As a landlord, you’re not just a person who collects rent checks.
You also have to be a maintenance person, a salesperson, a supervisor, and – you guessed it – an advertiser!
But maybe advertising isn’t easy for you.
Maybe you’re struggling to use marketing tactics to find the top-quality tenants you want. Or, maybe you simply don’t know where to start.
Don’t worry – we can help!
We’ve put together this list of tips to help you advertise your property more effectively than ever.
Check it out:
Top Tips to Effectively Market Your Rental Property
1. Take high-quality photos of the property
Photos are easily one of the most important parts of any ad you create. After all, people are visual, and if they don’t see any photos (or if they see low-quality photos), they’re likely to keep looking for a property to rent elsewhere.
Not sure how to take amazing photos of your Baltimore County property? Here a few tips to help you:
- Avoid using a camera phone. The low resolution will be unable to do the rooms of the house or the exterior any justice. A digital camera works best for this job (preferably a high resolution one if you have it).
- Avoid using flash – it could make the photos look fake.
- Take advantage of natural light! The best time to take pictures is during the day when you can let some natural light Just make sure you keep the main source of light behind you for the best quality photos.
- Experiment with different angles for the best picture possible. For example, if you take a picture while sitting on the ground, the ceilings in the property will look higher.
- Avoid misleading potential renters with your photos. It’s okay to find good angles, but it’s not okay to buy a wide-angle lens that makes a room look much larger than it actually is.
- Touch up the photos if needed.
Before you take any photos, make sure the property is staged and clutter-free. That way, potential renters will be able to envision themselves living there.
2. Choose the right time to start advertising your rental property
Advertise too early (more than 6 weeks before the property is scheduled to become vacant), and you might get a lot of potential renters who aren’t quite ready to commit to your property yet.
Advertise too late (less than a month before the property is scheduled to become vacant), and you could get potential renters who are running from a problem with their current landlord.
The right time to advertise your property is typically 4-6 weeks before it is scheduled to become vacant. By doing so, you’ll gain the interest of potential renters who are neither too eager nor too nonchalant about moving into your property.
3. Consider multiple marketing methods
Before the internet became mainstream, there weren’t nearly as many options available for advertising a Baltimore County property.
Now, there are several choices that can help you attract the best tenants. Here are a few of them:
- Post a yard sign – This is a tried and true method of letting potential tenants know that your property is available to rent. However, if you choose this method, make sure you use some of the other methods too – posting a sign alone typically isn’t enough to draw the amount of interest in your property that you want.
- Use Craigslist – Craigslist is one of the first places a lot of people check when looking for a new place to live. If you decide to use it, be sure you create a detailed ad with lots of photos!
- Get referrals – Ask friends and current tenants for referrals. If you want, you can even offer a cash incentive.
There are tons of websites out there that you can use to advertise your property. No matter which one you choose, be sure your ad is strategic and has everything needed to attract the best tenants, which brings us to our next point…
4. Create the best ad possible
It isn’t enough to post a thrown-together ad on tons of different websites. Taking the time to create a detailed, interesting ad could mean the difference between attracting low-quality tenants and attracting high-quality tenants.
Here’s how to create the best ad for your Baltimore County rental property:
- Include the price. Yes – this will repel some people, but those people probably weren’t the best fit for your property anyway.
- Be specific. If your property offers luxury brand appliances or other special features, be sure to mention them.
- Use adjectives to your advantage. For example, say “2 spacious bedrooms” instead of simply saying “2 bedrooms.”
- Include a map/directions. Some sites will automatically include a Google map once you’ve entered the address. If not, take the time to write some simple directions so prospective renters can easily find your property.
- Include high-quality photos. Remember the photography tips we talked about earlier in this post? This is your chance to use them! If you can, include a photo of every room and an image that shows the floor plan. This helps renters envision themselves (and their belongings) in the home.
- Use key words. Think about it – when people search for a property like yours, what specifically are they looking for? Be sure to include those details in your ad so potential renters can easily find it based on what they’re entering into the search bar.
For extra appeal, you can create a virtual tour that showcases your property. Use it in your ad to allow prospective tenants to conveniently view your property without having to drive to the location.
5. Use social media to your advantage
Social media isn’t just for posting selfies and pictures of food – it can actually be a powerful tool when you’re advertising your property! Here’s how:
- Facebook – Remember earlier when we talked about getting referrals to find new tenants to live in your property? Facebook is a great way to do that. Simply post your listing and ask your friends to share it. Be sure to mention the cash incentive, if you’re offering one!
- Twitter – Twitter is another way to get referrals. Just be sure to include an attractive image of your property when you tweet about it!
- LinkedIn – LinkedIn is a good way to find tenants who are reliable because it’s full of working professionals. Send an image and description of your property to contacts who might be interested, and also include a link to your property ad.
- YouTube – If you choose to create videos of your property or a virtual tour, upload them to a YouTube account so they can be easily accessed by anyone interested in your property. Make sure you include key words and your contact info/website link in the description.
Many social media sites will also allow you to create custom ads in which you can target your ideal customer. Be sure to explore that option as well for different sites and see which one delivers the best results.
And remember, while it may be tempting to post constantly throughout the day, you need to avoid spamming your connections on any social network. If you post too often, many people will likely become annoyed and disconnect with you.
Whether your property is located in Towson, Catonsville, Dundalk, or somewhere else in Baltimore County, our professional property management team can help you with advertising and screening prospective tenants so you get the best renter possible for your property.
We’re so confident in our ability to place high-quality tenants that we even offer a 12 month tenant warranty. So, if we place a tenant in your property and they are evicted within the first year, we release the property for you for free – you won’t find that service anywhere else!
If you’ve interested in learning more about how we can help you find the best tenant possible to live in your property, we’d love to chat – contact our team today.