Our industry slows down a bit this time of year. After a busy spring and summer, the fall and winter months are often quiet times to prepare and renew for the next big rental season. With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, most folks just aren't eager to pack up and move. While it's easy to convince yourself that the next few months are just a wash, Scott Safadi of Cal Bay Property Management urges property management teams to try these strategies for filling vacancies during a lull:
Host an Open House
While an open house is far from an original idea, they're more commonly associated with the warmer months of rental season. Embrace the idea of a winter open house and offer warm spiced cider instead of lemonade or wine and really play up the cozy aspects of your rental. Even during the colder months, all of the benefits of an open house still apply: giving folks the opportunity to tour an apartment without a set appointment can save time and energy all around!
Thoroughly Check Your Listings
In the excitement of a busy rental season, it's easy to throw up a listing for a vacancy and hope it's good enough. It could take months before you spot a typo, or a missing detail or photo or two. Take the slower months to comb through your listings to ensure that you're presenting a professional and accurate representation of your community. You might be surprised how a small tweak of your listing can make all the difference!
Change Your Marketing Strategy
If you're struggling to rent a listing, consider changing the ways you've been marketing it. If your three bedroom apartment has sat unoccupied with few folks interested in viewing it, try marketing the unit as a two bedroom plus and office instead. Simply changing up the way you word your listing can seriously shake up the way your apartment is perceived.
- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management
Our industry slows down a bit this time of year. After a busy spring and summer, the fall and winter months are often quiet times to prepare and renew for the next big rental season. With Thanksgiving and Christmas just around the corner, most folks just aren't eager to pack up and move. While it's easy to convince yourself that the next few months are just a wash, Scott Safadi of Cal Bay Property Management urges property management teams to try these strategies for filling vacancies during a lull:
Host an Open House
While an open house is far from an original idea, they're more commonly associated with the warmer months of rental season. Embrace the idea of a winter open house and offer warm spiced cider instead of lemonade or wine and really play up the cozy aspects of your rental. Even during the colder months, all of the benefits of an open house still apply: giving folks the opportunity to tour an apartment without a set appointment can save time and energy all around!
Thoroughly Check Your Listings
In the excitement of a busy rental season, it's easy to throw up a listing for a vacancy and hope it's good enough. It could take months before you spot a typo, or a missing detail or photo or two. Take the slower months to comb through your listings to ensure that you're presenting a professional and accurate representation of your community. You might be surprised how a small tweak of your listing can make all the difference!
Change Your Marketing Strategy
If you're struggling to rent a listing, consider changing the ways you've been marketing it. If your three bedroom apartment has sat unoccupied with few folks interested in viewing it, try marketing the unit as a two bedroom plus and office instead. Simply changing up the way you word your listing can seriously shake up the way your apartment is perceived.
- Scott Safadi, Cal Bay Property Management
