Vacancies are inevitable. However, when they do happen, you want your apartment listings to work for you and bring in a stream of high-quality potential renters.
1. Revisit Your Ad Descriptions
Standout from the crowd by writing copy that’s more creative than the generic “Two-bedroom apartment for rent” we’re all used to seeing. Sure, it needs to be accurate and descriptive, but think about what makes your property unique, And, don’t forget about the highlights of the local community and neighbourhood.
2. Upgrade Your Ads
Free listings are fine. But, if you need to move an apartment, consider paying for a featured listing. Many rental listing sites offer upgrades that will put your listings at the top of the search results. With more exposure, you’ll have more traffic to your vacancy listing and more leads, resulting in a higher-quality tenant.
3. Lifestyle your Photography
A photograph is a powerfully persuasive tool. Make sure your shots of your available unit have great lighting. Have you ever noticed that many of the most popular listings on AirBnB feature lifestyle images – close-ups of some an architectural detail, a flowerbox on a window, a table and chairs on a balcony, etc. People have to easily see themselves living in your property. Don’t forget to include some photos of the nearby attractions, like that coffee shop down the street that makes a great spot to work from as well as a great latte.
4. Use Video
A video walk-through of some of your amenities or the apartment can tip the scales in your favour. A video tour of a property delivers a better feel for the size and layout of the apartment over photos alone. You can highlight the features of the property with voice narration or text. It makes it easier for prospective renters to get a tangible sense of the space. Property managers report that video can improve the percentage of people who click on “Apply Now” on your listing.
5. Be Mobile
It’s one thing to get your prospective tenant to your website, it’s another thing to make them stay and convert! Having a mobile-optimized site is also better for your search engine rankings in general. Just as importantly, it’s good for people. Browse your website on your phone. Is it user friendly? Is it easy to learn more about a property or book a showing? Check out the user experience of your competitors. You need, at the very least, your website to be just as good. Even better, your prospect should be able to easily see how you differ and what makes your properties special.
6. Put the “Social” in Social Media
Are you engaging your community on Twitter or Facebook or are you simply posting into the void? Yes, you need to post your vacancies, but you also need to interact with your community. If that great coffee shop down the street has an account, be sure to retweet their daily special. Look for happenings and events that your renters or prospective tenants might be interested in and post these as well. Interact with people. In your newsletters, offer the chance for a monthly gift card giveaway for retweeting/posting your vacancies and tagging you – and then be sure to retweet and thank the person. And, don’t miss out on new opportunities like Facebook Marketplace or doing live broadcasts on Facebook.
7. Blog, Blog, Blog
Blog posts build up SEO goodness around your keywords, so blog about your vacancies as well as your city and neighbourhood. You can then use these posts to share on Facebook and Twitter.
8. PPC for Your Apartment Listings
Many people use search engines to look for an apartment. They often enter keywords like “two bedroom apartment in Ajax” or “bachelor in Kitsilano.” Use Google AdWords to run a pay-per-click campaign to appear at the top of the search results. If you aren’t familiar with how to do this, look for an agency that specializes in PPC.
9. Good Old-Fashioned Signage
Even though we live in a digital world, signs are still an important way to get people to your listing or calling your office. Many times people want to stay in their neighbourhood, so having a sign announcing your vacancy can draw in calls and emails from local folks who walk by. You can use a QR code or short URL to get people to your vacancy listings on your website.
10. Stay Current on Your Aggregate Websites
Most property managers use a combination of ILS websites like Craigslist, Zillow, Kijiji, Trulia and many others. To drive more traffic to your apartment listings, make sure your listings on these websites are current, with the latest information. When you get calls from prospects, ask them where they heard about the listing. Use this information to optimize where you spend your time advertising.
Consider Property Vista Software
Property management marketing software gives you transparency into your digital marketing efforts so you can better spot where your ads are bringing in the most amount of quality leads. To learn more about how Property Vista can help give your marketing efforts a boost, including mobile-friendly websites, ILS automation, help with SEO, and much more, be sure to check out pricing and get a demo.
