Mastering The Art of Conducting Rental Viewings

admin    Landlords    

You have the perfect rental property. You know it’s going to move quickly of the market. You price it competitively, you write up a beautiful ad description –nothing. No signed leases. What happened?

The problem may be with your viewings, not your property rental. When potential tenants come into your unit, they are looking for a home, not a rental. This is the most vital piece of information a landlord can take out of
this entire article – make it your home.

Before your potential tenant arrives, ask yourself these questions, and answer them honestly, to get your house from “for rent” to “let.”

1)     Would I want to live here in the rental property?

I know this sounds subjective; after all, it’s your house right? Stand outside
of your home for a minute and picture your house from an outsider’s perspective. Is the exterior clean? Are there cracks in the cement or driveway?
Is the lawn kept nicely or are there weeds scattered throughout? These are the
first impressions a home will give to anyone interested in letting your property. Make sure the home is presentable on the outside, to get the tenant past your front door.

2)     Is the rental home clean?

I know – you’re renting it, it doesn’t have to be perfect, right? Wrong. Tenants are looking for the perfect place to rest their feet at night and you need to help them get that mental image. If your rental flat is a family place, consider having a neat stack of children’s books (yes, even if you don’t have children) on the coffee table. Try setting the rental home up to match a magazine shoot. Style is everything to potential clients, and they need to see that the home can work for what they need. Keep the lines clean, normal size furniture, and remove all clutter (I know you love your teaspoon collection on the walls, but limit them to say 30 instead of the full 200.)

3)     Is it dated?

Check the light fixtures and appliances in the rental home. Chances are if they’re from the last decade, it may be worth your time to upgrade them – especially if you are planning to charge utilities. Simple things like a new light fixture in the bedrooms can do wonders for the overall feel of the house, and at a relatively low cost to change them, it’s something almost every new landlord
can do.

Once your rental home is set up for viewings, make sure to make the potential tenants feel invited and welcome. Smile, laugh and socialize with them, make them feel as though you’ve known them for years. Your rental home isn’t the only thing they’re signing up for, they’re also signing up for you as their landlord.

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