Below are some top reasons to hire a property manager, but for the ever “do it yourself” I have explained some basics to help you try it out on your own.
Photos: If you have never photographed a home before, it sounds pretty easy right? Turn on the camera (or your phone) Snap some shots of the kitchen, living room, bedrooms, outside and you’re done. While this definitely takes care of the basics (ie showing you customers- renters -what the place looks like) you want to stand out against your competition. If you’re going to try it yourself, here are my recommendations.
- Open all shades to get as much natural light in as possible (believe it or not, overcast days are some of the best to get interior photos taken. This is because you won’t get any “washed out” photos because there is too much light). Turn on all lights especially if you have low energy LED’s to make sure you have the brightest and most natural lighting possible. Open all doors to make sure you aren’t limiting light coming from other rooms (ie, front door if you’re taking a pic down the hallway).
- Make sure you take more than one picture of each room. A cloud outside could change the exposure in the room, especially true in large living rooms with natural light. Make sure you take 2-3 pics at least so you can go back and see which ones have the best lighting.
- Try to get low with your angles. Many times you’ll read/hear to take overhead photos. Well, were not all 7 feet tall nor do we have the proper camera equipment to capture those perfect corners of each room so I recommend crouching. This will stabilize your shot and help give a better idea of the room dimensions.
- Highlight the best rooms in the house. Have an AWESOME bathroom remodel? Show it! Is your kitchen built for a chef? Include several photos to capture the glorious work you’ve done. Killer back yard? Lets see it! Highlight features that make the home stand out.
- Make sure its clean… not much else to add here. Flat Fee Landlord requires each tenant to professionally clean their rental before they leave at the end of their lease. We ask that you provide the same courtesy to your first tenant moving in. Not only does it make the property much more presentable, it is the right thing to do. Plus, your tenants will be much happier and more inclined to keep the home clean during their lease and upon move out.
Advertising: Zillow, Trulia, and Hot Pads are your friend. These are the top 3 websites for marketing your rental yourself. If you don’t have access to the MLS, definitely start there.
When using a property manager, typically we will have a more powerful syndication tool that will reach a larger audience through more websites.
Flat Fee Landlord not only uses the MLS (which allows other realtors to show their clients your home… more potential customers) we also syndicate to more then 70 of the most used rental search websites within 24 hours. More than 90% of home buyers (and renters) are going to see your property online first. You want to make sure they see yours to schedule an appointment to come take a look...we do.
Showings: Do you really have the time to get up from work and go show that prospect who called you five minutes ago that “Has to see the house right now!”?… Oh you do? Well then this is the last section so come back next week for more...
For the rest you you, make sure you set specific blocks of time for tenants to schedule showings. Draft a generic email and include a link to your pre-set calendar (I use calendly, but there are plenty of free services out there to make sure people are only scheduling times that you have pre-arranged). This will help eliminate the stress of constantly booking showings because your home is SO POPULAR!
When showing the home, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Most times, if you ask the right ones, you will get insight on how to sell the home. Point out the features I discussed you highlighted with the photos. Make the tenant see themselves pampering themselves in the spa like bathroom or cooking an amazing meal for their guests in your gourmet kitchen. Close to major highways or large employers? Tell Them!!
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Your dedicated Flat Fee Landlord showing agent has the knowledge and the tools at their disposal to make sure we create a sense of urgency to get your home rented quickly so you start receiving rent FAST!We are prepared to bring all of this knowledge as just the beginning of helping care for your rental home. Let us show you how easy being a real estate investor can be.
All of these tips come from 8 years of trial and error in this business. I want to arm you with the tools that got us to where we are today. If you want to discuss more on how we can help visit us at www.flatfeelandlorddallas.com or give me a call at 469-703-8139 today!
Whats Next?
Screening, Leasing, and Move-In… sounds sexy right? I’ll try to keep it entertaining for you all, check in next week.
Thanks guys!
