Advertising your California rental property ensures a steady return on investment. Reaching as many prospective tenants as possible is important, as it lowers the chances of you renting to a bad tenant.
Advertising is a game of numbers. You are in a better position when your messages have a wide reach. However, it is also vital to focus on creating persuasive marketing messages. These should be appropriate to the particular advertising channel.
In this article, we will go over the main approaches for effectively advertising your investment property in Antelope Valley.
#1: Write a great property description
Your rental property description works as an important marketing tool. The property description needs to cover all the basics while staying relevant to prospective tenants. It is important to consider various approaches to these descriptions.
There is some information that should always be included in a property description:
- Number of bedrooms and bathrooms
- Location
- Access to public transportation
- Parking options
- Proximity to shopping and entertainment
- Square footage
- Utilities
While it pays to stay original and unique, you can browse other listings to get some inspiration. For example, you might learn striking and interest-generating opening lines.
It is not a bad idea to paint a picture in the reader’s mind of how it would feel to live in your property. You can focus on the unique features that set the property apart from the competitors. A few lines about the neighbourhood and the local community work as well.
#2: Take high-quality photos
Rental property marketing is a highly visual endeavor. You should take high-quality photos of your property that look attractive and would create further interest. The cheapest option is to use your smartphone, but you will get superior quality when using a professional camera.
Many landlords hire a real estate photographer. They have the combination of equipment, knowledge, and experience that will allow them to best showcase your California rental property. A cheaper alternative is to rent pro-level photo equipment.
Even the best real estate photographers cannot make miracles happen when the property is not properly prepared for the session. There are a few steps you should take before a photoshoot:
- Open all the doors and windows to allow the maximum amount of natural light to enter the rooms.
- Clean the surfaces and declutter all your living spaces.
- Use staging to show how the home would look completely furnished.
- Consider showing scenes with people in the outdoor areas, such as during a BBQ party or while relaxing in hammocks.
Uploading high-quality photos is an essential advertising technique. As most people use great photos for marketing, listings with substandard visuals perform poorly.
Your ultimate goal should be to create a pleasant experience from the very first impression. This means showing photos that are attractive and inviting to potential tenants.
#3: Use online resources
Today, most of the rental property seekers use their computers or smartphones for browsing listings. Online visibility is a critical part of successful rental property advertising.
There are plenty of different websites and platforms that you can use to list your rental property:
Craigslist
An affordable option, but you need to be careful about scammers. Using common sense and precaution is necessary when advertising your property on this platform.
Social media
It gives you plenty of ways to connect with prospective tenants. You can use local real estate Facebook groups, use targeted advertising, or ask your friends to share the listing on their timeline.
Zillow Rental Manager
A website that allows you to find tenants that act as prequalified leads. For example, you can see information about their credit score and income. The platform is open to individual property managers and those with less than 50 rental units.
#4: Utilize offline approaches
Even though online advertising works best, you should still employ offline marketing tactics. You never know which marketing channel will land you a tenant. Again, there are multiple approaches available:
Classified ads
This is a classic method of reaching potential renters. You should select the print media channel specific to your particular demographic. There are newspapers with general readership and publications with a more specialized audience. For example, the former includes local weekly newspapers and the latter, college campus magazines. Think about who exactly your target group is and then pick the print media accordingly.
Bulletin boards
Public spaces in the area of your rental property might have many bulletin boards.
These serve as useful offline channels to reach potential renters. For example, check out the following places to find these boards:
- Cafes
- Community centers
- Fitness clubs
- Restaurants
- Supermarkets
However, first make sure that these bulletin boards accept flyers related to real estate offers.
The bottom line: how to effectively advertise your California rental property
Advertising is key to lowering the vacancy rate and generating a return on investment. It is useful to reach as many people as possible with the description and photos of your California rental unit.
Use a variety of online and offline approaches. It is impossible to predict the particular method that will fill your property with quality tenants. The essentials of successful rental property advertising are the following:
- Write an original, solid description with lots of details.
- Combine online and offline marketing efforts to maximize the impact of your advertising.
- Always have high-quality visuals accompanying your advertisings. Refrain from using photos taken with a smartphone.
If you want a property management company to take care of this important responsibility for you, contact us today!