Knowing where to find tenants is one
of the trickiest parts of getting your
property rented. The truth is, in order
to find a tenant for your property, he or she has to be able to find you!
Potential tenants need to know that
you have a vacancy available. Since
people look for rentals in all different
places, it’s important that you
advertise your property in a variety of locations as well. Here are some ways to advertise your
rental property to ensure the greatest
number of people have the
opportunity to see it. Advertise on Rental Websites Since so many people use the internet,
it is a great way to reach the masses.
Sites such as Craigslist.com allow you to list your rental property based on
location, making it easily searchable.
In addition, there are many state
specific sites where you can advertise
your property. Gardenstateapartments.com, for example, caters to the New Jersey
market. You can do an online search
to find a site that targets your
particular area. If you are interested in accepting
government subsidized housing,
including Section-8, sites such as Socialserve.com can help you reach this market. Of course, if you have
your own website, make sure to list
the property there and be sure to
reference your website URL in your
other ads. Use Social Media to Find Tenants Millions and millions of people use
social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. If you have a company, you should create a Facebook page and a
Twitter account for it. If not, you can
use your personal Facebook or Twitter
account to let people know you have
a property for rent. You can list your
property on Facebook.com’s marketplace, post a status update on
your account, or send out a tweet to
your followers via Twitter. Advertise in Print Media Many people look for rental properties
in the newspaper. Aim to advertise on
the weekend, and in particular, on
Sunday because this is when
newspapers see the most traffic. You
will only have a few lines to make your property stand out, so make them
count. Use abbreviations for words
like bedroom (BR) and washer/dryer
(W/D) to save space. Placing an ad in
the newspaper will cost money, but it
is another way to increase exposure for your property. Advertise on Local Bulletin Boards Put up flyers in the community where
your property is located. This can
include bulletin boards at grocery
stores, churches, Laundromats, and
bus stops. Since people will be passing
by the flyer quickly, use a bold headline and large, color photographs to draw interest to the flyer. On the
bottom of the flyer, include tear-offs
for people to take. These tear-offs
should include the property address,
the number of bedrooms, and your
contact information. List Your Property With a Realtor in
Your Area For their services, brokers typically
charge a commission of about one
month’s rent, sometimes more. You
may want to interview two or more realtors to find the one you are most comfortable listing your rental with.
While this may be the most expensive
way to advertise your property, it can
save you a lot of the hassle and
headache of dealing with potential
tenants. Your property will also be listed on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), which will increase exposure. Find Tenants Through Word of
Mouth Don’t underestimate the power of the
spoken word. If you have current
tenants, let them know you have a
vacancy. They may have a sister,
cousin, or brother who is looking for a
new place to live. Also, tell your brother, sister, hairdresser, boss, and
mechanic that you have a property for
rent. Always have flyers with you so
you can hand them out when needed.
You can offer a referral fee to give a
greater incentive. Place a ‘For Rent’ Sign in the
Window While you won’t reach the masses by
placing a “For Rent” sign in the
window, there is no harm in doing it
either. A passerby may be interested
or may know someone who is looking
to rent in the area. Make sure a phone number is clearly legible from street
level. Find Tenants by Offering Incentives People like the idea of getting a deal or
a discount. You can offer a free TV or a
discounted rent if a tenant moves in by
a certain date. A $250 television may
seem expensive, but if you’re
charging $950 in rent, and the TV gets someone to move in a month earlier,
you are actually saving yourself $700,
and the television will be a tax write-
off for the rental property. Answer the Phone/Email Promptly
and Be Ready to Show the
Apartment Don’t wait a week to respond to a
potential tenant. If you don’t call or
email a tenant back promptly, another
landlord or realtor will. If you do not
want to give out your personal phone
number, you can set up a free Google Voice account which will assign you a new phone number that can be set to
ring to your existing phone lines. For a
small monthly fee, you can even set up
a toll free number, including voicemail,
for your rentals using websites such
as Kall8.com. Similar options exist for email. The point is, if you want to find a
tenant and get your property rented,
you have to make yourself, and your
property, available. Visit
http://www.starpointtenantscreening.com . Best of luck. Thanks