Great landlords need solid marketing and advertising skills. This enables them to reduce vacancies, attract the best tenants, and maximize their rental income. 

As a landlord, you may have the best rental property on the market. But if potential renters don’t know about it, you won’t be able to rent it out. 

Having a robust marketing strategy will ensure that you attract a large prospective tenant pool. And the more interested renters you’re able to attract, the higher the chances you’ll have of finding the perfect tenant. 

A perfect tenant will in turn ensure you maximize your ROI by caring for your property, paying rent on time, and generally causing fewer issues. What’s more, great tenants will allow you to you enjoy peace of mind. 

In today’s article, we’ll share with you four tips on how to advertise your Chicago rental property successfully. 

Tips for Effectively Marketing Your Rental Property

Tip #1: Take High-quality Photos

Rental listings that have good pictures will get far more views than those without. Photos help prospective tenants visualize themselves living in a rental property. Pictures do a great job of providing renters with crucial info on what to expect should they live there. 

Research suggests that prospective tenants will use as much as 60% of their time scrolling through photos. Below are some tips to help you take good-quality photos that capture the attention of renters.

• Stage the home. This includes doing things like depersonalizing it, getting rid of clutter, pressure washing the pavement, and painting tired-looking walls.
• Pay attention to the lighting. For best results, take photos during the day when there is maximum lighting. If this isn’t possible because of overcast or bleak weather, then maximize on the property’s best lighting. 
• Take the photos from the widest vantage point. This is always going to be in the corner. Remember not to stand up too high to avoid the adjacent environment looking artificial. 
• Create a shot list before starting the photo session. Include the following areas of your home: bedrooms, kitchen, living room, dining areas, bathrooms, and outdoor spaces. You can also add extra shots for special features and amenities.

While a professional camera will yield the best results, most new smartphones take great photos, too. If you doubt your DIY skills, consider hiring a professional photographer. You might also want to add a video tour of your rental to the listing, too.

Tip #2: Write Captivating Rental Ad Copy

Photos alone won’t help much in getting a quality, long-term tenant. You’ll need to match them with an engaging description to help tie the entire story together. 

Besides, good ad copy can also help with search engine optimization (SEO). Basically, if you get SEO right, prospective tenants will be able to find your listing online on search engine results pages. 

With that in mind, it’s only properly drafted ad copy that wins. Great ad copy breaks down into different sections, which you must pay close attention to for optimum results. 

The first section is the headline. This is the first thing that a prospective tenant will see when they come across your listing. Make it click-worthy or else they will just scroll through and ignore it. 

A great headline should look something like this:

Cost of Rent | Number of Bedrooms | Number of Bathrooms | Property Type | Property Location | Stand Out Feature. 

This formula ensures that you’re able to provide prospects with valuable information necessary for them to make a good decision. 

A good example would be something like: 

$1,300, 1BD, 1BTH Single-family home in River North with amazing views. 

The second section included in a rental listing is the summary description. This will help you finish telling the story, as well as tie the headline to the amazing photos you’ve taken. 

And just like photos, this section also helps a renter visualize themselves living in your rental property. Make sure to include the following things in this section.

• Amenities: Highlight important amenities that the home comes with, like a parking spot or washer and dryer. 
• Neighborhood: Describe the surrounding neighborhood and what is has to offer. Use descriptive adjectives to make it sound enticing. 
• Policies: Let applicants know about any important policies you have. For example, whether or not allow pets. If you do, you may also want them to know about any restrictions you may have on the type, number, and size of pets allowed. 
• Utilities: Mention what utilities the tenant is going to be responsible for. 

Sharing such important information will ensure that the potential tenant makes a well-informed decision. The last thing you want is to bring in people who might be disappointed with the home, wasting both parties' valuable time. 

Tip #3: Distribute the Ad 

Similar to having a quality property, having a rental listing that potential renters don’t know about is equally ineffective. Once you have a stunning listing, the next thing you have to do is distribute it. 

Before starting the distribution process, consider where your target tenants look for vacant homes. Do they go online? If so, then make sure to list on popular rental listing sites . You may also want to use social media for maximum reach, as well. 

To reach people who may be looking offline, you can use some of the following strategies to reach them. 

• Yard signs
• Community bulletin boards
• Flyers
• Word of mouth
• Local classifieds

After you’re done with distributing your ad, keep monitoring the performance of the ad and make adjustments where necessary. 

Tip #4: Hire a Property Management Company 

If you’re just starting out as a landlord in Chicago, you may not have the skills to advertise your rental property properly. What’s more, you may also not know what legal nuances to keep in mind when drafting a rental ad. 

A good property management company will help you not only find a great tenant but also manage them as well. 

Bottom Line

These four tips should help you find a great tenant in the shortest time possible. But if you need expert help to avoid common property marketing mistakes, contact MTD Property Management. We’re a top property management company in Chicago and can help you realize all your investment goals. Get in touch with us today!