How to Easily Manage Tenant Leads

After you’ve created your rental listing, the next step is to manage tenants who reach out to you. In this article, we’ll answer five common questions:

• How do you communicate with prospective tenants?
• What makes a tenant a good lead?
• How do you follow up with good tenants?
• How many prospective tenants should you move forward with?
• How do you schedule a showing with tenants?

#1 How do you communicate with prospective tenants?

You should respond to a tenant the same way he or she reached out to you, whether that’s by phone or email. If your tenant reached out via email, we recommend a simple reply:

Hi {Tenant’s Name},

Thank you for your interest in {Property Address}. I’d love to speak on the phone at your convenience to discuss moving forward. As you read in my listing, I require a completed rental application, a credit and background check, and a {$$} security deposit. Please give me a call at {###-###-####} if you are still interested in moving forward.

Thank you,

{Your name}

This way you’re re-stating your requirements and also initiating a phone call. Once you have a tenant on the phone, here are some important pre-screening questions to ask:

• What is your current living situation and why are you moving?
• When do you plan on moving?
• What is your monthly income?
• Can I ask for references from your former and current landlords and employers?
• Will you submit a rental application and authorize a background check?
• Do you have pets?
• Do you smoke?
• Will you have roommates?

After asking these questions, you should have a better idea of whether or not this tenant lead is worth moving forward with.

#2 What makes a tenant a good lead?

Good tenant leads fit all of your pre-screening criteria:

• They are looking to move by the date your unit is available.
• Their monthly income is about 3x your rent price.
• They agree to supply references from former and current landlords and employers.
• They are willing to submit a rental application and authorize a credit and background check.
• In regards to pets and smoking, they fulfill your lifestyle requirements.

#3 How do you follow up with good tenants?

Once you’ve determined you’ve found good tenant leads, the next step is to move forward by scheduling a property showing. We recommend asking prospective tenants what times work well for their schedule. Be sure to consult with current tenants, as well. 

#4 How many prospective tenants should you move forward with?

At Rentalutions, landlords who create an online rental listing with us have about 16 tenant leads. Of those leads, only a portion of them will be high-quality leads who are willing to fulfill your requirements, so you’ll likely move forward with about 5-7 leads (possibly more).

#5 How do you schedule a showing with tenants?

To move onto the next step and schedule a showing, we recommend asking your leads if there are certain time slots that work for their schedules. It’s best to meet each tenant individually rather than host an open house, so you can get to know your tenant leads better and watch out for red flags.

Next Steps

After scheduling your property showings, the next step is getting ready for your showing. Luckily, we’ve outlined 5 steps to a successful rental property showing. For more on how to find tenants, check out our Complete Guide to Finding Tenants.