Did you know that AppFolio can help you to improve your vacancy ads and get more resident applications for your properties? There’s no hocus-pocus about it. We simply give you one central space to collect all of your data, then provide you with the tools you need to seamlessly turn that data into beautiful vacancy ads. With better vacancy ads, you can achieve maximum occupancy rates and increase your revenue.
AND you can do it in just three easy steps:
1. Prepare Your Vacancy Ads
AppFolio stores all the information regarding your properties and saves you from the hassle of managing it in multiple places. You can then quickly and easily take that information and with a few clicks post on popular listing sites. Simply pull up details such as a description of the vacant unit, its amenities and the terms of the lease using AppFolio’s universal search function. Once you’ve located the information, edit it as needed. You can add photos to the listing by simply dragging and dropping, and don’t forget to add a link to your YouTube video before previewing the listing. Including media in the ad itself makes the listing more attractive to potential residents.
2. Post Your Listing
Once you like what you see in the preview, you can start posting to your own website, Craigslist and other listing sites on the Internet. Craigslist is one of the most popular places on the web for applicants to view property listings, and AppFolio allows you to post directly to Craigslist, which is so much easier than posting manually over and over again! Wherever you decide to post, your ad gives viewers the option to apply immediately online or fill out a guest card. You’ll get many more applications for your properties when you make the process so quick and easy. The information applicants provide goes straight into AppFolio, saving you the hassle of entering data manually.
3. Track Your Success
Once you’ve started listing vacancies with AppFolio, you can easily track the performance of your ads. AppFolio keeps a record of your marketing efforts so that you can see what’s working. For instance, you can track guest cards by lead source so you know where your listings do best. You can also see what happens as you highlight amenities, change the rent or change the description of your property. You can then use that knowledge to make all of your listings more effective and really figure out which ad sources are helping you fill vacancies faster.
We all know that curb appeal can help fill vacancies faster. If your property doesn’t appeal to a viewer at first glance, there’s a good chance they will pass it by without looking into it any further. Not only will a more attractive property gain you more inquiries about your vacancies, but it will also enable you to find better quality residents who will be willing to pay more in rent in order to live in a beautiful home.
But how do you improve the curb appeal of the properties you manage? Often you are so familiar with your buildings that it’s actually rather difficult to see their flaws. When this is the case, it’s important to be able to take a step back and make a real effort to view your properties from the perspective of an outsider. What would the average stranger passing by on the street see that you’ve overlooked?
Take a Step Back
To accomplish this, it can be helpful first to take a literal step back. Walk across the street and view your property from a distance so that you can see its surroundings at the same time. Are there many dead trees surrounding the structure? Is the front porch sagging, or could it use a new coat of paint? Is the fence in good repair, and does the lawn look cared for? What single problem could you fix that would make a significant difference to the eyes of a potential resident?
Now Come Closer
Next, walk back over to the property and look a little more closely at the building itself, as well as the elements immediately surrounding it. If someone passes by on the street and is struck by your property, you don’t want them coming closer only to be turned off by smaller details. Are the windows, doors and siding clean? Has the porch been swept? Are the steps broken? Is the gravel from the walkway straying all over the lawn? Are there old tools or pieces of trash scattered in the yard? Many of these minor problems can be remedied quickly and inexpensively, so it makes no sense to lose potential residents over them.
Pick a Few Easy Wins
Once you’ve identified some areas that need work, decide what you’d like to address immediately. Check out this article from PropertyManager.com with 5 Easy Ways to Improve Curb Appeal. Ask yourself, what changes will give me the most visual impact for my time and money? Also consider, what changes will make a lasting impact that renters will appreciate. And naturally, once you’ve finalized on the changes, enter them as work orders using your AppFolio property management software!
If you thought posting your vacant units to Internet sites with AppFolio was already easy, it just got easier! Now, in addition to the already existing ability to post to Craigslist, your website and Oodle.com we have added even more sites.
Through partnerships with rentbits.com and rentalhomepros.com we are now able to syndicate out your listings to all the sites below for free with only one click of the mouse.
- aolclassifieds.com
- googlebase.com
- hometownrent.com
- hotpads.com
- lycosclassifieds.com
- military.com
- mynewplace.com
- myspace.com
- olx.com
- rentalads.com
- rentalhomepros.com
- rentbits.com
- rentedspaces.com
- rentlizard.com
- tenant.com
- vast.com
- walmartclassifieds.com
- yearlyrentals.com
And by logging into rentbits.com and rentalhomepros.com you can quickly upgrade your account so your listings are displayed on even more sites.
So what does this mean for you? Well, it means more inbound leads on those vacant properties, which in turn means less days vacant and happy owners!
