Gone are the days where hanging up a sign is enough to find the right renter for a vacant property. Going door to door or calling each tenant with important updates are outdated practices, too.
It’s all about the Internet these days, as it’s generally the first place people go to look for properties and the primary way that many people communicate. In a 2016 survey, 78 percent of people in the U.S. reported that they have at least one social media account.
Landlords who put effort into developing savvy social media skills will reap due rewards in the form of better communication with tenants, more eyes on property postings, and an authentic outlet to express who they are and why people should be lining up to work with them. Let’s examine some useful ways for landlords to take advantage of all that various social media channels have to offer them.
Market Vacant Properties
You most likely already list your properties on websites that allow users to filter by parameters like price, size, and location. That’s an excellent start. But without a social media presence to back it up, you may be missing out on key referrals and eyeballs that could help you find interested parties sooner. Make sure your bio contains necessary links and information so people can reach you easily, as well as establish your credibility at a glance.
Facebook in particular lends itself well to displaying high-quality photo albums, and your past clients, friends, and family can easily tag someone they know who is looking for an apartment if your social media postings fit the bill. Or, harness the power of Facebook video. According to one study, Facebook videos get two times the number of views and seven times the engagement as embedded YouTube links. Making concise walk-through videos of your properties may be well worth your while and put you on the cutting-edge of property advertising.
Landlords can even take social media marketing one step further by using advertising features made available by various platforms. If you decide to go this route, you can set a daily spend budget and decide who to target based on your listings.
Connect to Local Community
A strong social media presence involves more than just telling the world about your services. It’s beneficial to establish deep roots with the communities that surround your properties, and there’s no better place to find out what’s happening nearby than social media. Take the time to follow some neighborhood or city groups, and let your followers know if there’s an event nearby that they may want to attend.
Zillow advises that landlords “keep it fun and make your page a resource residents will use to get updates on the 10k race next weekend, local farmers market, or apartment movie night.”
Connect with Potential and Current Tenants
There’s only so much time in the day; why not make your communication more efficient? Inviting your tenants to join a group for their building that includes timely updates may be the best way to make sure everyone stays up to date on what exactly is happening, whether it’s a water shut-off, a seasonal party, an update to the mail room policy, or a simple thank you around the holidays.
In addition to appreciating and staying in touch with current tenants, it’s important to make sure you know who’s moving into your new properties so you don’t run into misunderstandings down the line. However, it’s not always realistic to investigate every tenant to make sure they are who they claimed to be on the application, and many people enact privacy settings that keep their information under tight wraps. Streamlining your rental property management can save time and give you the true story thanks to a centralized online qualification process that leaves no stone unturned.
Manage Reputation and Feedback
People tend to be mightily honest on social media, for better or for worse. You can gain insight into what people like about your services and what you can improve by keeping an eye on your ratings across social media sites. Not every review can go your way, but it’s a good place to gather honest feedback and possibly even respond to certain postings to help tenants resolve outstanding issues.
With a little time invested up front, social media can streamline how you do business with future and current tenants. It’s a great way to let the world know who you are, what you do, and how you can expertly provide your services when it comes to renting property.
