I purchased my first investment property (duplex) this past summer and rented 1/2 units relatively quickly, however the second unit has been difficult to fill. I've marketed on several platforms, notably Zillow, apartments.com, FB marketplace, amongst others and have boosted my profile to enhance visibility. After 45 days I lowered the rent price 5% (rents in my market have declined roughly 5% since the beginning of Q3) and have seen little activity since I took that action 20 days ago. Searching for suggestions on how to reach more people and get this unit filled. I am receiving roughly 5-10 inquiries per week, mostly people who are unqualified or do not follow through with completing an application/ scheduling a tour. Open to any ideas, thanks!
Property Manager · Michigan Ctr, MI · Member since 2016 · 661 posts · 581 votes
11mo
Hey Kyle,
Congrats on getting your first duplex — seriously, that’s a big milestone. And don’t stress too much — every new landlord hits that “why won’t the second unit rent?” wall at some point.
Here’s what’s probably going on: traffic’s fine, but the people reaching out aren’t connecting with something about the ad, photos, or price — so you’re getting lots of looks, but few qualified bites.
A few things that usually help:
Switch up your main photo and title. Zillow and Apartments.com both push “fresh” listings higher when something changes. Lead with your best feature (in-unit laundry, updated kitchen, private yard — whatever makes it stand out).
Try a small incentive instead of another rent drop. Something like “Half off first month” or “free Wi-Fi” gets attention without cutting long-term rent.
Post in local FB or community groups. You’d be surprised how many solid tenants come from word-of-mouth or smaller circles instead of the big sites.
Make the listing super clear about qualifications. Mention income requirements or no-pet rules upfront. It weeds out the time-wasters and saves you headaches.
If you haven’t already, get a few bright, wide-angle photos. It’s crazy how much better a unit looks with good lighting and a clean frame — people really do scroll past dark photos.
You’re already doing the right stuff — sometimes it just takes one little tweak or a new batch of eyeballs to get that unit filled. Fall’s a slower season, but hang tight — the right tenant will land soon; Kyle I really hope his helps you a bit as you're starting out, I sent you a DM on BP... it's one of the reasons I do this, I hope you can assist. Thank you.