Renters have a variety of options when searching through rental listings online. Luckily, there are some things you can do to make your listing stand out. If you’ve never listed a property online before, you might be wondering how to attract renters so you can fill your vacant unit and start collecting rent. First, start with the ad. This is the first thing potential renters will see, so you want to make sure it’s eye-catching and informative.
Components of a Great Rental Listing
You have two goals when creating a listing: attracting renters and getting them to submit leads. Renters will scan through available rentals quickly, especially when listings fail to catch their eye. You want renters to pause on your listing, read your property description, and contact you. Here are some of the things a great listing should include:
A detailed description of your rental property
A great property description could be the difference between getting a lead or having that potential renter move on to the next listing. Make sure you are providing a well-written, detailed description of your property that includes the location, the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, amenities and features, and interesting facts about the property. Include neighborhood information as well, such as popular nearby destinations, local bus or train stations, and neighborhood attractions and events.
Keep your headline short and to the point. Be specific about what you are offering and avoid generic adjectives like “nice” and “beautiful.”
In your listing, make sure you include any updates or renovations you’ve done to the property. For example, if you’ve installed hardwood flooring, replaced the windows, or renovated the kitchen, these are all things potential tenants will appreciate and it shows that you care for your rental property.
After you’ve written your property description, be sure to review it and make edits. Make sure you double-check spelling and grammar. A property description with spelling and grammar errors will cause your listing to appear unprofessional. After making edits, ask someone else to review it for you to catch anything you may have overlooked.
Photos of your rental property
Put some thought into your main photo. This is the photo everyone sees first, so it should be the best possible representation of your rental. Use an outdoor image so renters can see what the exterior of the home looks like. Before photographing your property, mow the lawn and remove any objects (ladders, bicycles, etc.) that detract from the home and make the yard look cluttered.
Take photos of your rental in the morning or right before dusk for the best light. Take multiple photographs in every room of the home from different angles and perspectives. This will give you plenty to choose from when you narrow down photos for your listing. You’ll want to select the best 10-15 photos to include in your ad.
As you are taking photos, keep the guidelines of your listing site in mind. Apartments.com image guidelines include having full-color images with minimal filtering effects, images that are taken horizontally instead of vertically, and images that are clear rather than blurry. Don’t use photos that could be copyrighted or trademarked because these will likely get removed. All images should be your own.
Keep in mind that you’ll likely have to crop or resize your photos for your property listing, as well. For example, Apartments.com photos need to be under 75 MB and in JPG/JPEG, GIF, or PNG formats.
Videos of your rental property
Creating a video tour of your rental is a terrific way to get noticed by more renters, especially for those renters who can’t see your property in person. Properties with virtual tours get 95 percent more phone inquiries and 65 percent more email inquiries, according to research. It’s easy to do, as well, since you likely already have access to a high-quality camera. As you take photos of your rental, consider switching over to video and create a virtual tour with your phone.
The process for shooting videos is the same as when taking pictures. Stage your rental, make sure it is clean, choose a time of day when the lighting is best, and follow a logical progression through each room of your rental. Edit your video to between two and five minutes long to prevent viewers from dropping off.
To add your video to your listing on Apartments.com, you’ll need to have a premium listing. With a premium listing, you’ll be able to upload video by selecting “Add Videos” when creating your listing or by choosing “Media” when editing an existing listing.
Adding Your Rental Listing to Apartments.com
Now that you’ve created a detailed ad complete with high-quality photos and video, it’s time to put your listing online. To create a listing on Apartments.com, go to the website and choose “Add a Property.” Enter the address of your rental property and choose the type of property from the drop-down menu.
Next, you’ll be prompted to sign in or sign up if you don’t already have an account. You’ll enter a verification code during the two-factor authentication process.
Click on “Add Listing Details” and you’ll be able to provide additional information for your property, including the property description and your images. You’ll also be able to specify if you allow pets, the type of parking available, and other facts about your rental.
Make sure your listing follows FHA guidelines. The Federal Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination. If the language in your property description violates FHA guidelines, your listing will be rejected. Other reasons your listing might be rejected is if it is a duplicate listing, your phone number couldn’t be verified, or you were advertising for a roommate or a sublet.
Landlord Contact Information
You might notice that your personal contact information doesn’t appear on your Apartments.com listing. This is because Apartments.com masks your actual phone number and email from public view. The calls and emails will still go directly to you. If you want to test the phone number provided on your listing, call from another number and it will ring through on the phone number you provided.
How to Manage Your Rental Listing on Apartments.com
You may have noticed another option when you clicked on “Add Listing Details.” This option, “Manage Your Property,” is what you’ll choose after publishing your listing. When you click on “Manage Your Property,” you can access Rental Tools. This includes online applications, leases, and payments.
Applications
Renters can apply online to your property directly from Apartments.com. Once you enable Rental Tools, your listing will include an “Apply” button. When potential renters click this button, they’ll supply their information and pay a fee. Apartments.com will provide you with their information along with credit, criminal, and eviction reports. You can also invite a renter to apply from your Apartments.com account.
Leases
To create an online lease, click the “Leases” tab on your dashboard. If you found your renter through Apartments.com, choose “Select from Applications.” If the renter came from outside Apartments.com, choose “Start a Lease.” Enter the lease start and end dates and fill out the information. Select “Download Lease” to review it. If you are satisfied with the lease, you can confirm and send the lease to your renters.
The leases are tailored to the laws in your state, but it’s always a good idea to have your personal lawyer review the lease before you finalize it with your tenants, especially if you added your own stipulations.
Payments
Rather than trying to collect a check, you can accept rent payments online through Apartments.com. You’ll need your renter’s email address and the details for the checking account you’ll use to accept payments. On your Rental Tools dashboard, choose the Payments section and click “Create New Rent Collection.” Fill out the information and click “Confirm and Invite.” Your renters will receive an email with instructions on how to schedule payments.
By creating a listing that includes a detailed property description, high-quality photos, and video, your ad will help you stand out among the rest. Placing your ad online will get you in front of millions of renters and take your property from vacant to rented. Learn more about listing your rental on Apartments.com and visit our Help Center to view frequently asked questions and get more information about Rental Tools.
