Renting out a duplex in Hilltop- need feedback
Needing some feedback or ideas on how to market and get units leased in Tacoma. My husband and I recently purchased and rehabbed a duplex (1/1 and 2/1) in the Hilltop neighborhood of Tacoma, about two blocks from St. Joseph Hospital. We've had it on the market for a little over a week with very little response to our listings, and numerous no-shows from folks who schedule appointments to view it. Last time we listed a property in Hilltop, which was in June, we were absolutely inundated with calls and qualified folks wanting to view the property. We'd love any ideas or insight into how we can gain some traction.
What we're currently doing:
1. We have the 2 bedroom listed on Zillow (and all affiliated sites). When we attempt to list the 1 bedroom also, ZIllow recognized us as a multi-family property and removes any listing titles and descriptions and only shows select pictures of the property. Their support center says we can't change that.
2. We have individual unit listings on Craigslist and syndicated through Cozy.
3. We've reached out to JBLM to have them post availability for service members; no response here yet.
4. We reached out to the hospital and universities to find out if they help employees/students seek housing. We heard a firm "No" from each.
5. We reached out to tenants in other local properties to let them know we have vacancies and that we have a referral program.
6. We qualify prospects over the phone and set a meeting time. We contact them in advance to confirm the appointment. Still have had 3/3 no shows and 4/4 no shows on separate days.
We have the 1 bedroom listed at $950 and the 2 bedroom at $1150 (dropped $50 after a week on the market). We try to price competitively but fairly compared to other properties in the area. THis property has some rehab work done, including new carpets, windows, blinds, and updates in bathrooms. The 2 bed has a remodeled kitchen as well. The property is fully fenced, has off-street parking in back, and we are allowing pets. The folks who have seen the property seem to like it and are excited about the upgrades recently completed.
Thanks for any feedback that will point us in the right direction toward getting this leased up!