Rental Showings - No One Showed Up
Julie MarquezPro Member
Investor · Skagit County, WA · Member since 2016 · 1k+ posts · 807 voteshttp://skagit.craigslist.org/apa/5753275039.html
Here's my rental listing, originally posted on Saturday morning. I also posted it on Zillow. I got a lot of response, maybe 10 -12 people through craigslist and 3 - 4 people on Zillow. All decent prospects. So I called them back and set up six appointments from 5:30 - 8:30 on Tuesday evening. No one showed up. Some people cancelled in advance, some cancelled last minute, and most just didn't show.
I will try again on Saturday afternoon, maybe the weekend works better for people. There isn't a lot on the market around here, and I believe my price is fair. The front exterior porch and lawn look a little tired, so we are going to fix that up. Once Saturday rolls around, it will be presentable (last night the house was still messy and dirty from the previous tenants).
That's my experience. I know there are a lot of posts about this topic and best practices. I'm learning trial and error, and BP of course. I just wanted to share my first experience with this house, and I post more on how it goes.
I was curious if move-in expenses were typically that high in your area. If you have a dog it looks like you need to bring $3700 at the lease signing for a house that rents at $1700/month. That may be normal for your area, but it seems high to me.
1) Cut everything past "Rent is $1700 a month". If they care about the other stuff, they'll ask. Otherwise it sounds like you're going to white glove everything with the monthly rent... probably with Spirit Air's fee schedule!
2) Get the house move in, or almost move in ready before showing.
My $0.02
I generally always do an open house style because many people responding off of Zillow and Trulia just click a button and aren't always that interested in actually attending. Those who make the effort to make a phone call are more likely to show up.
@Julie Marquez This home has two fireplaces. Are they wood-burning or gas? This is something I would emphasize in marketing a rental.
@Julie Marquez So far the reply's sound dead on. The only thing i would add is schedule all the appointments at the SAME time (if you can). Tell them you'll be there from 12-1 or 2-3 or whatever it is and if theyre interested theyll make it. (Not saying be rude but let them know you'll be there for specific amount of time, and if they cant make you'll have to reschedule for another date).
Let your appointments over lap.....Make them over lap. Let the potential tenants know there are other people interested, that might light a fire under their arse.
Also, pictures, pictures, pictures. From experience i can tell you if you dont have good pictures IM NOT INTERESTED.
I've been looking for a place to rent for the past 3 months and the pictures are the biggest selling point. I dont care about the deposit (I know I have to give a deposit, everyone wants one) I dont care about LED lights (sorry, its the truth). I care about where the house is, how much it ist and how it looks, plaine and simple
Picture 3 is a waist, picture 4 looks creepy and picture 6 and 9 are to dark. Believe me im not trying to be rude, I'm trying to tell you how I (a prospective tenant) see's your pictures, and am trying to help you get this sucker rented out quickly. Try getting the camera up high in a corner to show the entire room in one shot as best you can (you are cutting off half the room in the pics) and make the room look big, and try to get more lighting in the pics. Show me the living room, the kitchen, the bathrooms and each bedroom (all with good light and from a good angle). Thats what I the renter want.
Thats my 2 cents, I hope no one thinks i was being rude cuz i read it back and it sounded a maybe a little bit rude, but that couldnt be further from how i feel. I wish you the best of luck with this house and all your future endeavors.
P.S. One last thing, maybe you might want to give the address out ahead of time (in the ad). When i saw a house i was interested in I would always check it out on google maps and than maybe do a drive by regardless to check out the neighborhood. I know there might be some drawbacks to giving out the address up front but theyre might be some benefits too. Good luck.
@Julie Marquez first, your pics really need some work. A lot of narrow constricted views. Also, your add comes across as highly restrictive. I understand no smoking, but no vaping? Also, your last paragraph basically is all about you and how restrictive you are. Not conducive to a good living arrangement.
If you don't have people knocking down your door, you also are probably overpriced for the neighborhood/condition of the house.
@Julie Marquez With respect to the pictures, I agree with Mark that you can benefit from better lighting and angles. However, I disagree with him about posting the address. If someone is interested in the house and emails you, then by all means, give them the address. However, my last rental fell victim to a Craigslist scam and this can make it more difficult for you to rent your property. So in addition to not posting the address, you should watermark the photos with your name so that your pictures don't get stolen an placed in an ad offering it for $600 a month. I put my name and the date available for rent. If you have a google number, you could include that too. Make your pictures unappealing to the internet scam artists.
Another thought on pictures is to find a local real estate photographer to take some professional shots. To find one, you can look at local listings on the MLS and find ones with great pictures, then ask those listing agents who they use (or ask on BP). A good set of photos can be reused in the future when you have a tenant move out as well. It might cost a few bucks, but it could generate far more interest and get you your asking price much faster.
@Jennifer L. great point about the scammers, I knew there had to be some drawbacks, I just couldnt think of what they might be. Good advice about the watermark as well.
