If you are a landlord, you know how important it is to keep your property occupied and happy tenants. Using social media advertising makes you more likely to find quality tenants that want to stay with you for some time. Tapping into the latest rental marketing strategies is a great way to expand your outreach.
Social media and advertising can be used in several ways. But before you start, you have to know your audience. It’s hard to target quality tenants if you’re unsure of who to advertise to.
The first step is to make social media accounts that people use daily, such as Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram. From here, you should decide how you would like to use these platforms to your advantage. If you are just starting out with social media, your first goal should be to gain followers and traffic to your pages. Making sure your profile and contact information is up to date is essential in this process.
From there, people will have an idea of what you are all about. Now, to attract the quality tenants that you’re looking for, you’ll want to incorporate specific content and advertisements to your social media accounts. In this article, we will go over a few ways to do that.
Useful Marketing Strategies for Rental Properties
- Post on popular rental websites
Facebook Marketplace is a great opportunity for more people in your area to see your rental property listing. You can post your rentals directly on Facebook’s platform, and they can be viewed by anyone. This makes things easy, since you can be contacted directly from the Facebook listing if someone is interested in your property.
Other popular rental websites like Zillow, Zumper, HotPads, Realtor.com, and more are great ways to put your property out there. Most people go to sites like these first while searching for a new place to reside in. Don’t be afraid to list your property on every site imaginable. This way, you’ll be sure to find a tenant and reduce any possible vacancy period.
- Take good photos and create a great listing
Taking good pictures of your property may sound like a given, but it’s imperative. Always try and take photos while the property is vacant, and make sure everything is in tip-top shape when you do. It may even be beneficial to stage your property with furniture and decor in order to take aesthetically pleasing photos that will attract tenants.
If you have to take photos while the property is still occupied, let your tenant know ahead of time and make sure they do a good job of making each room look well maintained. You’ll want to have photos of every room in the house, including the basement, bathrooms, laundry area, and kitchen. Along with that, photos of the exterior are also essential. Show off any curb appeal and exterior features, as this is a main selling point.
- Create advertisements
Creating advertisements may seem like a long and maybe even unnecessary process. However, they are great to expand your outreach and increase traffic to your rental property listing.
Most social media sites have an option for paid advertising that allows you to get your message across to a larger audience. Advertisements are especially helpful if you are looking to find tenants for many rental properties.
Otherwise, if you are a landlord of only one rental property, paid advertising may not be the most beneficial route for you, especially if you are looking to fill the vacancy quickly.
- Talk up your property
While creating posts and listings on social media and rental property sites, come up with a description that will “wow” viewers. You may even want to hire an outside source to write you a detailed listing that sounds grammatically perfect. No errors or typos should be present in a listing like this. Even though it seems small, misspelling and vague descriptions may turn tenants away from your post.
Go into detail about why people would want to live in your rental property. For example, describe the outdoor area, your amenities, the relative location, and let potential tenants know what type of activities are nearby.
How to Maximize Marketing Opportunities
Now that you know the basics when it comes to advertising your rental property, you may be left with a few questions or concerns. How can you maximize your opportunities even more?
Here are a few suggestions and ways you can do just that:
- Know peak rental season and use that to your advantage
- Use an online software that makes payments and maintenance requests easier for tenants
- Set your listing at a competitive, yet desirable price
- Maintain your own website and keep things up to date
- Find resources like local property managers to help you
If you’re at your wit’s end and feel like you’re having a hard time filling vacancies and finding tenants, reach out to a local property manager. They can give you a boost and help with screening future tenants, collecting payments, and more.
