Marketing has always been an integral part of any business. It increases your business’s visibility with your target market and helps you build your brand online. As with any business transaction, there are right and wrong ways to market your rental property.
At best, your efforts won’t yield the outcome you want. At worst, your rental income will suffer because of either getting poor-quality tenants or no tenants at all.
The first step to correcting your mistakes is identifying what you might be doing wrong.
Key Highlights:
- Poor-quality photos and vague descriptions can quickly turn potential tenants away from your rental listing.
- Ignoring SEO and posting on too few platforms limits your listing’s visibility and reach.
- Failing to include a clear call to action makes it harder for interested renters to apply or inquire.
- Overpromising amenities or features can damage trust and discourage qualified applicants.
- Reviewing top-performing listings or working with professionals can help correct marketing mistakes and reduce vacancies.
Using Bad-Quality Photos
Blurry images, dark rooms, and outdated photos reduce trust from potential tenants. Since many rely heavily on visuals when deciding whether a listing is worth considering, using high-quality photos will greatly benefit you.
Keep in mind that “high-quality” does not simply mean high resolution. The photo needs to show key features of your property, considering the right angles and lighting for every aspect. This is why hiring a professional photographer is always the best option.
Writing Vague Descriptions
It only takes a few seconds for a prospective renter to decide whether a rental listing is right for them, and they do so by reading the listing description. Vague descriptions mean unanswered questions.
Some of your target market will choose to ignore your listing rather than contact you for more details, given how many similar listings already have complete descriptions. Be specific with the details. They won’t trust simple indicators like “great location” without additional information to back it up.
Ignoring SEO and Search Visibility
Search engine optimization (SEO) is among the most overlooked aspects of online marketing, especially for those unfamiliar with how search engines work. Including keywords that your target market searches for is crucial to maximizing your rental listing’s reach.
To determine what relevant keywords are, you can research what the most sought-after features are in a rental property, and add those to your titles and descriptions to rank high in search results, as well as newsfeeds on social media.
Posting on Too Few Platforms
Focusing on one or two websites significantly limits your reach. Different tenant demographics tend to be more active on different platforms, and failing to diversify your approach reduces your chances of reaching your target audience.
You can research which websites and social media platforms your target audience tends to browse on. For instance, younger audiences might prefer searching for listings on Instagram, while older audiences might go for Facebook Marketplace.
Not Including a Clear Call to Action
No matter how attractive your listing is to prospective tenants, they won’t be able to follow through if there are no call-to-action indicators. This can be in the form of an application form, a contact number, an email address, or a link to a website.
Be sure to make it easier for them to apply. On listing sites or platforms where you can include a long description, you can even add an outline of the application process to streamline operations for all parties involved.
Overpromising Amenities or Features
Nothing draws potential tenants in more than the promise of certain features or amenities, such as kitchen appliances or in-unit laundry. However, you need to be careful how you present them, since this can lead to disappointment.
Saying your rental property includes monthly cleaning, for instance, but failing to mention that tenants have to pay a monthly fee for it can immediately cause mistrust, which will only deter applicants from going through with the process.
How You Can Avoid These Mistakes
Consult Professionals
There are always experts in the field to consult for marketing practices that would benefit your rental business the most, such as property managers, real estate agents, and marketing services. Naturally, these consultations might not be free, but it will be a small price to pay to quickly reduce vacancy rates.
Look at Other Listings
Try to learn from top-ranking listings to see what format they use and what they include in their posts. It would be best to check similar properties, as they will shed more light on what you might need to include and which platforms are best to post on.
Hire Professionals
When your efforts are not yielding results, hiring a professional might be your best option. Prolonged vacancies are harmful in many ways, including loss of rental income and increased marketing expenses. By hiring experts in the field, you can find tenants more efficiently, and you won’t even have to do the work.
Rental Marketing FAQs
What makes a rental description “too vague”?
- Descriptions that lack specifics, such as rent amount, lease terms, amenities, or location details, leave renters with unanswered questions. Vague phrases like “great location” without explanation don’t provide enough value to encourage inquiries.
How does SEO affect rental marketing?
- SEO helps your listing appear in search results when tenants look for rentals online. Using relevant keywords like city name, neighborhood, property type, and amenities increases visibility and helps attract more qualified applicants.
Is it really necessary to post listings on multiple platforms?
- Yes. Different tenant demographics use different platforms. Posting on multiple listing sites and social media channels maximizes exposure and improves your chances of reaching the right renters fast
What is a call to action, and why does it matter?
- A call to action tells renters what to do next: apply, schedule a showing, or contact you. Without it, even interested tenants may move on to another listing that offers clearer next steps.
How can landlords identify marketing mistakes they’re making?
- Review your listing performance, compare it with top-ranking similar listings, and track how many inquiries you receive. Low engagement often signals issues with photos, pricing, descriptions, or platform selection.
How Huneycutt Realtors Can Boost Your Visibility
Many landlords turn to expert marketing services to get the results they need more quickly, effectively, and efficiently. Here at Huneycutt Realtors, you will have access to the knowledge and resources that we have to offer to help you achieve that.
With a dedicated leasing specialist, professional rental market analysis, professional photos and video tours, and online advertising exposure, your rental unit will be occupied in no time.
Call us, and let us reduce your vacancy for you.