Even with trends shifting and tenants feeling more mobile than ever before, there’s a strong demand for rental property in Los Angeles. To attract the best tenants and the highest rents, you need to market your rental home effectively. The most qualified tenants are seeking homes in good neighborhoods with modern updates. If you have such a home, you’ll likely have no trouble getting it rented.
Even great homes need a stellar marketing plan.
You can spend a lot of time creating a listing and posting that listing on all the popular websites. Then you’ll have to monitor it, respond to inquiries, and set up showings. This will take up a lot of time, and you never know what kind of results you’ll get.
Leverage the resources and expertise of a Los Angeles property management team when you’re ready to advertise your rental home. Bell Properties provides a marketing edge that independent landlords often struggle to obtain.
Here are some of the best ways that your property management partner can boost your visibility and get your home rented quickly.
Property Managers Can Make Your Home More Rentable
You may have some blind spots when it comes to how your property looks. You’ve been intimately associated with it for years, probably, so you might not notice that the paint is looking faded or the window blinds are bent and dusty.
A property manager in Los Angeles knows that the first part of your marketing strategy needs to be property improvements. When you offer an outstanding rental home, the property practically markets itself.
When prospective tenants look at your listing or visit for a showing, you need to showcase a property that they can imagine moving into right away. The home needs to be more than move-in ready, it needs to be a better choice than all the other rental properties on the market.
Investing in a full renovation will cost you a lot of money. Instead of making every upgrade you can think of, focus on those that tenants will appreciate most. You’re looking for cost-effective updates and improvements that will make a difference in the marketing of your property.
Property managers have an edge because we know what tenants want and where you’ll get the most return on your improvements. Depending on the age and condition of your property, we are likely to recommend:
Fresh paint. This includes the walls, trim, and even ceilings.
Updated landscaping and curb appeal. Making a good first impression is important in marketing your property.
Cosmetic issues like nail holes in the walls or caulk around the tub.
Clean or new carpets or updated flooring. Laminate floors are extremely popular with tenants, and marketing a home that has hard surface flooring will be a lot easier than marketing a home with carpet - even new carpet.
New fixtures in bathrooms and kitchen. This will create a shiny, modern look and feel.
Updated lighting inside and out for security as well as aesthetics.
Ask your property manager for recommendations. This will save you money on your turnover process and give you an edge when it comes to marketing your property and standing out in a crowded market.
Utilizing Online Advertising Platforms
Property managers can take better pictures. We can produce an online video or a digital walk-through video. Bell Properties also knows how to reach the tenants you want to place.
It’s all about online advertising today, and most property managers have a presence on all the most utilized rental websites. You’re hoping that a large number of prospective tenants will see your listing, spend time learning more about your property, and schedule showings.
Property managers facilitate that.
Leveraging well-trafficked rental sites will drive up the number of potential applicants and give you an excellent chance of having a highly qualified resident willing to rent your property.
If you are marketing your own rental home, you can spend a lot of time getting your listing onto every relevant site. You’ll have to upload photos and copy and paste descriptions. Instead, you can leave it to a management company with updated software and technology. Our listings are syndicated immediately. It takes less time and effort, and we reach more potential tenants.
Self-Showings Create a Marketing Edge
Part of the rental success you’re hoping to achieve is being available to prospective tenants when they want to see your property. Trying to schedule a traditional showing where you meet a person at your property is nearly impossible these days. Everyone has conflicting commitments, and you don’t want to miss potential opportunities just because your calendar is packed.
Self-showings can help with marketing. They can also help you find and place a tenant faster. This is an important tool that Los Angeles property managers use to safely and efficiently show vacant rental properties. Tenants often prefer being able to see properties on their own. They value the privacy and enjoy wandering around a home alone.
Self-showings are easy and convenient, and we’ll install a lockbox on the property or get a digital lock where prospective tenants will input a code when they’re ready to go inside. This is not appropriate for occupied properties, but if you’re marketing a vacant home, consider that your vacancy time is likely to be lower with self-showing technology.
Communication and Availability
We are always astonished at how many tenant leads are lost because of ineffective communication.
If you’re not responding to the texts and the messages and the phone calls that come in once your property is listed, you’re probably missing out on a lot of hot leads. You have to be willing to talk with people who call for more information about your property. Answer your phone. Respond to emails and messages.
Clear marketing communication and responsiveness is necessary to effectively rent out your home. Marketing is not just about getting the necessary attention for your property. It's also about building trust and transparency with the people who are interested in renting it. You’re looking for ideal tenants, and so you have to attract them by sharing expectations, being honest, and making yourself available.
Be clear and concise about the features of your property, the rent amount, and what will and will not be allowed. Disclose your policies on pets, parking, and guests in the listing. Quality tenants want to know exactly what they are signing up for, and transparency helps them feel comfortable and secure about applying for a home or scheduling a showing.
Moving Beyond Traditional Marketing
What can you do that’s more innovative and creative to really help your rental property stand out in a crowded Los Angeles rental market? Bell Properties has been leasing and managing properties long enough to know that the traditional list-and-post strategy gets really old, really fast. You have to do it; most of your future tenants will be online, scrolling through those ads.
But, there are some more interesting ways to market your property, and Los Angeles property managers will know that. For example:
Using Social Media Platforms for Rental Property Visibility
Everyone is checking their Instagram and following the latest Twitter drama (are we even still calling it Twitter?). Social media can be more powerful than popular online rental sites because there’s opportunity for engagement. When you share a listing on Instagram or Facebook, people can comment on how great the bedrooms looks or what lovely kitchen appliances you offer. They can ask questions about square footage and whether you allow pets. Friends and contacts can like the post, share it, tag friends of theirs who may be looking for a new rental home.
Property managers are expert marketers. We often have our own presence on the major social media platforms, and we’re engaging there daily. This is a great way to get your listing in front of additional people. You’ll gain more momentum than you will with general listings.
Partnering with Relocation Companies and Employment Agencies
We also recommend word of mouth marketing and relationship building. Property managers will often have relationships in place with relocation companies and employment agencies. This gives you a fresh pool of potential tenants.
Relocation companies like to work with real estate agents and property managers to place individuals and families into homes when they’re moving into the area. This can be a quick short-cut for you, when you have a property that’s available at the same time that a client of theirs is looking.
Property Managers Already Have Tenant Relationships
Most Los Angeles property managers are already working with hundreds of tenants. This gives you an immediate resource. Property managers provide an edge by leveraging existing relationships to market a rental property and reward people for bringing in new tenants. Your management company might reward existing tenants and other friends, family members, clients, and colleagues for helping you locate quality tenants for your property.
These are some of the marketing tools that property managers in Los Angeles are especially skilled at providing. If you’d like to talk more about getting your property rented quickly to excellent residents, we’d love to hear from you. Please contact us at Bell Properties.
