5 Steps to a Successful Rental Property Showing

Your property showing is your opportunity to meet a prospective tenant, show off your property, and ask the right questions. Our five steps will help guarantee you rent to the right tenants who will take care of your property and pay rent on time. 

#1 Prepare

To prepare for your showing, we recommend cleaning your unit by vacuuming, mopping, wiping down counters, and cleaning appliances. If a tenant currently lives in the unit, you can offer to pay for a cleaning service before the showings. Your current tenants will enjoy having a clean apartment and that way, you ensure the property looks great for your showing. 

After you’ve cleaned the unit, we recommend staging the space. If the unit is vacant and unfurnished, we recommend renting furniture before you show the unit. Furniture makes the space look bigger and helps prospective tenants imagine themselves living there.

#2 Host an Individual Property Showing

When you’re setting up showings, we strongly recommend you meet each tenant individually instead of hosting an open house. Open houses tend to be a waste of time for you and your prospective tenants.

With an individual showing, you can provide one-on-one attention, get to know your tenant, and walk him or her through the property. This is a better experience for a prospective tenant, and you’ll be able to remember who you meet and notice red flags.

#3 Do a Walk-Through

As you’re showing your property, you should strategically walk the tenant through the property, while highlighting features your unit has to offer. Some features to highlight could be skyline views, walk-in closets, extra storage space, new appliances, etc. You should show a tenant all the spaces that he or she would have access to, including common areas, rooftops, basements, and laundry rooms.

#4 Ask the Right Questions

Your property showing is your first opportunity to meet a tenant in person. At this point, you’re likely meeting multiple tenants and wondering who will be the “best” choice for your rental property. One of the best ways to screen tenants is to ask the right questions so you can gather information.

Here are the most important questions that you should ask during the showing:

• What is your current living situation?
• Why are you moving?
• When do you plan on moving?
• What is the earliest you can move in?
• What is your monthly income?
• Can I ask for references from your former landlords and employer?
• Will you submit a rental application?
• Will you consent to a credit and background check?
• Do you have pets?
• Do you smoke?
• Will you have roommates?

For more on tenant screening, check out how to screen tenants in 7 steps.

#5 Watch Out for Red Flags

Below are four types of red flags that you should watch out for.

Behavior: Watch out for disrespectful behavior. If a tenant doesn’t wipe his or her shoes as they enter, if he or she talks impolitely, makes unusual requests, or negotiates unfairly, then this is a bad sign.

Car and Belongings: Watch out for disheveled belongings, uncleanliness, and a lack of effort. The way an individual takes care of his or her belongings is an indication of how well he or she will take care of your space.

Opinion of Property: It’s a bad sign if a tenant is overly critical of your space. It can also be a sign of lying if a tenant is overly enthusiastic about your unit. You want to gauge if a tenant is truly interested in your property.

Preparedness: It’s a red flag if a tenant shows up completely unprepared and doesn’t ask any questions. You want to find a prepared and interested tenant who shows up on time and wants to move forward in the process with you.

Next Step: the Rental Application

Be sure to read our complete guide to finding tenants, including our chapter on rental property showings for more information.

And if everything goes well at your showing, you should move forward by asking the tenant to fill out an online rental application.