•How are the pictures? •Does the property present well? •If it has been months on the market, has the cleaning crew been through the unit recently? 1 REVIEW THE MARKETING •How is the description? Presentation is everything. I want to make sure that the unit presents well to prospective tenants. Always have professional photos taken (not cell phone photos), write a detailed description, and make sure the unit looks the best way possible. You also need to make sure it is on popular websites like Zillow, Apartments.com, or even state and local websites. I also typically post on Facebook Marketplace and in Facebook Groups. Another aspect of marketing is customer service. Are you responding to prospective tenants in a timely manner? Are you answering their questions? Bad customer service is a red flag for tenants, as they know that if they are spending money on a rental, they want to make sure that communication will be easy over the next 12-plus months.
MAKE SURE THAT THE UNIT PRESENTS WELL TO PROSPECTIVE TENANTS.
2 REVIEW THE APPLICATION CRITERIA Sometimes our criteria are stricter than what is common for the area. For example, the credit score isn’t always as important as the credit history. Keep in mind that someone could have a low score simply because they haven’t established credit or are just young and haven’t had time to build their credit history. Consider evaluating applicants based on their credit history rather than the score alone. Instead of professional references, which are easy to fake, focus on the landlord references. I’m not saying compromise to bring in someone less qualified. I’m saying focus on what really matters and what proves they can pay on time, every time.
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