Marketing Your Property for Rent (DIY Landlord)

In today’s market, you’ve got a lot of clients competing for fewer properties. With this low supply, it means you have a higher potential to get maximum rent for your rental investment. The goal in renting your home is finding the best tenant in a short amount of time.

How to Make Your Property Stand Out

How do you make your property appealing to those searching for a place to rent? Standing out is a priority. We’ve got some tips to help you get an edge in your marketing.

Tip #1: Hire a professional photographer.

Hiring a professional photographer means you’ll get photos that are lit well, highlight the best angles, and will show your home in the best possible manner. It will run approximately $100 to $150, based on the size of your home.  Most people search online before they even get to the property, and good digital photos are the best way to stand out.

Tip #2: Create a robust, but honest, marketing description.

The goal of this description is to paint a picture of the home for the potential tenant. As much as you hate to hear it, you need to “sell” the property’s appeal via the use of words. Balance the line between over promising and under delivering. It’s okay to use positive, flowery language, but do not bait and switch. There is a difference between saying you have a great, landscaped yard and claiming it’s way bigger than it is to draw people in. Use common sense and accuracy in the description.

Tip #3: Use online marketing to your advantage.

Most tenants, probably upwards of 90% will check the property online first. That’s where most searches start. Your listing needs to be online. A sign in the front yard isn’t enough. There are multiple resources you can use such as Zillow, Trulia, HotPads, Apartments.com and more. Do a Google search for your area and see what other homes or apartments show up, then get your home on those sites as well.

While Craigslist often comes up, it’s a little bit like the Wild West, since it’s not structured, and can sometimes lead to scams. We’d recommend sticking with the other sites like Zillow or Trulia. If you’d like to learn more about Craigslist scams, we did a video series on them you can check out.

One last thought is if you’re part of a neighborhood group on sites like Facebook or another platform, it might be worth mentioning that your property is up for rent.

Tip #4:  Consider setting up alternate contact information.

You’d be surprised how many people will be interested and reach out to you. You may not want your phone ringing off the hook if it’s your personal phone. You can create another email address specific to the property or get a Google Voice number that forwards to your number. This way you can turn this information off once the property is rented.

I hope you found these tips valuable and good luck renting your home out!