Are you an influencer?
You don’t need to be.
But, is your rental property an influencer? It should be. Especially if you want to rent it out quickly to good tenants and for the most money.
Let’s create a strong online presence for your rental properties. It’s about more than marketing. It’s about reputation and generating interest in an oversaturated online space.
Your rental property can benefit from a strong online presence, and so can you.
Why Boost Your Rentals?
Why should you scramble for the space and attention online that you want for your properties?
There are a few reasons that you want to boost the exposure of your rental property.
First, there are hundreds of listings online at any one time. Depending on the market and the time of year, there could be thousands. Even more. That’s a lot of scrolling required for tenants who are looking for homes. At some point, every rental home will probably start looking the same. You have to stand out. You have to grab their attention and hold it.
Second, this online listing is your virtual business card. Your name is associated with that property, unless you’re renting it out through a property manager (which is smart). So by showcasing the home you have for rent, you’re showing a little bit of yourself, too. You want to boost your rentals so you can boost your entire business.
Tenants are looking for their next home online.
But when we say “online,” we’re hardly talking about just one place. Online means a lot of things. It might include:
- Popular rental websites like Zillow.
- All-purpose websites like Craigslist.
- The webpage you made specifically for your property.
- Social media
Boosting your presence online doesn’t mean flipping one switch and walking away. It’s an ongoing effort that requires a lot of attention and tinkering. If you don’t have the time or the patience or the skillset to manage this, get thee to a New Jersey property manager. You’ll need the marketing leadership. You’ll need the tools and resources.
Tenants can be found on all of those rental sites. They’re marking the homes they like as favorites. They’re reposting and pinning the homes they want to see on their social media sites. They’re liking and sharing and showing the listing to friends and family members.
Be there.
Be where the tenants are, otherwise, they’ll hardly notice that you have a home for rent.
It’s important to be adaptable when we’re growing your online presence, too. Follow the trends. Have you made a TikTok video for your rental home? Thrown it into a Snap Story?
If you’re still planting a For Rent sign in your yard and calling it a day, you’re not going to generate a lot of interest in your property. It may take some time to get it rented.
There’s a lot of power in what the online space can do for you. It’s easier than ever to rent your home out online, and if you’re not leveraging the power of electronic communication and social media, you’re missing out on a big opportunity.
You Need to Be Online
(with everybody else)
An online presence of any kind is sure to boost your rental properties. But, if you really know how to leverage the online space and create a pocket for your property, you can boost your rental property in even more effective ways. You can reduce your vacancy time. You can attract high-quality tenants to your property.
You can create a buzz.
Everyone loves a buzz.
Almost all of your prospective tenants are turning towards the digital medium for their rental property search, and that’s where you need to meet them. Don’t keep hoping they come back to newspaper ads. Don’t bank on the fact that they’ll drive through the neighborhood and see your For Rent sign.
Get yourself online. If you don’t have an online profile set up you could miss out on potential new renters. Your online presence is crucial to acquiring credible leads that can eventually fill your vacancy and help you grow your portfolio.
Here’s what your rental property’s online presence will allow you to do:
| Find new tenants quickly.
A strong online presence will minimize vacancy times. You’ll maximize lead generation, bringing prospective tenants into your orbit. |
Increase visibility.
You’ll get more eyes on your available property. Potential tenants can find them right away when they’re online and searchable. |
| Advertise.
When you’re online, it’s much easier to advertise your upcoming open house. If you have additional properties for rent, SAY IT. |
Communicate.
It’s easier and faster to communicate online. Potential tenants can reach you via email, text, or even through a direct message (DM) on social media |
| Earn more money.
An online presence translates into higher income. You can easily scale the profitability of your rental property portfolio. |
Syndicate.
When you’re working the online sites like a pro, you can syndicate your listings and get them in front of more people and on more sites. |
| Build a reputation.
Why not establish yourself as a leader when it comes to rental properties in your neighborhood or community? An online presence facilitates that. |
Establish credibility.
You want to be trusted as a landlord and a community partner. Your online presence can help you look more professional to vendors, tenants, and other community partners. |
We’ve never met a landlord who is so new to the industry that they’re not aware all rental homes are listed online these days. You know this is where most of your tenants can be found. So, by really understanding how to maximize your online presence, you’ll easily set yourself apart from your competition and enjoy better tenants, higher rental prices, and other advantages as you maintain your rental property business.
The Power of the Picture
“Today, everything exists to end in a photograph.”
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That Sontag quote is from 1977; before anyone even knew how to take a selfie.
Everything does end in a photograph, and sometimes it starts with a photograph. This is especially true when we’re talking about the property you’re trying to rent out. Let’s make sure those photographs you’re using for your listing are working for you.
When they’re looking at rental properties, prospective tenants are likely to begin their search online either through their favorite social site or through the available rental websites that are so commonly used. Think Zillow, Zumper, RentCafe, Rentals.com, HotPads, the list could go on and on and on.
