How Do Showcase A Rental Remotely Without A Property Manager?

Question

I will be remote and renting my first home soon. How do you showcase a rental property remotely?

Chris Seveney · Answer

Why are you not using a property manager is the first question I want to ask? Are you going to visit the property, review and approve all the applications (or reject them), schedule all the maintenance, inspections, repairs etc?

IF not using a property manager, you can use an agent but just know for the $500-$1000 they will make they in many instances are not going to be hustling for you unless you pay them more as its not worth their time or effort (or putting in a big marketing push).

I say this not to criticize, but to provide the truth that not using a PM, being out of state and using an agent to rent it is probably gonna take longer than you want.

Janice Carter · Answer

@Nasir Smith If you are out of state, I strongly recommend hiring an agent who specializes in rental properties to market the home, coordinate showings, screen applicants and secure a qualified tenant. The right tenant can make all the difference, especially when you are not local. Also, as a FYI, Georgia requires out-of-state landlords to have a local licensed real estate broker manage the property on their behalf.

Drew Sygit · Answer

All PMC's are NOT run the same, so do NOT shop by only price!

We’re a Property Management Company (PMC) in Metro Detroit ONLY, with 25+ years of experience, and we’ve seen owners make the same mistakes, over & over again when looking to hire a PMC – which drives us nuts!.

In our experience, the #1 mistake owners make is ASSUMING all PMCs offer the exact SAME SERVICES and PERFORM those services EXACTLY THE SAME WAY.

So, owners mistakenly think price is the only differentiator – and look for a PMC like they’d shop for groceries☹

We encourage you to learn from the mistakes of others by reading posts here on BiggerPockets from owners that picked a PMC solely by price and regretted it.

We recommend exploring as many sources as possible to get referrals AND cross-reference them to get as much accurate information as possible.

Check out NARPM.com, BP’s Property Manager Finder (BiggerPockets: The Real Estate Investing Social Network), etc.

Even if someone gives you a referral, do NOT make the mistake of assuming that just because a PMC met their expectations, they’ll meet your expectations. We all have our own expectations and what works for someone else, may not work for you.

If you’re new to all of this, it's often a case of not doing enough research, as you don't know what you don't know!

So, ask more questions!

EXAMPLE: PMC states they will handle tenant screening – what does that specifically mean? What documents do they require, what credit scores do they allow, how do they verify previous rental history, etc.? You’d be shocked by how little actual screening many PMC’s do!

This also leads owners to ASSUME simpler is better when it comes to management contracts.

The reality is the opposite - if it's not in writing then the PMC doesn't have to provide the service or can charge extra for it!

A well written management contract should clearly spell out what is expected of both the PMC and the owner, to PROTECT both and avoid misunderstandings. Why do you think purchase contracts are so long and have such small print?

We recommend you get management contracts from several PMCs and compare the services they cover and, more importantly, what they each DO NOT cover.

EDUCATE YOURSELF - yes, it will take time, but will lead to a selection that better meets your expectations & avoids potentially costly surprises!

P.S. If you just hire the cheapest or first PMC you speak with and it turns into a bad experience, please don’t assume ALL PMC’s are bad and start trashing PMC’s in general. Take ownership of your mistake and learn to do the proper due diligence recommended above😊

Here’s some articles we’ve contributed to BiggerPockets about screening a PMC BETTER than you would a tenant!

20 Questions to Ask When Vetting a Property Management Company: Processes

13 Questions to Ask to a PMC: Communication and Documentation

24 Questions to Ask When Evaluating a Property Management Contract

Lisa Davis · Answer

Smart locks or lockboxes with self-showing platforms like Rently handle tours without you being thereAvail or TurboTenant cover applications, screening, and lease signing fully online

That said, managing remotely long-term adds up in time and stressAt some point most remote landlords find a local PM pays for itselfWorth at least getting a quote from someone like HelotStays before you commit to self-managing

Jim Johnson · Answer

When I first started thinking about remote management, property showings were one of the biggest questions I had too.

From what I've seen, most remote landlords end up using a combination of:

• High-quality photos and video walkthroughs
• Self-showing lockboxes or smart locks
• Pre-screening applicants before scheduling showings
• Local contacts for situations that require someone on-site

The biggest lesson I've learned is that good marketing reduces a lot of the showing workload. If the photos, video, floor plan, and property details answer most questions upfront, you'll spend less time coordinating with people who aren't serious applicants.

For a single rental, I'd probably start with a self-showing system and strong pre-screening rather than paying for a full property manager. As the portfolio grows, the economics may change.

Out of curiosity, is the property currently vacant, or will you be trying to show it while a tenant is still living there? That can make a big difference in how you approach the process.

Nasir Smith · Answer

The home is my own current residence. I am military so I will be set to move in a few months

Kerlous Tadres · Answer

@Nasir Smith, good video walkthroughs posted on Zillow and Facebook Marketplace go a long way. From my experience, a well-lit 2 to 3-minute video tour plus a few dozen high-quality photos will do most of the heavy lifting for you. I'd also recommend using an app like Showdigs or a local property manager to handle in-person showings on your behalf so you never miss a qualified tenant.

Henry Lazerow · Answer

You do still need a realtor to run the rental listings. I have lots of clients from out of state run rentals like this and use a handyman for repairs while self managing, it works well as long as its a class A type area. I actually think agents market way harder then property managers, I list all my rentals open to market for my firms 200 person team so they get strong exposure and also pay for constant syndications to keep them at the top of all the sites. The junkiest rental listings I see are usually from property managers who take photos off their phones.

How Do Showcase A Rental Remotely Without A Property Manager?

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