Should I list 1 week before I go on vacation, or wait til after I get back?

[Laurie Williamson]

I just finished renovating a 3/2/2 house in Plano, TX and it's cleaned up and ready to list today (May 26) — but I'm only in town for 1 week, and then I'm going on vacation for a week, with two weekends tacked onto that. I am wondering if I should list it now, or wait until I get back in town. 

Pros of listing today:
- I would have five days available for in-person showings this week
- I could possibly get it rented sooner
- While I'm out of town, people could still look at the listing, and schedule showings for the following week
- I could hit the ground running when I get back, and get it going sooner
- $ 

Cons of listing today:

- After 5 days of availability, I'll be out of town for 9 days, and unable to physically show it until I get back. That might seem odd/annoying
- I would be dealing with calls and applications when I'm on vacation
- Having it listed too early might result in more days on market, which could make it look less appealing 

Apologies if this is a dumb question. This is only my second rental property, but I've never had to place a tenant myself. I used property management in the past, and have been self-managing for a long time, but no turnover that I had to manage. I'm leaning toward waiting til I get back, but just don't want to lose money. I've already paid the mortgage for June, and I'll be back in town June 9. I really want it rented by July 1 if at all possible, so I don't have to pay another month on the mortgage. Any advice appreciated! I'm using RentRedi for the listing.

[Theresa Harris]

You mention you won't be able to show it until you get back, so don't bother listing it until about 2 days before you get back from vacation.  As you said, it will annoy people to have something listed and not be able to see it-plus people will look at it and forget about it by the time you are back.  As a landlord, you are normally available 24/7 for emergencies.