For the past several months unemployment has been rising, and shelter-in-place requirements have dictated that people remain in place, and hold off any thoughts about moving to a later time. However, with many restrictions now being eased up and the economy opening up in various geographic locations, it is very likely that the market for rentals will begin to perk up again. That being the case, it will definitely be to your advantage to write some very effective rental listings now, so that you can attract the right type of tenants. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re writing effective rental listings.
Understand your property
Before you can write good listings for your rentals, you’ll need to have a thorough understanding of each of your properties. This means you should be intimate with all details of the property, and you should know all the amenities offered at each one. If necessary, take a walk-through of unoccupied properties so that you can refresh your memory, and it probably wouldn’t hurt to consult old listings where amenities were featured.
Describe benefits not features
When you’re writing effective rental listings, it will be more effective if you describe the benefits of living at one of your rental properties, as opposed to the features each one provides. That’s why it would be better to describe your properties’ proximity to schools, grocery stores, and entertainment venues, rather than how the rental unit has modern appliances.
Know the neighborhood
In order to write a very effective listing, you should be well aware of other properties in the neighborhood, and the kinds of features and amenities they offer. Anything that makes your property stand out from those other places should be referenced and emphasized to prospective tenants. You should also know about all the benefits which are available in your neighborhood, and which might serve as an attraction to tenants.
Understand your audience
You should be able to understand your audience, because you’ll need to know what type of tenants your property will attract. When you have a good understanding of your audience, you’ll have an idea about where to post your rental listings, so that you can actually reach the kind of tenants you’re seeking. Pay attention to age, location, marital status, income, and job type, among other elements of your audience’s lifestyles.
Include excellent photos
You may have been aware of the effectiveness of including really good photos with your listing, but in order to get the best possible photos, there are a few recommendations you should follow. Make sure you have great lighting when taking your pictures, take several different angles, use high-quality images, make sure the property is clean and attractive, and don’t include people in your photos.
Make your listing descriptive
When you use adjectives to describe your property, avoid using vague descriptors like good or nice. The best types of words to describe your property are those which actually create an image in the mind of the reader, and which clarify any images of the property to make it more visible and appealing.
Use a listing widget
It can get pretty time-consuming when you have to write listings for a number of different platforms, and if you don’t really have that much free time, you might consider purchasing a tool which will help you streamline the whole process. By using a listing widget, you’ll be able to produce listings which are consistent and which can easily be searched and filtered by prospective tenants.
You’ll be able to post these listings to a number of different platforms with a single click of your mouse. A widget will also help you to create mobile-friendly listings so that tenants can easily apply online. If you make a point of applying most or all of these tips to your rental listings, you should see an adequate number of applicants, from which you can choose the kind of tenants you’d like to have.