Straight to voicemail

[Tyson S.]

What is the opinion on answering calls from prospective tenants when advertising a rental? I recently purchased and renovated a property and am in the process of advertising it.

I currently setup a dedicated google voice for the property with a message that is specific to the property and instructing them to leave a message to schedule a showing. The message lists the size, beds, baths, date available for rent and monthly rent/security deposit. It's under 20 seconds long.

I've been getting a steady stream of calls, +-15 a day since putting out the signs and ads last Friday. However, only 4 have left messages. My original thought was that this is a good way to weed out people who are tire kickers but I'm second guessing that.

Do you answer your calls live or have someone who answers them live?

[Craig Shute]

I answer every call. I used to have the office phone listed, but now I put my cell phone up. Most people, tire kickers or not, do not leave voice mails. They'll go on to the next listing. I use the phone call to gauge the tenant, decide if I want them in here, and if I do, it's a chance to convince them they want to live here. I did individual showings and everyone showed up. The open house thing sounds like a good idea, though!