Empty Properties Means Testing New Initiatives!
There's a lot to love about Carlsbad, CA. You've chosen the area for your investment property for a reason. However, all the scenic beauty and great oceanside living that the west coast has to offer can't free you of all the burdens of property management. As a landlord, one of your chief concerns is finding tenants to rent your properties. After all, if they're sitting empty, they aren't earning you money! Luckily, you don't have to sit and wait for fate to bring the right people your way. Here are a few expert property manager tips to consider that can help you find Carlsbad tenants fast. Let's keep your investment bringing in solid income!
Embrace Technology
Many landlords are slow to pick up on the potential that new technology and forms of communication can enhance their ability to market properties and attract renters quickly. You've probably seen many landlords and property managers soldier on with the same set of tried and true methods. Chances are, you're seeing the same people wonder why they're struggling to find younger tenants or bring in the digital crowd.
By now, the potential often associated with a piece of technology is not the technology itself, but rather how people are using it. The internet has been around in some form for roughly fifty years and smartphones for nearly twenty. However, the last decade has seen remarkable growth in the saturation of mobile devices and the growth of social media platforms. While the stereotype of younger generations glued to their phones has some grounding in reality, it's not limited to millennials.
You can generate significant awareness of your properties and connect with your market by establishing or expanding your social media presence. Be active on sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Remember that this goes beyond merely making a post and walking away. You should engage with people that:
- Send messages
- Leave comments
- "Like" your content.
You may be a digital native and find this to be an easy process; maybe your tech skills are a little more hard-earned. Whether or not it's a chore for you, building an online presence will pay dividends for you helping you find Carlsbad tenants fast if you make an effort.
Be "Mobile-Friendly"
Even just a handful of years ago, there was a clear distinction between cell phones and computers and people tended to use each device for different purposes and at different times. The lines have blurred significantly in recent years, especially as the ability of cell phone networks and devices to handle significant amounts of data have increased dramatically. Large segments of the population may rarely touch a computer for personal business. 
Many people find it easier or more convenient to take care of everything they need to do on a mobile device. Even if you have a reasonably robust internet presence, it is essential to make sure that your websites are mobile-friendly. Be certain that anyone who finds their way to you on a tablet or smartphone won't find formatting issues or other roadblocks in their way. It has long been true that many tenants will conduct their search for a rental property entirely online. It is becoming more and more likely that these tenants will do so solely on a smartphone or tablet. The more accessible you are to this group of renters, the more quickly you will likely turn around your vacant property.
Utilize Digital Features
Beyond merely being available to tech-savvy renters, you can also take a few steps to facilitate their use of technology in getting through the rental process. Many Carlsbad landlords are content with offering a paper application for prospective tenants to print, fill out, and drop off in the mail or person. Stand out a bit from the crowd and offer online applications as well.
If you've already made it easy for a potential tenant to find your property, make it easy for them to translate that interest into action quickly. Remember to be mobile device friendly: you may have a tenant browsing for their next rental on a lunch break or while waiting for a friend at a bar. Leading an interested person right to a quick and easy online application can be the deciding factor that helps you find Carlsbad tenants fast.
Make an effort to offer similar accessibility once you've secured them as a tenant. This convenience can seal the deal for a potential renter and be the thing that gets them to renew the lease down the road:
- Offer your lease documentation online and allow tenants to sign electronically.
- Be available to your tenants through social media and email.
- Offer online rent collection and maintenance request services.
These perks will let both you and your tenants take care of business from anywhere, at any time, and can help you stand out as a property manager and landlord.
Every Journey Begins with the First Step
Much of this may sound too hands-on or involved for you. If this is the case, don't worry. Whether this is your first property or your thirtieth, you've got an expert property manager partner in Raintree. You aren't the only Carlsbad area landlord who is facing this sort of dilemma, and Raintree Property Management can help you with this (and many other) concerns. Reach out online or get ahold of us by phone: we'll put our technology-driven experience to work for you!
