Last Updated on April 10, 2023
According to research by LendingTree, more than 16 million homes were sitting vacant across the United States in 2022. Vacancies are common as a real estate investor and landlord, so it’s important that you take a proactive approach.
If you leave a rental property sitting for too long, your investment probably isn’t paying off as much as it could. Finding and retaining great tenants is a major part of being a great landlord, and if you don’t do it well, your investment will leave a lot to be desired.
Fortunately, there are ways to get tenants more quickly and more easily. In this guide, we’ll tell you how to advertise for rental property.
What to Consider Before Running Rental Property Ads
Before you start using any of the strategies listed below to advertise your rental, there are a few things that you should consider. Here’s what you should think about first.
Know the Perks of Your Property
It can be useful to think about your rental property from the perspective of your tenant. You’ll want to consider all of the things that make your property stand out and make it more attractive to those you’re advertising to.
If your rental has a great downtown location, is close to a college, or if it’s near exciting landmarks and attractions, be sure to make a note of it. Then, be sure to include this information in your advertisement.
Highlighting the key aspects of your property that stand out from the pack can help you get a quality tenant more quickly and easily.
Understand Your Target Audience
In addition to understanding your property and what it has to offer, make sure that you have a clear idea of who your ideal tenant is and what audience you’re targeting.
You might want to determine whether you’re targeting students, families, couples, or seniors with your rental listing. Think about the kind of person you want to rent your property to and consider what their interests are and what kind of lifestyle they have.
Considering all of these questions can give you a leg up when trying to advertise your property. It can also help you get a better idea of where to spend your marketing budget and where you should advertise your property.
Consider the Rental Property Type
You should also remember that different types of rental properties will require different strategies.
While rental listing sites such as Apartments.com might work well for apartments and residential properties, they might not be as well-suited for commercial properties. If you’re leasing a commercial property, you might want to find a more specialized website where you can list your property and connect with business owners.
Be sure to consider the type of property you have available when deciding where to list your properties to make sure you’re getting the best bang for your buck.
Top Ways to Advertise for Rental Property
Ready to start advertising your property rental? Here are 8 great ways that you can do it.
1. Add Your Rental to Free Listing Sites
A great first step to marketing your rental property is to add your rental to various free rental listing sites. Here are a few sites that you may want to list your property on:
- Apartment Finder
- Apartments.com
- Craigslist
- Facebook Marketplace
- HotPads
- Padmapper
- Trulia
- Zillow
- Zumper
There are a lot of options out there and some sites have more traffic than others, so you should prioritize the ones that are a bit more popular if you want to find tenants quickly.
2. Launch Your Own Website
Particularly if you have multiple rentals that you manage, it may be worth launching your own website. Doing so can help you get tenants more easily.
If you decide to launch your own website, be sure to use search engine optimization (SEO) and other digital marketing techniques to ensure it appears in search engines often.
3. Post About Your Rental on Social Media
If you often have apartments and homes available to rent, cultivating a social media presence can be worth it. Social media posts are often shared, and if you have an excellent property for rent, they can greatly extend your reach.
To make the most of social media, however, go beyond just posting organically. Add your rental property to Facebook Marketplace rental listings and run online Facebook Ads if you want to find a tenant in record time.
4. Advertise in Front of Your Property
Although online listings can be helpful, the simplest solutions are often among the best. Don’t forget to post a “For Rent” sign outside of your rental property and elsewhere in your neighborhood.
A “For Rent” sign is still an effective tool for a landlord. Posting one can be helpful since you’ll know the people who see it will already be spending time in your neighborhood.
5. Use Traditional Marketing
Using “For Rent” signs can help to spread the word about your rental but there are many other things that you can do as well. Don’t be afraid to use some traditional advertising techniques in addition to digital marketing methods.
This could include handing out flyers or hosting an open house to build some extra buzz surrounding your property.
6. Run an Ad in a Local Newspaper
Other types of traditional advertising techniques can also work well. Even in the digital age, you should consider placing your rental in a classified section of a local newspaper or magazine.
If you find that a classified listing works well, then you may want to try running an ad in a local newspaper as well.
7. Make Your Listings Stand Out
When advertising rental properties, remember that presentation matters. Add high-quality photos to your listing to ensure that it grabs the attention of prospective tenants.
To go a step further, add a high-quality real estate marketing video or a virtual tour to the listing as well.
8. Use Word-of-Mouth Marketing
One of the best ways to find tenants for your rental property is to use word-of-mouth marketing. When there’s a great property for rent, people will talk about it.
Be sure to let your friends and family know that you have a rental available. Also, if you currently have tenants for other properties, be sure to let them know as well. Current tenants can be a great source of referrals.
Understanding How to Advertise Rental Property Effectively
If you want to be a successful landlord or real estate investor, understand how to advertise for rental property. Use a combination of strategies including free online listings, social media marketing, and traditional advertising if you want to find tenants quickly.
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