All successful landlords share one thing in common – they have great marketing skills. Knowing how to market your Tampa rental property successfully will help you reduce
vacancy rates. And guess what? High occupancy rates will mean more money and stronger returns of your investment!
An effective marketing campaign attracts a large pool of prospective tenants. Attracting many prospects will in turn maximize your chances of landing the right tenant. A highly qualified tenant will help minimize your financial losses by caring for your property and paying rent on time, among other things.
The following is a guide on how to advertise your Tampa rental property successfully.
Take Great Photos
A picture is worth a thousand words. In fact, listings with pictures will naturally attract more viewership than those without. That said, you need to ensure that the photo’s are top quality. Taking a few quick photos with your phone won’t cut it, at least not to the desired results. There are a few things that go into taking great-quality photos. The following are some tips to get you started in this regard:
Stage the Rental
This is the first step to taking great photos. That said, it’s a step that is often overlooked. Staging a rental helps renters visualize themselves living there. Remember, tenants are looking for a home, not just an empty space.
So, how do you exactly go about staging your Tampa rental property? The following are a couple of things to do:
- Thoroughly clean the space
- Add
extra storage spaces
- Remove any personalized items
- Draw attention the home’s character with decor.
- Address the
curb appeal
- Keep a neutral theme
- Maximize natural light
Consider the Lighting
Once you’ve properly staged the home, get the lighting right. Take photos during the day to take advantage of natural light. If the weather turns out not to be so great during that day, then make use of the lights in the property. The goal here is to ensure the photos are clear and crisp so make sure there aren’t any harsh shadows in frame.
Use the Widest Vantage Point
When taking photos, you’ll want to take them from the widest vantage point. Try capturing no more than two walls when snapping the photo. The problem with including more walls is it closes up a room in a photo making it appear smaller. Another thing you’ll want to pay attention to is your posture. Stand in a position that allows you to capture a natural and appealing shot. Standing up too high or squatting can skew the dimensions of the photo or warp the appearance of the space.
Create a Shot-list
Make note of all the rooms and features that you want to include in your listing. This will help you stay organized. At the very minimum, your shot list should include every bathroom, bedroom, dining area, kitchen and appliances, and outdoor space.
Use a Great Camera
While it doesn’t have to cost thousands of dollars, a high-resolution camera is a must for the best results. Luckily, all you need is a good smartphone that has a minimum of 72 pixels.
Compose a Great Ad Copy
Once you’ve
captured great photos, the next thing is to start composing an accurate and engaging ad copy. Writing a great ad copy will help tie the whole story together. It may also help with search engine results. The copy breaks into two different sections. That is, the headline and the summary description:
The Headline
The headline is undoubtedly one of the most important aspects of a rental ad. It’s what a prospective tenant will come across first when they see your ad. And for this reason, it can either make or break your efforts of trying to attract applicants. A great headline includes important elements like the rental price, location, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, type of property, and one great selling point. This is relevant information that will help prospects decide if the property meets their baseline criteria.
Summary Section
This section allows a landlord to finish telling their story. It also helps tie-in the headline to photos.
First, let a prospect know what sets your property apart from others. What amenities, for instance, does your Tampa property come with? And while at it, make sure to use proper buzz-words like elegant, modern, new, vintage, granite, and energy-efficient.
Also, mention important policies, such as a pet, subletting or smoking policy. This will help save time for both you and the prospective tenant as they’ll know upfront if they can comply with these policies.
Distribute the Ad
Having a stunning listing in itself won’t land you a tenant. It will only become effective when you have been able to distribute it extensively. A vast distribution strategy will ensure that many prospective tenants get to see it, maximizing your chances of landing a great tenant. Will tenants be searching online, offline, or a combination of both? For the online group, try sites like HotPads,
Trulia, Zillow, and Zumper. For the offline group, try posters and flyers, community bulletin boards, and local classifieds. Just try to keep everyone in mind when advertising your Tampa rental property.
Hire a Property Management Company
Hiring a good property management company is the best way to reduce stress and maximize your income. A good property manager will have the skills and experience to run an elaborate and effective advertising campaign. What’s more, they can help you meet all other management obligations that come with being a landlord like screening tenants, collecting rent, and maintaining the unit.
Bottom Line
There you have it, some helpful tips on how to advertise your Tampa rental property successfully. The recipe is quite simple, take great photos, write a great ad copy, then advertise the ad extensively.
For professional help, look to the experts at Advantage Realty Services. We’re a
professional property management company in Tampa with decades of experience. Get in touch to learn more!
