Online is your best line
Before the advent of the great and sparkly internet, it was common practice to post an advertisement in your local newspaper and hope for the best. Nowadays, however, posting your advertisement online is a far more efficient way, and captures much more attention: when last did you browse your local newspaper’s Classifieds section?
When it comes to choosing your online listing channel, we recommend:
- Writing a detailed advertisement for your property, before you post.
- Gathering all the images and information you’d like to share in your advertisement, before you post.
- Choosing an online platform that has the right type of audience for your property. You want your listing to be seen by as many suitable potential tenants as possible.
- Ensuring you have all your details up to date, and ready to post. In particular, ensure that your rental price is set correctly, and make a firm choice on whether you are negotiable on it.
- Joining relevant social media groups and online community pages so that you can increase the potential reach of your advertisement.
- Picking one platform and sticking to it. This helps you in a variety of ways, as it makes it easier to manage queries through one channel.
Read more: Listing your rental property with Private Property
Say the right things
It’s important to include as much information as possible in your advertisement, without overwhelming your potential tenant. Including comprehensive information helps home seekers to easily weed out properties that may not be suitable for their lifestyle, and decreases the amount of pointless enquiries you have to contend with. This makes your life easier, and enables you to respond timeously to relevant enquiries. We recommend you:
- Include comprehensive information on the size of your rental property, including floor space, bedrooms, bathrooms, and all facilities.
- List what’s included in the rental amount. This is important, as it helps potential tenants easily assess if they can afford to rent your property. If utilities like water and lights are not included in your rental amount, be sure to include an estimate of what people should expect to pay for utilities, in addition to their rental. If your rental property has prepaid electricity facilities, don’t forget to include that in your advertisement.
- Add in the type of tenant you are looking for. Your rental property may only suit a single person, or professional couple, and not a five-person family. Many rental properties are governed by body corporate rules, so be sure that your advertisement adheres to those rules and regulations. For example, a one-bedroom apartment in the CBD is not generally considered suitable for pets, but a three-bedroom house in the suburbs might be. Similarly, your rental property may not be suitable for young children or large families. Don’t be afraid to set a limit on the number of people who may occupy your rental property. Big tip: make sure this is also set out in your lease agreement.
- Include useful information relating to your rental property and neighbourhood. This should cover location-related information too. For example, that your apartment is just a short walk away from a local shopping mall, or that local schools are just a five-minute drive away.
Strike a pose
I need to interject with a personal anecdote here: my dream home in 2012 was not that at all, when I first spotted the online advertisement. In fact, had we not been so desperate to find a new home, I would not have even bothered with enquiring about it. The location seemed right, the price was perfect for our budget, and the pictures posted online made me worry it was a setup so someone could rob us. The posted images were blurry, taken at strange angles, and did not do the property justice at all. What was a beautifully-appointed, neat, and elegantly renovated three-bedroom townhouse in real life, came across as a scary crime scene online. That’s why it’s vital you share:
- Clear images that show off your property in a good way.
- Up to date images that reflect how the property looks right now, and not three years ago.
- Images that don’t include work on the go. Finish your renovations and painting before you take photographs, and show off your property at its best.
Showcase the lifestyle
Eager house hunters aren’t just looking for a new home: they’re looking for their ideal lifestyle. One of the best ways to showcase the lifestyle your rental property offers is through a video tour. A video tour offers an all-round perspective of living in your rental property, and you could include more experiential content too, including the neighbourhood and surrounds.
Good luck in your search for the right tenant!