Agree with many of the ideas so far and it looks like the ad has been continuously improving and no doubt you will land a good tenant soon.....
Other ideas......
As it reads now, the last paragraph where it says of this post time "tell me about yourself" may not be additive (could even be risky). You may want to redact or alter that. You want the pertinent application and occupant info at this point. The showing can be a place for more discussion if relevant to the tenancy.
Then if the ad is in good form (still maybe long for me, and I am sure yours will shorten over time), analyze how you are interacting with prospects on that first contact.
It could be the process is correctly screening out people just through the criteria in the ad (hence the no shows) or something in the first exchange could be off putting. Maybe try your script for prospects (be it phone, email or text) on some other people and see if anything would deter them from showing up.
Keep fine tuning your processes and you will likely achieve your goal...Best of luck.
Maybe you could try your add more like this?
"This is a well maintained house on a quiet street with a great yard that backs up to the woods. Conveniently located close to schools, shopping, and all the amenities of Mount Vernon and Skagit Valley.
There are 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms upstairs with a large deck off the kitchen and dining room, as well as a large living room. There is also 1bedroom and 1 bathroom downstairs, with a large den and laundry room, adjacent to the oversized 2 car garage.
Rent is $1700 a month. Utilities not included. Small pets considered. Income must be 2.5 times the monthly rent. Minimum credit score of ___ required. Home is available for rent as of Sept 2nd"
The words dead end have a negative connotation subliminally in peoples minds even if they know what you are trying to get across. I've shortened you add quite a bit but I think I hit all the key points. Almost everything from the second 2 paragraphs are things you should ask casually either over the phone or in person.
Our in house property management company requires tenants to call us one hour before the appointment time to confirm they are still available. We do not call them.
@Joe Moore, if I am doing individual showings, I don't call them. I ask them to text me 30 minutes before their scheduled appointment to let me know they are coming or I might not be there. But like most others, I have moved to an open house format.
Most have told why this seems to work better. I'll add another reason - safety. With open houses, you have a natural deterrent to bad actors because there are likely to be more people around. As the open house ends, I make it a point to "call" someone in front of the last two prospects letting the other end of the phone know when I'll be leaving.
@Julie Marquez, I guess you have taken a lot of advice and executed already. Great job. I'll add one more suggestion. The pictures you did take need to be of better quality and showcase the living area better. And key to this? Angles to show depth and perspective and lighting.
Front of the house should be from a corner spot on the property, not a front view. You must include a picture of the kitchen. In fact, take two or three from different corners in the kitchen. Instead of the picture looking down at the front door, take a picture from the front door looking into the residence - and turn on the overhead light. In almost all cases, every light should be on when you are taking pictures.
If you are showcasing a part of the property (you mention the wildlife), make sure you have a picture of that feature.
If you are interested in seeing this in action, check out the video I created for my latest vacancies. These videos are just a mash-up of the snaps I took of the property and were made with Windows Movie Maker.
Notice how each picture attempts to provide perspective and gives the prospect a sense of the apartment before they step foot in it.
I recently rented myself in tampa Florida. It was a luxury multi hundred area which also sold condos. The management told me the new trend is actually charging rent for pets monthly. Perhaps take a smaller pet deposit but charge rent monthly?
Hi Julie--I appreciate your posting this discussion and the ensuing conversation. I had several reactions to the photo, that I hope will be helpful. I can tell that you love your home very much, and many renters might think that they might not have the ability to love it as deeply as your family. I believe that houses have spirits, just as trees do, water, the earth that we walk on.
The ominous gray sky also brings a certain mood to the house which might not be shown in the best light. Also, as others have noted, the application process; 2x salary, pet fees, etc...may appear too cumbersome for renters. A renter may feel or think that the landlords might become too invasive, or too detailed for their lives...just a thought. I also think that including interior photos will help to draw people into the house, as others have suggested.
The hardest part of renting a home that brings us fond memories is letting go.....but inevitably that is what we have had to do when we rented our previous homes. The person or family that you rent to, has to feel right for you and your family.
Trust your wonderful, giving, and caring heart--and of course, run the credit check too! Get to know them as people, as a family, and the rest will work itself out.
Wow, thanks everyone for all the responses and feedback. I really didn't expect this many comments, I was just documenting the first showing experience so that one day I could look back and see how I've improved my processes. And now they will get even better with all y'all's help. I know I don't have the best ad, but I've also rented places with just a one line and phone number. But while I'm working on it, I might as well have the best ad. Here's a recap of what I've learned from you guys:
1. Less is more. Don't be too wordy or descriptive in the ad. Details can come later.
2. Pictures, pictures, and beautiful pictures tell the whole story. This is key!
3. Schedule appointments on top of each other, or an hour open house window on a Saturday afternoon. Have the home ready and sparkling for the showing.
4. Vet potential tenants on the phone before committing to meet them in person.
@Julie Marquez One more thing, if you retake photos of the front of the house, move the garbage cans out of sight.
