Marketing is at the heart of renting or selling a property. When you’re putting a vacant property up for listing, a good marketing strategy could make a big difference.
Instead of simply having your ad seen, you want to stand out from your competitors in the market. Naturally, you’d also like to attract the best prospects for tenancy at your property.
To do this, you would need to present the property in the best possible light and leave a good impression on everyone who comes across your listing.The main goal of property marketing is painting a picture to help the target audience visualize moving into the vacant space.
The listing needs to capture the imagination of the audience with the use of written and visual content. Here are some tips for a solid marketing strategy that will give you the best results when trying to rent or sell your property.
Focus on Good Quality Photographs
Great photographs are an integral part of the visualization process. This is all about the presentation of the property itself. It’s always best to seek out professionals but, if you’re on a tight budget, there are a few steps you can take to achieve similar results.
Consider filming a virtual tour as well as the photos. This will help your prospective tenants visualize how their life and possessions would fit into the property.
Setting the Stage
Staging your home involves the basic preparation of the property before the photography session begins. Start by cleaning out the area will be photographed and make it presentable.
Be sure to remove any personal items such as pictures. You’d want the audience to imagine themselves occupying the space. To do that, you need to clear out any signs of the previous tenants.
Cleanliness is also an important part of the presentability of the space. First impressions matter and, in this case, a good first impression could help you seal the deal.
Ensure You Have Good Lighting
In photography, lighting helps to fully capture the subject in the frame. Try to avoid dark spots and blurry shots whenever possible. Natural light increases the clarity of your pictures, so use this to your advantage and try to take all or most of the pictures during the day.
Try to also capture a maximum of two walls for each shot. This makes the space look more expansive. Taking pictures at angles that are slightly high can also capture a significant portion of the space.
Create a Checklist for the Areas You Want to Capture
Since you can’t possibly capture the entire property in your photographs, it’s best to have a checklist showing the areas you intend to photograph. Also jot down the number of pictures you need for each space. If you're not a professional photographer, look over some photography tips to help you.
This checklist depends on your target audience and what you want to highlight about the property. Apart from the interior of the property and the amenities, include a few pictures of the neighborhood to provide a sense of the community.
Create a Comprehensive Description With a Captivating Headline
Now that the visual content is ready, you need to work on the property’s description. The description should provide a summary of what’s been captured on the photographs.
Instead of creating a list of what’s available on the property, try to tell a story. Storytelling enhances the visualization process of the audience and makes for a more interesting read.
The headline on the listing should be short, concise and capture the reader’s attention. The purpose of the headline is to highlight the main points that the description can build from. Try to avoid real estate jargon throughout the ad.
Highlight the Amenities of the Property
Property markets tend to be competitive. Several landlords and property managers are targeting people from the same pool of prospective tenants, hoping to find high-quality renters to fill their vacancies.
To stay ahead of the competition, you need to find creative ways to make your property stand out. One of the best ways to achieve this is by highlighting the best ammenities and features of your property.
Does your property have a pool? Do you have a gym on the premises? Do your tenants perhaps delight in an amazing view of the sunset from their balconies?
Use this to your advantage when marketing.
Include Your Contact Information on the Listing
A good description coupled with great photographs needs to be followed by your contact information. This is important in case your prospects have a question or if they require additional information on the property.
Including your contact information also creates the impression that you would be present as a landlord whenever they need to reach out to you. We suggest creating a professional email and getting a separate phone number for your tenants and prospects to reach you.
Leverage Social Media for Marketing Your Properties
Utilizing the internet can significantly reduce the vacancy period for your property. Online listings on websites like Craigslist and Zillow tend to reach a wider audience than the traditional methods of marketing. You can take your marketing a step further by posting your property on social media.
Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest can help to showcase the property to a particular target audience. Some of these platforms also offer highly targeted advertisements which you can utilize to reach a specific demographic.
Organize an Open House for Your Property
An open house creates an opportunity to host multiple prospects on the premises. A good description of the property may be helpful, but sometimes people need to see the property for themselves. You should prepare for the open house by trying to come up with answers for any possible question that may be asked.
It’s also important to pass out some flyers containing a summary description of the property and your contact information. The prospects may try to reach you later on for questions or tenancy applications.
Since the goal of the open house is to find the right people, carry some tenancy application forms to pass to your prospects. Having application forms ready on the day of the open house increases the likelihood of tenancy applications being made.
Market the Community, Not Just Your Property
Keep in mind that the people who would potentially live in your property will turn it into their home. Therefore, they have an interest on the type of neighborhood they’re moving into. You want the prospective tenants to have a sense of safety and comfort. Showcasing the local community can help you achieve that.
Bottom Line
A good marketing strategy is important when you’re trying to attract the right people to fill your vacant property. A marketing strategy isn’t one size fits all—the approach you choose depends on your target audience.
Gifford Properties & Management Company have professionals with a wealth of experience marketing properties in Jacksonville FL.
Our marketing strategies are designed to minimize property vacancies and provide the property with exposure. For assistance with your property management needs, reach out to us today. We would love to hear from you.
