How to Advertise an Apartment for Rent

Owning a rental property is a great investment. It generally provides a stable return and is a long-term investment from which you can reap the rewards for many years. However, owning and managing a rental property is not without its trials.

One of the most difficult jobs a landlord has to deal with is finding somebody to rent the property in the first place. Plus, once the tenant moves out, you have to start the process all over again. Each month that your property remains empty is another month of missed opportunity to collect rent. It’s imperative to advertise your rental correctly to minimize the gap between tenants.

What’s the best way to advertise your rental property? How can you stand out from the crowd of other apartments available for rent?

Tips for Filling Vacancies

Filling a vacant rental property can be a pretty time-consuming process. From preparing the unit for viewings to discovering where and how to advertise, there’s a lot going on. Understanding the best places to advertise your rental and how to present it in the best light are key to minimizing your vacant periods between tenants.

Listing Sites

There are many different listing sites to choose from when renting out your property in California. The most popular among them is Zillow. It’s free to create a listing on most rental listing sites, but some do require a fee.

However, the most important thing is to present your property as well as possible when advertising it online. Add plenty of photographs and take the time to create a description that is accurate but presents the property in the best light. Describe who the apartment is suitable for and make your pet policy clear.

All other information such as the rent, size, and number of bedrooms and bathrooms must be accurate. Otherwise, you run the risk of holding viewings with prospective tenants who end up disappointed with the property and decide to look elsewhere.

Social Media

Along with property listing sites, social media channels have become a popular place to advertise rental properties. Start by identifying appropriate Facebook groups and request to join them. You’ll find many social media groups specifically designed for renters who are looking for a new property within specific areas.

It’s also very straightforward to promote your property on social media. Once you’ve joined the right groups, it’s simply a matter of uploading your property photos and adding your property description to the main body of the post before publishing. Just be sure that you’re checking on the post comments and responding to questions in a timely manner.

Word of Mouth

It can be a little nerve wracking allowing a complete stranger to move into your rental property, especially if you’ve had bad experiences with tenants in the past.

For this reason, word of mouth is also a great way to advertise your rental vacancy. That way, if someone you know recommends a potential tenant, you have the added peace of mind they’ll treat you and your property with respect.

Get the word out to family, friends, and colleagues. You might be surprised how effective this method is for attracting quality tenants!

Property Management Company

Another method for advertising your rental property is to engage the services of a property management company. Selecting one who regularly operates in your neighborhood is ideal, as they’ll be familiar with the market.

Property management companies handle all the advertising and, if you wish, the screening process, too. All you have to do is sit back and let them do their job.

Why Is a Property Management Company the Best Solution?

Advertising Expertise

Property management companies are experts at advertising vacant rental properties. They know which phrases and language will resonate with prospective tenants and how to describe a property’s best features.

They’ll often have professional photographers who can take high-quality and well-staged photos of the property for online advertisements. This is definitely preferable to amature shots taken from your phone. You can also look for property management companies that provide 3D tours as part of their advertising. This makes it easier to attract tenants who are moving to the area, as well as existing residents.

Time Savings

Between photographing, listing websites, cleaning, holding viewings, and screening prospective tenants, it can be highly time-consuming work to advertise a rental. Many landlords simply do not have the free time to perform the task effectively.

Handing the responsibility over to a property management company saves you that time and ensures a seamless process for you and your prospective tenants.

Benefits of Working with Genuine Property Management

At Genuine Property Management, we put every effort into advertising your rental properties in the right places at the right times. We list you on the best sites and maximize your property’s visibility online. We also take professional photography and create 3D virtual tours to ensure your rental is looking its very best. Plus, we carry out a thorough background check on all applicants to vastly minimize your risk of accepting a bad tenant.

To advertise your available apartment units and start filling vacancies, contact Genuine Property Management today!