The way you advertise and market your rental property has a big impact on your success as a landlord and investor. Good marketing means lower vacancy rates, which leads to higher returns and more immediate income. The way you advertise your rental home in Champaign-Urbana also affects the types of tenants you’re attracting. When you want to place well-qualified tenants in your home, you’ll need to know where to find them.
We have plenty of experience when advertising rental properties in the Champaign and Urbana markets, and we’re sharing some of our best tips for success.
Start with High Quality Photos of Your Property
Prospective tenants are likely going to look at your property’s pictures before they read the description or consider the neighborhood. Almost everyone looking at online ads are visual people, and they’ll want to get an idea of what the property looks like. Appeal to those senses by providing high quality, professional photographs. While hiring a professional photographer is a great idea, you can take quality photos on your own if you pay attention to the following:
- You’ve optimized your lighting. Open blinds and turn on lights so your photos don’t appear dark.
- Removed all clutter and debris from the areas you’re photographing. Don’t take pictures with mops in the background and piles of paper on the countertops.
- Pay attention to the angle you’re shooting from. A wide lens will help your rooms look larger in photos.
- Photograph every important detail. Don’t limit the amount of photos of the property. Photograph special items such as fireplaces, upgraded appliances, or pretty landscaping.
After you’ve taken a collection of great quality photos, write a detailed and accurate description that adds to them.
Online Advertising for Your Champaign-Urbana Rental
Leverage the impact that online advertising can have when you’re marketing your rental property in Champaign-Urbana. While there’s still a place for professional signage, most qualified tenants today are looking online for their next home.
Advertise on all the sites that prospective tenants are visiting. Some of those sites might require an advertising fee, and some of them, such as Craigslist, are free. Be sure to include your contact information and whether or not pets are allowed, the amount of rent, and the date that it will be ready for move-in.
Protect yourself against scams. We recommend implementing watermarks on all your photos, and scroll through the site to make sure your ad isn’t showing up where it hasn’t been posted by you.
Be Responsive with Marketing Follow-Ups
You can have the best marketing strategy in the world and the sharpest ads, but if you don’t answer the phone when prospective tenants call, you won’t have an easy time renting out your home. Answering your phone, responding to messages are necessary and schedule showings are necessary items to do promptly. Some landlords and property managers show homes in person and others use lockboxes or relevant technology. Whatever system you prefer, make sure you’re available to tenants. They must be able to reach you, and you must be able to let them see the property when it’s convenient for them.
These are just a few tips that we’ve discovered are especially helpful when you’re marketing and advertising your rental property. If you need any help leasing your home or you’re curious about the benefits of professional Champaign-Urbana property management, please contact us at Ramshaw Real Estate.