When you’re marketing your Arlington rental property, success really comes down to visibility. The rental market in Northern Virginia is crowded; you have a lot of competition. Renters are scrolling through hundreds of listings on their phones and their tablets every day. How can you make sure your rental listing stands out and catches their attention?
The more people see your property, the more likely it is that you’ll find the perfect tenant.
Three things are important during the leasing process:
- Renting your home quickly, to avoid vacancy.
- Renting your home to the best-qualified tenants, to ensure a smooth tenancy.
- Renting your home for the most money, to trigger cash flow and long-term ROI.
Here are some of the tactics we use as professional property managers and leasing specialists when we’re trying to maximize visibility for the homes we rent.
Snap Some Professional-Grade Photos
First impressions are critical when you’re attracting tenants, and we want you to introduce your property to prospective tenants with some amazing photos.
Why?
Because that’s what tenants are going to look at first. They will make sure your property is in their price range, and then they’ll immediately click on photos. This is your first impression.
Make it count.
The photos you use to market your rental can draw people in. They’ll help your prospects connect emotionally with your property because they’ll see a kitchen they love or an outdoor space that’s perfect for their children or their dogs. Poor quality photos will only give them a reason to keep scrolling.
To make your property stand out, hire a professional photographer to take high-quality photos that showcase your property’s best features. If a professional photographer is out of your budget, ask the best picture-taker you know to show up with their camera or their phone to take some top-of-line photos. It’s one of the best ways to increase visibility.
Leverage Social Media for Northern Virginia Rentals
Social media is almost more powerful than the rental website powerhouses like Zillow and Zumper and HotPads and the others. That’s because people are there already. Everyone is spending time on their socials, keeping up with their friends, families, and favorite brands. If they also happen to be looking for a new rental home, or they know someone who is, this is your opportunity to reach them.
Platforms like Facebook, Twitter (X?). and Instagram allow you to connect with potential renters directly, showcase your property, and share testimonials. Give yourself a crash course in social media speak if you’re not an expert. Hashtags will help you target your posts. Asking people to like and share your post will drive engagement.
Social media also lets you create a community around your rental property, which can help attract renters who value a sense of community and belonging. You’ll certainly increase your visibility and find a renter quickly when your home for rent is noticed on social sites.
Leverage Online Rental Sites and Syndicate
Online listings are an effective way to market a rental property and draw a large pool of potential renters to your home. Unlike social media, which reaches everyone, you’re putting your home for rent in front of an audience of people who are definitely looking for their next home.
Sites like Zillow, Trulia, and Rentals.com receive millions of visitors each day, making them an ideal platform to promote your rental property. To make the most of these platforms, make sure you include those high-quality photos, a detailed but concise description of your property’s features, and a competitive price.
Make sure you include pertinent information in your listing, such as whether pets will be considered, and what the security deposit is. Let people know when you’ll be ready to have them move in. Don’t forget your contact information. All of this will make your listing stronger, and more likely to quickly attract good tenants.
Syndicate your listing so it reaches as many platforms as possible. Manually entering all the information and uploading the photos site by site will only slow down your process.
Drive Visibility with Networking and Partnerships
Working with local real estate agents can be an excellent way to boost your property’s visibility. Realtors have an extensive network of potential renters, and they can leverage their contacts to help you market your property.
You might also want to reach out to relocation companies and employment agencies. People are moving into Northern Virginia all the time for work and school. The resources that help people arrive and find housing can also help you rent out your property. These relationships can help you achieve more rental success.
Work with Arlington Property Managers
Here’s a secret weapon when it comes to increasing visibility for your renting property and getting it leased quickly, with minimal vacancy: Property management.
When you partner with a property management company, you’ll have immediate access to the technology, tools, resources, and relationships that successful property managers already have in place. Instead of doing everything yourself, you can let experts in the field and in the local market take over, bringing you tenants who are ready to rent.
Marketing a rental property takes time, effort, and a bit of creativity. By using professional photos, leveraging social media, partnering with local property managers in Arlington, making use of online listings, and getting creative, you can boost your property’s visibility and attract more potential renters.
Keep in mind that marketing is not a one-time effort, and it requires continuous attention and refinement. You’ll want to rack your results and be flexible with pricing and terms if it seems you’re struggling to gain any visibility or momentum.
If you have any questions about how to increase the visibility your rental property is receiving, please don’t hesitate to contact us at Comfort Property Management. We lease, manage, and maintain investment properties throughout Northern Virginia, in Arlington, Alexandria, Fairfax, Falls Church, McLean, Ashburn, Sterling, Springfield, Reston, Chantilly, Manassas, Centreville, and Herndon.
