Jupiter, FL · Member since 2019 · 22 posts · 13 votes
I have a property in a hot seasonal area (Jupiter, FL) and I have spoken to friends who are realtors and feel confident about me renting my unit as inventory levels are low. To bypass commissions I listed in cozy, Facebook, Craigslist and Realtor.com with no success. I still have 2 months before "season" so my question is should I have a realtor post on MLS? Sounds like it would cost me about 8%, but I'd still be able to cash flow. Any other sites I should list on? I am trying to appeal to retired snowbirds. I attached the listing below if you see any red flags.
I am not familiar with the Realtor fees on rentals in Florida, but in NJ it is usually the landlord responsibility to pay 1 month rent to the agent. Now there are RARE occasions that the landlord chooses to have that commission be the tenants responsibility and usually the landlord makes an agreement with the security deposit in exchange. I wanted to throw it out there so you can follow up with the Florida realtors if there is any options as such in that area.
I do always recommend going with a Realtor to post it since we have much more platforms that it gets distributed to instantly and will get the unit rented much faster. If you choose not to go with a Realtor I would suggest posting on Zillow as well.
Also browsing through the listing, the way you have the photos set up makes the house/rooms look tiny. Always try to take photos in landscape and from a corner of the room, if you can, and have the camera more towards the floor/at waist level (actual photographers may be able to word this better). It makes all of the rooms look bigger.
Put it on zillow first. Owners can post their rentals for free.
And, 8% commission on a rental? You're dealing with the wrong realtors...if you purchased it through a realtor, call that person and ask if they'll post it for you for a small fee (I do it for free for my clients) and then pay $150 to $300 for a referral that results in a signed lease.