Lender · Springfield MO · Member since 2023 · 56 posts · 63 votes
Hey, I am curious about what other investors are using to find long-term tenants in this current rental market. I self-managed and have used Zillow for most of my rental properties over the last 5 years and it has been pretty successful and easy to use but I have noticed that it is taking longer to lease up my properties over the last 6 months just using their platform.
Any recommendations for other options/resources or strategies?
Realtor · Hanover Twp, PA · Member since 2018 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
2y
@Sarah Downey, I wouldn't be looking at the advertising based on the end result. Advertising is meant to generate leads. So, the thing to look at is how many views, then contacts, then showings, then applications.
If the views are the same as 1 year ago the advertising is likely getting you the same result. So, you may want to look at the content of the ad or the value proposition (price, amenities, etc).
Generally speaking, if you advertise on zillow and perhaps facebook marketplace you are likely findable to anyone who is looking seriously.
@Sarah Downey In my area I use FB Marketplace or the local FB page for the town or neighborhood the property is located in if such listings are allowed there. Or many times since I follow these pages on my Facebook feed I will see someone post that they are looking for a certain type of property like a 2-1 and I respond back that I might have something available and to DM me which usually generates me 10-20 contacts within 24 hours.
@Sarah Downey In my area I use FB Marketplace or the local FB page for the town or neighborhood the property is located in if such listings are allowed there. Or many times since I follow these pages on my Facebook feed I will see someone post that they are looking for a certain type of property like a 2-1 and I respond back that I might have something available and to DM me which usually generates me 10-20 contacts within 24 hours.
Thanks Alecia! I have used Facebook marketplace in the past and I’ve noticed a lot of people use it to post scams so I have tried to stay off it. I like the idea of local groups though. I used apartments.com once but there isn’t a good messaging system like Zillow. I appreciate your recommendations 😊
I also use zillow because that seems to be where most leads are coming from. However, I will transition them over to RentRedi for things like pre-qualification and/or applications, as needed and of course for lease signing and management, etc. Since I am also self managing, I always talk with them on the phone and then meet them to show the unit once the pre-qualify.
I set up my unit and advertising thru RentRedi, which will also publish on Realtor.com. Then, I will set it up separately on zillow (since it's a free service). RR offers to publish on other platforms for a fee. To me, it's not that difficult to duplicate the listing over manually at no cost.
I also use zillow because that seems to be where most leads are coming from. However, I will transition them over to RentRedi for things like pre-qualification and/or applications, as needed and of course for lease signing and management, etc. Since I am also self managing, I always talk with them on the phone and then meet them to show the unit once the pre-qualify.
I set up my unit and advertising thru RentRedi, which will also publish on Realtor.com. Then, I will set it up separately on zillow (since it's a free service). RR offers to publish on other platforms for a fee. To me, it's not that difficult to duplicate the listing over manually at no cost.
Thanks JJ! Yes I was wondering about RentRedi. I saw them at BPCon and was curious about switching over to them. I use apartments.com for my day to day management. It used to be cozy.co. I would love to consolidate everything to one place. How is the tenant portal?
I will start by saying that I don't have anything to compare it to. RentRedi is the only software I have used for property management. I think it's great! I use it for all communications with my tenants, have received maintenance requests with additional documentation attached, and of course manage payments and leases, etc.
They have some demo's and videos showing the portal view on their site. Those may be helpful to dig into to see if the system is right for your needs.
Investor · Melbourne, FL · Member since 2017 · 159 posts · 116 votes
2y
I maximize exposure. Zillow , apartments, FB to start. Use Craigslist only if not much action after a few weeks, which I haven't had to use in about 5 years
Hello Folks, I self manage my property as well. I am using both FB and Zillow. In FB, I don't mention the price but provide all the details and the photos. If some one is interested they can always message me and then I will direct them to zillow for the next steps. At times, people comment negatively even if they are not looking for a rental. So I want to avoid such negative feedback.
Zillow is so far good for me though I did not have lot of experience with Zillow. Is RentRedi a free software or do we need to pay for it?
Realtor · Hanover Twp, PA · Member since 2018 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
2y
@Sarah Downey, I wouldn't be looking at the advertising based on the end result. Advertising is meant to generate leads. So, the thing to look at is how many views, then contacts, then showings, then applications.
If the views are the same as 1 year ago the advertising is likely getting you the same result. So, you may want to look at the content of the ad or the value proposition (price, amenities, etc).
Generally speaking, if you advertise on zillow and perhaps facebook marketplace you are likely findable to anyone who is looking seriously.