you to leverage those upgrades to charge higher rent. Some standard upgrades and additions you should showcase include:
- Kitchen and bathroom updates
- New modern appliances and lighting
- New painting, renovations, and other added features
- Security system
- Smart home additions (smart thermostats, wireless doorbell, etc.)
It would also be wise to mention other benefits like parking access, utilities (cable, internet, etc.) and storage and closet space.
7. Disclose any restrictions.
As with any property, you’ll need to set expectations about what is and is not permissible for potential tenants living on your property. Make sure to include very clear rental and property restrictions to avoid confusion. These rules in your advertisements help you weed out candidates unwilling to abide by them, such as pet restrictions or HOA regulations.
8. Include the screening criteria.
You don’t need a background check to know that some apartment hunters are not a good fit for your rental property. Including the screening criteria in your advertisement informs renters how they can qualify. You want a higher percentage of applicants who can meet the requirements, which encourages a more prosperous landlord-renter relationship in the long run. Some measures you should mention include:
- Smoking criteria
- Pet criteria
- Renter’s rent to income ratio
- Background check requirements
- Lease term requirements
9. Incorporate a video and 3D virtual tour.
A 3D virtual tour and video puts potential tenants directly inside the unit and gives them a 360 experience of the layout. With your mobile phone, you can create a 3D virtual tour and video of your rental property with ease, but make sure to use a high-quality camera with ample lighting.
10. Display the dimensions and floor plan.
Renters are as diverse as the rental properties they occupy. People have different living needs and will seek out a place that meets those requirements. Therefore, a legitimate advertisement should display the dimensions, floor plan, and size of the property so applicants can accurately determine if a property is right for them.
11. Promote shared building amenities.
A rental property has greater appeal when there are shared amenities residents can use. If your property has amenities like a pool, gym, library, or computer room, you should highlight them front and center in your advertising.
12. Promote nearby amenities.
No matter how lovely your rental property is, the unit is only one factor applicants consider in their decision-making. Nearby amenities are a convenience that many people want to enjoy. If your property is near any notable amenities, like grocery stores, hiking trails, parks, restaurants, specialty businesses, or entertainment centers, you should emphasize those benefits.
13. Offer in-person apartment tours.
When it comes to advertising an in-person apartment tour, timing is critical. You’ll want to choose times accommodating to the largest pool of prospective tenants. Weekend and evening tours may be the most convenient times for applicants because that is when most people are off work.
14. Additional details you can highlight.
If there are any additional details about the rental property you think can benefit your advertisement, include them. For example:
- Home security features: Window locks, keycard entry, security system, security guards, etc.
- Outdoor features: Patio, deck, fire pit, outdoor Jacuzzi, dog walk, etc.
Apartments.com makes it easy to list and advertise your rental and connects you with the right renters by highlighting your property’s unique amenities and supplying nearby points of interest, schools, transportation options, and walk scores. Visit Apartments.com/Rental-Manager to learn more.
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