@Jim Shepard Thank you for taking the time to give me so much feedback, much appreciated! The house lacks serious curb appeal, and don't look too closely because then you would see all the chipping paint on the porch. So yeah, we have some things to fix and some color to add, great suggestions. I definitely need to slim down the ad. What about tenants that need to move in right away? In the past I've left exterior things unfinished to allow the tenants to move in right away, but interior is always complete. I like the open house idea and times, one weekday and one weekend, good plan. Competition is always a good aspect too. It sounds like your goal is just to get people to the open house and take it from there. Thanks again!
@Vince Leydet I told my old school dad about the feedback on the completely ready home showing. He is starting to come around, and I think it is a better idea and speaks more highly of us as landlords. I will do open house / group showings now.
@Marc W. I won't show you the outgoing deposit cleaning fee schedule then. After 35 years in the biz, my dad has written everything down. But no, we don't need to show that to everyone and scare them away. We were jumping the gun by showing before the tenants were even officially moved out, so we couldn't touch or clean up anything. But now I understand what shows better and looks better for us as landlords.
@Account Closed Good idea for follow up. Yup, more pictures less wording.
@Jennifer L. Oh yes, good idea to actually stage the pictures, or at least move the garbage cans! Absolutely no effort when into taking these batch of pictures. And yes, I understand good photos and staging and what not, I'm almost embarrassed to claim those pictures as my own.
@Julie Marquez The first picture in your ad should be the best picture of your property.
If people need to move in right away, but you are still working on things, then negotiate that. Tell them, I'm still working on x,y an z. In my experience, tenants don't mind and actually appreciate that you continue to care about the house after it is rented.
@Mark M. Thanks for the comments, so much useful information here, especially coming from a renter. I appreciate the real feedback and only want to have a better product. I'm not actually that proud of the pictures or the way the house shows, so lots of improvements to be had. I think my ad would be laughed at in a more urban market, but seems standard in this small town. But of course, I want to stand out and be better, so thanks for the suggestions.
Thanks for the picture feedback, this was my terrible attempt at getting something late last night. The place is still dirty, so I was limited on what was photogenic, and I'm not proud of how they show. I'll get better ones after the house is cleaned and keep them in my file with my newly minted ad wording.
Interesting point about giving out the address. I imagine scams and people going to ransack an empty home, or what not. If you look at the craigslist map, you could get an idea and probably find the exact house no problem.
@Julie Marquez When I was showing my rental, lots of people asked about the fireplace. People find them cozy and inviting. Unless your dad is going to prohibit the use of the fireplaces in the lease, then I think the fireplaces should be highlighted.
Also, I have a father who is also a landlord. I love him dearly, but he has a lot of old-school ideas that don't translate to attracting today's renters.
@Brandt Smith Thanks for the feedback. I haven't had a lack of response, this house is responsibly priced and there is not a lot available in the area. I was just upset how nobody followed through with their showing appointment. I guess after meeting my dad in person, you will understand how restrictive he is about his tenant policies. 35 years and he knows a thing or two, and will let you know that he can't be messed with. But no point in scaring them away in the first place on the ad.
@Jennifer L. So many great comments, thanks. Yes, I'm with you on the address part. Except on Zillow, the address is right there. I'll watermark the good, finished photos. :)
@Ben Meisel I'm with ya, great pictures are worth their weight in gold. I can take good photos with my equipment, I just need a good, clean house to start with.
@Michael Boyer Thanks. First person to mention about the last paragraph, I was wonder how that read. I don't see much of that asked for, but something I wanted people to expand on when they responded to help vet tenants, get them sharing about themselves first. Good idea about practicing my phone script too, I don't really have one, so I can work on that too.
@Kevin Harrison I appreciating the wordsmithing help, I know I can come across too blunt and course. Good idea about the last paragraph, though I have been appreciative of people leaving through responses about themselves, instead of just a quick hi I want to see your place.
@Bryan Blankenship Do people call you one hour before? If they don't call before that hour, then the appointment is naturally canceled?
@Ronald Perich Nice pictures, and great suggestions! Once the house is ready, I will get our my good camera and turn on the lights. From your pictures, you have good angles from every room and I can get the layout determined by the perspective of the photos. Currently, these are embarrassing attempts at getting a feel for the home before it is ready. Maybe it's worse than no pictures!?! I know I can do better and that good pictures are worth it.
@Robert M. Yes, I see that pet rent is very common in urban areas like Seattle. We are trying that out for the first time. I am not sure if they have large deposits with the rent or not. We are month to month, so even if the pet is only there for two month, it could make more than $50 worth of damage.
@Account Closed Thanks for the feedback. I don't want to come across negative in my ad. This house has been a rental for us since it was built in 1993. For the first 12 years, a hoarder live in there and never left, I'm sure that's not good aura. I am glad to have this spacious house available for people, and I think a great family will find home in it soon.