Tenants are most likely scrolling through ads on their phones, tablets, or laptops. They’re almost certainly going to look at your photos before they read your description.
Let’s repeat that: They’re looking at the photos, first.
Those photos really matter because a strong online presence requires a strong set of photographs. Video will help you boost your presence, too. You need to show yourself as present and relevant.
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They should always focus on the best parts of your property, whether it’s a private outdoor space, a newly updated kitchen, or a spacious master bedroom. Maybe you have new appliances. Perhaps the back deck is a perfect place to relax in the evenings or enjoy a cup of coffee in the mornings. Lead prospective tenants through these scenarios with well-staged photos. |
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Remember Your Audience
You’re Attracting People in an Online Market
You’re not only going to rent your home out using photos. This promises a great start, but you need some words to go with those photos, especially if your goal is to boost the attention that your property gets online.
A detailed and accurate description should accompany your photos. Use the writing space to talk about the benefits of living in this home. Share all of the necessary details without oversharing what they don’t really need to know. Describe the neighborhood and its amenities as well.
A well-written description provides all the information a prospective tenant needs but manages to remain concise. If a prospective tenant stops reading halfway through your description, it’s either too wordy or it doesn’t make sense or you’re not doing a great job of explaining how great your home is.
There’s an informational element here, too. What you write in your description can also eliminate people who were impressed with the photos but need larger bedrooms or more square footage. You’re providing information and you’re also selling your property to prospective tenants. Let them know in your description why your rental home is better than all the others on the local market.
List of all the features your rental property offers, such as the obvious things like:
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Square footage
- Rental amount
- Security deposit amount
- Whether pets are allowed or considered
- Move-in date
You’ll also want to advertise if any renovations or updates have been recently made. New carpets, for example, can be a huge selling point. Hardwood floors – even better.
Writing for an online audience means keeping things brief and easily digestible.
None of the tenants reading your listing will want to navigate large, awkward paragraphs. Provide bullets. Keep descriptions to four lines of copy or fewer.
Social Media is the Best Way to Boost Rental Listings
You don’t have an online presence if you’re not on social media.
We don’t make the rules. That’s just the way it is.
A social media marketing campaign is an excellent way to enhance the exposure that your rental property gets. You can reach prospective tenants this way, and make sure you’re reaching as many people as possible.
You can also have some fun with it. Social media can be fun.
A lot of the people we know (and we would include ourselves) have love/hate relationships with social media. You love it for the hilarious sharable videos and the photos of your cute cousins who live thousands of miles away, but you hate it for all of the divisiveness and hostility it tends to spread.
Let’s stay on the positive side of social media and think about all the ways it can help boost you and your rental property. Social media can help you:
| Attract attention to your vacant, or nearly vacant, property. | Establish a consistent presence online for either one rental home or all of your portfolio. | Share photos and videos that help your rental home stand out. |
| Engage with potential tenants. People may reach out in the comments or via direct message. | Increase the chatter. You might find people sharing your listing and recommending you through updated word-of-mouth channels. | Keep your marketing more personal and less automated. You can make personal connections via social media. |
Create a social media account specifically for your property. Most social media accounts are free or very cheap, even for business purposes. Use Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), and Instagram. Create a video for YouTube and for TikTok. Post on Pinterest and make a Snapchat story.
Some platforms are already set up specifically to advertise rental property. Facebook Marketplace includes a specific category for rental searches.
Responsiveness is Required to Protect Your Platform
You know how important reviews and testimonials are.
When people are talking, others are listening.
If you have a solid online presence, you can use it to highlight the positive things that people have had to say about you and your property. Don’t be shy about asking your good tenants to leave reviews or to share a story about a good experience that they had renting from you.
When comments and questions are left on your social media posts, always engage. You want to respond so you can demonstrate that you’re accessible and willing to communicate.
Property Managers Are Known as Online Wizards
Okay, property managers are not always online wizards. Some of us don’t even have a Facebook page.
But, if you’re working with a tech-savvy property management partner who knows things about the online world, you can put yourself in a strong position for excellent online marketing. If you’re not sure about your online capabilities, working with a property management company is almost essential.
- We have access to the best technology that’s available in the industry.
- We have platforms already in place that allow us to leverage the internet and solidify our place there.
- We have a strong online presence already because we’re a local business, and people recognize our brand and our company.
Most property managers have this sense of how to utilize online rental sites, their own website, and social media to rent properties out faster and more efficiently.
We strongly encourage all rental property owners to establish a strong online presence for themselves and their investment properties. This sets up something of a brand identity for you, and people will immediately be able to identify you and link you favorably to your rental property.
They’ll know what you do.
We can help with technology, marketing, and online rental property platforms. If you’re not sure about boosting your online presence and you need some logistic help, we can be a resource for you. Please contact us at Realty Solutions if you want to talk about your next steps. We lease, manage, and maintain homes in Audubon, Collingswood, Cherry Hill, Haddon Heights, Blackwood, and the surrounding communities.
