NUTS & BOLTS
TECHNOLOGY
Indispensable Tools A VIBRANT WEBSITE IS A MUST FOR SUCCESSFUL LANDLORDS. HERE ARE 10 TIPS FOR MAKING THE MOST OF IT.
by Susan Thomas Springer
L
Continue seeking out what’s new in websites to prevent yours from becoming stale and ineffective.
ong gone are the days when renters checked the clas- sifieds. Today, landlords need a professional online presence to attract a steady flow of applicants and keep vacancy time to a minimum. Here several experts share what features matter most for this key marketing tool. WRITE LIKE A REALTOR Do renters have any different wants and needs compared with home buyers? One real estate entrepreneur recommends that anything you see on a home buyer site should also be on a rental site. “If home buyers like school data, for example, so do renters,” says Greg Rand, founder and CEO of Own America, which provides brokerage services to investors for the acquisition and disposition of single-family and multifamily residential homes. If you can tout assets similar to those in house-for-sale descriptions, that helps attract renters, too. So emphasize sought-after features such as curb appeal, stable neighbor- hoods, gourmet kitchens, a spacious layout and newly remod- eled units. “Too often, things that are learned about home buyers are not applied to renters. They are just moms and dads and cou- ples and people who like the same things, regardless of their status as renter or owner,” adds Rand. STAY TECH-SAVVY Thanks to ever-changing technology, it’s easy for a website to look out-of-date fast unless you stay current on new website features and trends. Are you making the best use of video? Is your site mobile-friendly? And does your content make smart use of top key words? Rand says some of the newest and coolest features being added to the top home buyer sites include on-demand show- ings, great mapping and a commuter score. Commuter scores are a selling point that you can highlight by linking to sites that rank commute time. WalkScore.com ranks the most walkable cities, while other sites feature current lists of the best places for public transportation, bicycling or short commutes.
LOCATION, LOCATION One landlord says that while it may sound surprising, not every renter has a smart phone with Google maps, so include directions to your property. “You wouldn’t believe how many times I have to give direc- tions to people even though they have the address,” says Jimmy Moncrief, a banker and landlord in Tennessee and founder of www.realestatefinancehq.com. So make it easy for them to find you – and rent from you. VISITORSWANT VIDEO Videos allow you to showcase your brand and your properties. Renters feel more comfortable having “seen” the property they’re considering. Plus it helps you rank higher in Google, thanks to “dwell time,” or the amount of time people stay on your page. “This has drastically increased my quality of leads when I do a video walk-through,” said Moncrief. Contrary to what you might assume, Moncrief shows both the highlights and potential low lights. He’s found that honestly wins the day – and the renter. “I do a video walk-through explaining the features - and importantly - even show the negatives like small closets,” says Moncrief. “I start at the outside of the property so they can see everything. I try to keep the length under four minutes.” SHOWYOU RETAIN RESIDENTS One pro landlord is known for his resident-retention strategies and encourages landlords to have a customer loyalty program. Mr. Landlord, as Jeffrey Taylor is called, is an author and trainer with 30 years of experience. As part of his program, called “3-Star Resident Program,” Taylor offers one property upgrade or improvement to each resident every year as an anniversary gift. It’s a unique selling
118 | think realty magazine july :: august 2016
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