More than Craiglist or Zillow?

[Russell Caraotta]

I closed on a duplex in Buffalo, NY last week. The house (both upper and lower) was vacant, in great shape as the owner had done some minor updates to the flats. The numbers look great on paper and the rents I plan to ask for are reasonable according to Rent-o-Meter and what I am told by folks in the business. I placed an ad in Craigslist and scheduled an open house for Saturday and sat there by myself as no one showed. Seems so easy to get lost in the Craigslist shuffle.

I plan to place an ad in Zillow shortly. When checking out the competition in the area, I saw an ad for an apartment a couple doors away from mine...having been on Zillow for approximately 60 days. UGH! I am up for the challenge and considering including incentives that would vary, depending upon the duration of a lease I secure. Incentives might include free internet, free utilities for a few months, etc.

So my questions to you, my esteemed colleagues, are Craigslist and Zillow the most employed websites for posting available apartments - or are there others I need to include? What strategies do you use in order to find tenants quickly and how do you stand out in the crowd?

Many, thanks!