Hurrah! You’ve listed your property, and now you have some prospective tenants coming to take a look. Here are some tips to help convert a looker to a leaser.
First Impressions Count
When your prospective tenant arrives at your property, how does it look? Is the lawn well-maintained? If not, time to get mowing or re-sod the property. A window box or flowerbed can really jazz up the curb appeal. Does the building look tidy from the outside? Look to see if there is any garbage or clutter that needs to be removed. When the exterior of your building is attractive to potential renters, you’ve just upped your chance of renting it out. The same goes for common areas, like an entryway or hallway. These areas should be clean and highly presentable.
Create a Neutral Space
If the previous tenant had a penchant for orange walls, you’ll want to give the place a fresh coat of paint. Neutral coloured walls, like eggshell white, are best so that prospects aren’t turned-off by an unusual paint colour or wallpaper pattern. It makes it easier for them to picture themselves in the property. Sometimes a feature wall in a complementary neutral shade (warm greys are very big now!) can help focus or frame a space.
Get Rid of Any Leftover or Personal Items
Sometimes the previous tenant will have left a few things behind, or personal items, like some clothing in the closet. Go through all the kitchen and bathroom shelves and cupboards and remove any leftovers. Take out anything in the fridge and freezer or pantry. No traces of the pervious tenant should be left behind! (If you are showing while the tenant is still there, work with the current tenant as closely as possible on scheduling visits and keeping the place looking good for showing.)
Clean and Freshen Up
It goes without saying the whole unit should be spotless. Clean all kitchen and bath surfaces. Do a steam clean of any carpets, and ensure the unit doesn’t have any unpleasant odours. Do any needed repairs on things like leaky taps, or replace any chipped tiles. Now’s a good time for any paint touch-ups or complete paint-over! Replace any lightbulbs, and make sure all the doors and windows are in working order. And, don’t forget to shine those floors! If you have wood flooring, give it a good buff until it has a beautiful shine. Likewise, clean and polish ceramic tiles and vinyl flooring.
Set the Stage
If you are showing a vacant unit, bring in some pieces of furniture to help the prospective tenant see how the space could be used. Set up chairs and a sofa in a way that shows the best use of the space. If possible, set up some alternative use spaces, which are very popular with all demographics. For example, add a desk and chair in a nook under the stairs to show that it could be used for a home office.
Use Mobile Inspection Software
One of the best ways to keep your property looking good is to ensure regular inspections. Move-in, move-out and periodic inspections keep the value of your property. When you use mobile inspection software, you can instantly take photos and upload them into a central library. This way you’ll always have a digital record of how your property looked throughout the duration of the tenancy. And, it removes the effort and hassle of filling out paperwork.
Hold Open Houses
You can avoid the headache of no-shows by holding set-time open houses. Have a tablet on hand so you can capture the email addresses of attendees and send them follow up details or a note about any other vacancies you might have. When prospects see other prospective tenants in a property they like, it encourages them to hurry and fill out an application to lease.
How Property Vista Helps
While we can’t help you with the cleaning and tidying up (sorry!), Property Vista can help you rent your properties faster with our marketing automation tools and online applications. And, we have mobile inspection software so that you can track and monitor the condition of your properties. See pricing and get a demo.
