Advertising your properties is the first step toward filling your vacant units. However, even if you write attractive listings, you won’t receive applications unless they’re posted where your ideal tenants can find them.
You may already have several avenues for advertising your properties. You probably post your listings on major listing sites like Apartments.com or Zillow. You might also advertise on social networks like Facebook or Instagram, hand out physical ads, or rent ad space on another platform.
Managing all these avenues can quickly become overwhelming. Many landlords simplify the process by using property management software with a built-in listing syndication service.
With listing syndication, you can compose and upload a single listing to your property management software. The software then posts that listing to multiple listing sites simultaneously. Not only does listing syndication keep your listings consistent across platforms, but it also significantly decreases the time you dedicate to rental advertising.
Below is a brief overview of how you can advertise your properties with listing syndication.
Writing Your Listing
Before you can reach potential tenants, you need to write engaging listings.
A good listing has a few key characteristics. First, it contains all the relevant components: headline, pictures, description, and price.
Headline
A headline is a single phrase containing all the information a renter needs to know whether your property could work for them. It should include the price, number of bedrooms and baths, type of building, neighborhood, and best feature.
Here’s an example of what your completed headline should look like:
$1,200 – 3 Bed / 2 Bath apartment in Cleveland Heights with scenic backyard terrace.
Pictures
Attractive pictures are almost as important as a strong listing. No matter what your property looks like, you can find a flattering angle to show off to browsing renters.
While you don’t need a professional photographer or expensive gear, high-quality photos are essential. Be sure you use natural light, display important rooms like the kitchen and bathroom, and include any floor plans.
Descriptions
The description section is where you’ll list the details of the property. Include specifics about amenities, specs, addresses, and any potential dealbreakers (such as your pet or smoking policy).
The more specific you can get, the more attractive your property will appear. Renters aren’t interested in vague statements or approximations when searching for a potential home. Use clear, concise language and engage renters with vibrant adjectives.
Price
Finally, you need a price for your property. Be sure to do appropriate market research to find out what similar landlords in your area are charging for rent. Land on a figure that’s attractive to renters while still competitive.
Audience Targeting
Now that you have your listing, it’s time to decide where to put it.
Audience targeting is a marketing strategy you can use to accumulate qualified applicants. Instead of blindly posting your ads to various sites, decide ahead of time what kind of renters you want. Are you looking for students? Working professionals? Long-term renters? Choose platforms you know these groups use.
Social networks like Facebook Marketplace are likely to attract older tenants, while younger adults can be found on platforms like Instagram. Popular listing sites like Apartments.com have a large, varied audience.
Listing Syndication and Integrations
Listing syndication is the quickest way to tackle listing sites, your prime advertising territory.
As mentioned, listing syndication is a feature on property management software platforms. This feature allows you to upload a single listing and post it to multiple sites in one go.
This is possible through integrations. Property management software companies partner with outside sites (such as listing sites) to facilitate your easy use of both tools.
Some property management software companies partner with only a few trusted sites. Others integrate with dozens of listing sites. If you’re shopping for software, find out which integrations various platforms offer before you decide.
Maximizing Rental Ads with Listing Syndication
By the time you’ve written a listing, taken photographs, and pinpointed a target audience, you’re already halfway done with rental advertising. Listing syndication handles the other half by eliminating unnecessary hurdles in the rental advertising process. Among its other features, listing syndication is one feature of property management software you won’t regret investing in.
