Some old-fashioned property managers still assume the North American rental market is the same as it was in the mid-90s. They figure they can fill apartment buildings or discover the ideal tenants for their homes, basements, or condos through old-fashioned methods of advertising. That means posts in local newspapers, the handy “For Rent” sign pounded into the front lawn or pinned up on a few bulletin boards — or, if they’re feeling a bit tech-adventurous, a few postings on popular sites can really boost your exposure. But smart landlords know that the key to reaching large numbers of qualified renters in 2015 and beyond is through maximum visibility online, and not getting lost in the very crowded world of online classifieds.
No matter what you’re trying to rent, it’s best to find one company that can serve as your gateway to the highest volume of qualified traffic, and in so doing forget about managing multiple postings or trying to push your listing yourself. If you’ve never seen a great online service for landlords, you’re definitely missing out. Companies can provide you with an unlimited space to write a description of your property and attach an unlimited number of high-res photographs. They’ll also let you upload a property video to give tenants a better look at what you’re offering, whether it’s outdoor areas, exercise or community centers, or just the rooms themselves. These ads are posted live, given a unique URL, and are able to be edited in real time, giving you the ability to fine-tune details as they emerge. At this basic level, the listing company guarantees you hundreds of thousands of page views each month—a far cry from what you’d receive trying to upload posts yourself.
Potential renters are then able to find your properties by narrowing their search parameters based on province, city, price, location, housing type, number of bedrooms, furnishings, utilities, whether you’ve uploaded pictures and videos, and often more useful features, like “walk score” that measures how close your properties are to local amenities. . Another great part of the whole package is that renters are given your contact information so that you can be in direct communication with them, and not have to work through the company that’s bringing you together in the first place.
The more rooms you’re looking to rent, the more you’re going to want to upgrade to more exclusive (or premium) services; the increase price to pay is pennies compared to what you’ll earn renting out multiple dwellings or large apartment buildings. Free posts are fine for small-time landlords, but in the end, you get what you pay for. Premium packages from these great online portals mean extra exposure — if you’re a ‘featured’ listing, let’s say, it means your properties will show up at the top of every search. Another highlight of paid accounts is having your listings become syndicated across multiple search sites, posted on major social media hubs like Facebook and Twitter, and converted to app-ready formats. Today’s renters are looking everywhere they can to find the best homes at the best rates, so that means they’re online, sophisticated, and using social media. To get the traffic you want, you need to be tweeting, pinning, blogging, and posting—or at least getting a company to do it for you! Rentseeker.ca has gained a lot of popularity for combining these important features, making it easier than ever to reach your target rental market. It’s easy to get the hard work taken care of if you know where to post.
As a good landlord, you know you’ve got to stay on top of your properties to keep them safe, sound, clean, and up to code. Just like with building maintenance, the art of leasing a great location has evolved with technology, so don’t get stuck in the past or assume it’s entirely up to you to get your listings out there! Lease your properties with ease by posting with the right online services, and you’ll have more qualified renters than you’ll know what to do with.