Finding the right tenant for your Arlington
rental property is not a matter of luck. When you’re strategic with the way you market your property and screen your applications, it won’t be too difficult to find a resident who can be trusted to pay rent on time, take good care of your property, and follow the terms of the
lease agreement. You need a good renter in order to enjoy a stable and hassle-free tenancy.
To showcase your property and market your rental home in a way that attracts the best potential tenants, you need to think beyond the listing that you’ll throw up on Zillow or Zumper or HotPads or any of the others. Those rental sites are important; lots of tenants can be found there. However, you need to be more creative in your marketing if you want to move through the process quickly, finding a
great tenant and minimizing your vacancy period.
Here are some of the strategies we employ as
professional Arlington property managers in order to attract high quality tenants to the homes we’re leasing.
Become a Storyteller
If you want your listing to stand out, you need to do more than post the standard living room pictures and general information about your rental home. It’s a two-bedroom, two-bathroom condo? Great. Go a little deeper and mention something unique about the space like the built-in bookcase or the covered patio. These are the details that will help your potential tenants connect with the space and want to learn more.
Rental listings with high-quality, professional-looking photos and videos often receive more attention. Use your listing to share your property's best features through vivid storytelling that allows prospective tenants to visualize living in your space. You want them to imagine being in the neighborhood, coming home from work, or enjoying the outdoor space.
Your photos can do this. Capture the afternoon sun on the green grass outdoors. Show a street view if your property is in an area that’s walkable to restaurants and coffee shops. Your description can do this, too. Talk about the new appliances that were just installed, making your kitchen a treat for at-home chefs. Uploading a lot of fantastic photos is a must, and if you can, include a video tour to provide a real feel of the property.
Leverage the Power of Social Media in Rental Property Marketing
Your next tenant is likely scrolling through their social feeds throughout the day. If you want to get your property in front of that tenant, you need to show up on the social media platforms with your property.
Social media sites like Instagram, Facebook, and even TikTok are not just for cat videos, political rants, and lifestyle influencers. They can serve as powerful tools for rental property owners who are trying to reach a vast audience.
Establish an online presence if you don’t have one already. Make sure you’re connected with the right people; you want to make your posts viewable to potential tenants, and you want to network with relevant experts in the local community. Share posts that will help tenants as they
look for a new home. This will help you gather an audience to your profile. Then, create engaging posts and targeted ads showcasing the lifestyle your property enables.
When you share and advertise on social media, you can offer engagement to prospective tenants. Answer questions. Respond to comments. Invite shares. This will help you reach a larger audience faster.
Be Flexible with Showings
Virtual tours are hugely popular, especially for prospective tenants who may be moving into Arlington from out of town. If they cannot be there to schedule an
in-person showing, the next best thing is often being able to walk through the property virtually. If you have the technology to enable this, you’re providing a great service that potential renters will appreciate. It will also give you the opportunity to meet with those out-of-state tenants and do a bit of pre screening before they actually complete an application.
Self-showings have also become extremely popular. While there is a lot to be said for an in-person tour of the property, modern tenants today are looking for ease, convenience, and privacy more than in-person conversations.
From an industry standpoint, Arlington
property managers can tell you that self-showing technology has increased the amount of interest that’s generated in vacant rental homes. It often contributes to lower vacancy rates, and tenants will be more likely to schedule a showing when they know it can be done quickly and electronically, without talking to anyone or meeting a leasing agent in person.
In a fast-moving and competitive rental market like Arlington, you need to provide what tenants are demanding, or they’ll be quick to move on.
This technology is good for owners and property managers, too, because it eliminates the time and resources required to schedule these walk-throughs. There’s no going back and forth to find a time that works for everyone. There’s no danger that you’ll rearrange your entire day to meet a prospective tenant at a certain time, and then that tenant doesn’t show.
Almost everything is on-demand these days, and this
technology helps you meet that need.
You’ve got your choice; there are several types of self-showing technology available, and every system has a few of the same features. You can have an electronic lock installed on the door, or a digital keypad that can open digitally through an online app or a code.
When a prospective tenant sees your listing and reaches out to see your property, you can ask for some preliminary information to
protect yourself and your property. You’ll collect identification such as a driver’s license image. You can ask when they plan to move in or how much they earn or if they’ve ever been evicted before.
Once the system has validated their information, they’ll have access to the property for a limited amount of time, in which they can complete their walk-through. You will have an opportunity to follow up after they have seen the home, and answer any questions they may have. It’s a good time to offer an application and share your rental criteria.
Open Houses are Back
For a while, it seemed like open houses were over. They’re back, though, and it’s time to schedule one for your property. This is a great way to initiate a sense of urgency into anyone who is interested in your property. They’ll see that other people are interested in renting it too, and they’ll likely feel motivated to apply.
Schedule an open house, and make it meaningful. It can be more than a bunch of people walking through empty rooms. Give away a door prize. Offer snacks. This will not only showcase your property but also demonstrate that you’re a personable and friendly property owner.
Capitalize on Local Partnerships
Form partnerships with local businesses to offer exclusive deals to your tenants. Whether it's a discount at the nearby coffee shop or a free trial at the fitness center down the street, small perks can make your property more attractive and demonstrate value beyond the basic rental features. This is good marketing.
You also want to introduce yourself to relocation companies and businesses who might be moving people into Arlington from time to time. With its proximity to Washington, D.C. and all of the schools, hospitals, think tanks, and government operations, there are always tenants coming and going. When you’re on the list for relocation companies helping to place people, you’ll rent your home a lot faster.
Be Responsive and Engaging
