12 Huge Apartment Marketing Ideas for Beginner Landlords
If you’re looking for apartment marketing ideas for your apartment marketing plan, we’ve got you covered. Here, we’ll share some expert strategies for landlords just getting started in the rental property business, as well as for ones who have started to gain momentum and want to keep it up. Look below for smart solutions.
Main Takeaways:
- Beginner landlords’ apartment marketing plan should involve creating a good logo, online presence, industry networking efforts, and other starter strategies.
- Meanwhile, as you gain experience, you can start using more advanced apartment marketing strategies, such as implementing tenant feedback and tracking what does and doesn’t work in your marketing attempts.
Table of Contents
Starter Marketing Strategies for Landlords
Here are some apartment marketing ideas our North Virginia property management company recommends you use as the foundation of your business from the start.
Create a Standout Logo
Your logo is one of the first things that your customers will see. Visually, it paints a picture of your brand’s nature and personality. It’s a cohesive brand symbol that ties your brand presence together across all communications.
As such, you shouldn’t squander this opportunity on some stock or generic logo. Instead, take the time to tinker around, test different kinds, and finally find the best logo possible. Or, if you prefer, you can let a graphic or freelance designer help you design something that stands out.
Either way, you want the result to be professional and polished. Every little detail counts, from the font to its imagery, to its color scheme (ex: different shades of the same color can evoke vastly different feelings in people). They all add up to an overall impression that your business emanates.
Next, brainstorm everywhere you can flaunt your logo, like rental property listings, your business site, email signature, etc. By doing this, you can maximize its impact.
Develop an Online Presence
Needless to say, potential customers must be able to find your presence online when they want to find out more about you. If you don’t, your business will look sketchier and more illegitimate.
In addition, your online presence should be active and responsive. If you update your site and social media frequently, it shows that you are on top of your business. When you respond to inquiries and comments as soon as possible, it also shows that you are reliable and ready to help potential tenants.
On another note, many people view the internet through their phones or tablets, so you should make your site mobile-friendly.
Network with Other Real Estate Professionals
The more teamwork, the better. So, as part of your apartment marketing plan, you may want to connect with fellow industry professionals. After all, they’re immersed and invested in the nuances of the industry more than anyone else. As such, they may be able to provide you with succinct advice, otherwise hidden leads, or trusted referrals.
To put yourself out there, there are several options. For example, you could go to local real estate organizations and events, join a Facebook group, or comment and post value-adding content on LinkedIn.
Use Email Apartment Marketing
Email apartment marketing works so well because it allows you to pitch to people who have (literally and figuratively) already signed up for your business objectives. In other words, people interested in your property solutions can sign up for your email updates, and you can market to a built-in audience.
More specifically, you can send targeted campaigns with special offers, updates, and personalized content. For example, you can send updates about new listings as they come along.
Take Advantage of Free Apartment Marketing Platforms
There are many free apartment marketing sites at your fingertips like Craigslist, Rent.com, or GoSection8.com. You’ve got nothing to lose, so you might as well expand your reach here.
Invest in Paid Apartment Marketing
It’s also a good idea to set aside a budget for paid apartment marketing. Doing this may sound like a costly ask, but getting exposure on Google Ads, Facebook, Instagram, and other huge sites is often well worth the expense.
This way, your properties can appear on search engines and social media feeds that virtually everyone uses. In turn, this can drive traffic to your site and listings.
Always Keep Your Property Prepared for Visitors
You should always be prepared for new tenants. That said, you can accomplish this by consistently maintaining the property. That way, whenever potential tenants want to visit the premises, you don’t have to scramble to make them presentable at the last minute.
Use Professional Photography
Your property is your product, so you want to show it in the absolute best light possible. For this reason, it’s essential to stage it with only the best professional, well-lit, and well-angled photos.
In addition, you should show as many photos as possible, such as the exterior, kitchen, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc. With this, you can push potential buyers from being mildly interested to actively interested in your rental.
Write an Eye-Catching Description
In addition to quality photos, your listing should have an eye-catching description. It should include:
- Start with Basic Descriptors– First, state the bedroom and bath count, as well as the square footage, price, deposit amount, qualifications for renting, and contact information.
- Accentuate Desirable Features– Here, you must set your property apart from the competition. To make this happen, always emphasize features renters prioritize, like – Onsite Parking, Updated Throughout, Fenced Yard, Pets Welcome, Onsite Laundry, Close to Transit, Included Utilities.
- Use Descriptive Language– In rental apartment marketing, landlords don’t have a lot of space to write a description. Because of this, every word counts. Therefore, the way you express something is just as important as its core meaning. Use descriptive adjectives to make the description really pop and always check for spelling and grammar before posting publicly.
Advanced Marketing Approaches for Rentals
Now, let’s get into apartment marketing ideas you can try once you start establishing a history of steady tenants.
Respond to Reviews—No Matter Positive or Negative
Reviews can make or break your reputation. So, if you receive one that boosts your profile, you should recognize it by responding with words of appreciation. This shows that you are invested in the success and satisfaction of customers beyond just getting their money.
On the other hand, even negative reviews can have their silver lining. In responding to them with transparency and thoughtfulness, you can demonstrate character as a business owner. Also, you can help avoid bad landlord accusations.
Track What Does Not Work
Just like anything else in life, trial and error is necessary to get your ideal ROI. As you work on your apartment marketing plan, you’ll find that some things work better than others.
It’s pointless to waste resources on ineffective apartment marketing strategies, so you should keep track of what performs and doesn’t. For example, if you have one ad that doesn’t generate leads when others do, you might want to take it down and avoid similar ads in the future. These can be learning experiences for the future.
Get Feedback from Tenants to Apply in Your Apartment Marketing
Current tenants were once prospective ones. So, it’s only natural that you would benefit from tapping into their experience as a resource. You can ask them why exactly they chose your property, how they heard about it, and other key questions.
This can also be beneficial to use on prospective tenants who choose not to move forward with the lease process. Through this, you can pinpoint areas for improvement that you might be missing.
Pivot Your Strategy for Each Market and Season
Each property is unique. They all have their own location demographics, nearby attractions, property features, and other factors that will attract different types of tenants. As such, you must understand your target market inside and out and curate your ads to each niche.
For instance, if most of your property town population is made up of college students, you might want to center your apartment marketing efforts around social media sites and college boards.
Also, you should alter your apartment marketing strategy throughout the seasons. Spring and summer are the biggest times when tenants are looking for rentals. As such, you should intensify your efforts during these seasons.
Rely on Professionals for Apartment Marketing Expertise
Time is money, and busy landlords don’t have a lot of it. So, when you need to reduce your vacancies ASAP, it may be necessary to get professional support.
As you saw in the tips above, managing and marketing a rental property takes more than just creating a nice listing. And that’s where professional property managers come in. They have the specialized training and knowledge needed to
- Analyze and apply the nuances of your rental market
- Tailor your apartment marketing plan to each market
- Find the right photographer for high-quality photos
- Prepare and perform property showings
- Follow-up on leads to secure applicants
- Undergo thorough tenant screening
The leasing team and property managers at Bay Property Management Group collaborate to offer owners a simplified and streamlined local property management strategy. Not only does this help limit vacancy time, but it also enables owners to get rid of the burdens of operating a property while enjoying its passive income. So, if you need professional support in apartment marketing or other landlord burdens, give us a call today.
