Do you know how some landlords are able to always attract the best tenants to their properties?
It is a mix of process and personality. Read more about how good property managers attract the best tenants.
Anyone can buy a rental property and anyone can pay to have it fixed up. However, one of the most important factors in a successful rental situation is the quality of your tenants. Property managers are nothing if they don’t learn how to attract the best tenants for your rental properties in Warner Robins!
Some property managers really don’t care about the type of tenant they put in your rental property (It’s not their rental house), because they get the late fees and half the first month’s rent of each new tenant that goes in… despite the fix up costs of each turnover to the landlord. We know, we landlord our own properties too.
Here is how a professional landlord attracts and keeps the best tenants!!
#1 – Professional Photography of your rental property
In order to get the most attention, therefore the largest pool of potential tenants, it always makes sense to have professional photos taken. We’ve all seen those house listings. Pictures that look like they were shot on a Polaroid camera, from a car window at a high rate of speed. A picture failing to show your rental property in its best light will cause many prospective tenants to shy away. Literally, turn on every light in the house when you take pictures. There can almost never be enough light. Get as far back in the corners as you can to show the most room.
#2 – Highlight The Area
Do you buy from the kid that always says “I don’t know” or the sales person that knows everything about the product they are selling and how it meets your needs?
Exactly!
If you don’t know everything about the area, now is the time to learn. You will want to know as much as possible so you can sell your prospective tenants on the area. Stop into the shops, resturaunts and salons within a mile and learn what is around there. You may even find a tenant. You can provide information sheets including commute times, local attractions and local restaurants and shops. The neighborhood can be just as important as the house, if not more so. Many large cities are now breaking down into well-defined sub-communities. Brush up on your area knowledge so you can answer any question that comes your way.
#3 – Luxurious Add-Ons
Luxurious doesn’t have to necessarily equate to expensive. You can add some small touches that will have a big impact on how the property is received. Consider adding things like a wifi doorbell, stainless appliances, energy efficient appliances, fancy closet shelving, skylights, wood flooring, or a pretty garden area. These small touches can be just enough to set your property apart from the rest. Plus, you won’t be kicking yourself if something is damaged by a tenant.
This is a good place to make the point not to take the first heart beat with money that fills out an application. Create a nice product that everyone wants. That way you can pick the best tenant from a larger pool. Good tenants (at any price point) will take better care of the house.
Even our low income rental houses have higher quality (more durable) flooring, paint, etc. It makes the house more attractive than the other houses on that street. Most landlords try to go as cheap as possible on low income rental housing in order to save money, but they have to replace it after each tenant. We learned that our repair costs go down when we spend more on the good flooring, counters, paint, etc. and don’t have to replace these items after each tenant.
#4 – Go Where Your Tenants Are
If your house is perfect for college students, put an ad on campus. If it is better suited to singles, advertise at the local sandwich shops, bars, and places where your ads will be seen by young professionals in the area.
Don’t forget about your online presence. The great thing about social media is that your tenants are already there. You don’t have to coerce them into going to your website. Advertise within groups or opt for paid advertising. There are many paid options that have a large reach without breaking the bank. Getting your property out there will also help to generate more word of mouth buzz.
#5 – Maintain The Property
In line with point #3, nothing drives away great tenants faster than a landlord that doesn’t keep up with their end of the deal. You never want to have your property thought of as the messy place down the street. Our best tenants came from other landlords that would not fix anything.
Even when there are tenants occupying the property, make sure it is being properly maintained. Keeping an open line of communication with the tenant helps a lot here. A landlord that cares begets a tenant that cares.
#6 – Create An Eye-Catching Listing
In addition to having great photography, a well-written listing will garner much more attention than the boring spiel outlining the property details and nothing else. Create a headline that will grab your prospective tenants attention, clearly convey the property information, and help your prospective tenant get an idea of what it will be like to live there.
#7 – Create Word Of Mouth
Even with all the ways people are able to connect digitally, word of mouth is still one of the most effective forms of advertising. Talk to the people you encounter in your everyday life. The UPS man, the guy at the coffee shop, and the lady on the train might all know someone looking for a great place to rent. You can also ask your current tenant if they know anyone. If their referral signs a lease, give them a bonus.
There are many simple and low-cost ways you can generate buzz for your property, thereby attracting the best tenants!
Contact us today to learn more about how to attract the best tenants for your rental properties in Warner Robins!