Rental Property Investor · Lubbock, TX · Member since 2015 · 462 posts · 184 votes
Hey Guys,
A little background about what I've got- it's a 12 unit apartment right next to Texas Tech University & a large hospital, and 3/2 house right next to TTU&hospital as well. Marketing to mainly student rentals and hospital employees.
Lubbock, where these are, is a college town, with 40K students and 250K permanent residents. Lubbock has always been a little behind on all trends, so it's always a bit more "old school."
With all that in mind, what are some proven marketing methods with best response rate and success rates you've used?
@Austin Hughes, I would figure out how other landlords in the area are attracting their tenants--Craigslist Lubbock, or paper flyers in the hospital and university public areas, or both? You can get really creative and put flyers on car windshields in the associated parking lots. We manage some apts in Cbus near a major hospital and Ohio State Univ., and our primary responses come from yard signs and Craigslist ads. We also do Zillow, Hotpads, Trulia, etc. Drive around the area and see if other landlords are using yard signs in your area as well--if Lubbock is old-school, I assume you'll find that. Then be a good landlord and you'll get word of mouth referrals. Good luck!
@Austin Hughes, I would figure out how other landlords in the area are attracting their tenants--Craigslist Lubbock, or paper flyers in the hospital and university public areas, or both? You can get really creative and put flyers on car windshields in the associated parking lots. We manage some apts in Cbus near a major hospital and Ohio State Univ., and our primary responses come from yard signs and Craigslist ads. We also do Zillow, Hotpads, Trulia, etc. Drive around the area and see if other landlords are using yard signs in your area as well--if Lubbock is old-school, I assume you'll find that. Then be a good landlord and you'll get word of mouth referrals. Good luck!
Hey Austin, Lubbock isn't as behind on the times as you might think..
Do you have a Facebook business page? I would create one if not, and make cheap ads, maybe an ad with a move in special. Almost everyone has a Facebook these days. You can target your desired tenant too, but I wouldn't get too narrow. We created an ad for a rental, spent maybe 70 bucks for a SFR, and had people going nuts for info. Although it's a vanity measure, it helped us get a lot of likes too. If you're new to FB ads, I'd be happy to help. I've spent quite a bit of money in it, but I am noticing it's getting a little more saturated with ads so conversion isn't as great as it used to be.
@Austin Hughes, I would figure out how other landlords in the area are attracting their tenants--Craigslist Lubbock, or paper flyers in the hospital and university public areas, or both? You can get really creative and put flyers on car windshields in the associated parking lots. We manage some apts in Cbus near a major hospital and Ohio State Univ., and our primary responses come from yard signs and Craigslist ads. We also do Zillow, Hotpads, Trulia, etc. Drive around the area and see if other landlords are using yard signs in your area as well--if Lubbock is old-school, I assume you'll find that. Then be a good landlord and you'll get word of mouth referrals. Good luck!
I'm doing all I can to be a good landlord! Great suggestions.
I should get some students to pepper the campus with flyers. Meeting with one tomorrow for a potential hire. Great idea! :)
I'm in Lubbock and I'm pretty new to REI, but the two times that I have had vacancies, I have only used Craigslist. I literally got so many responses last time that I had to delete the ad after only 24 hours. People would just not stop calling me, many of which were college students. I got my places rented within the week and got to pick and choose carefully who I put in my properties. And I might add that the tenants that I did select are exceptional tenants.
I'm in Lubbock and I'm pretty new to REI, but the two times that I have had vacancies, I have only used Craigslist. I literally got so many responses last time that I had to delete the ad after only 24 hours. People would just not stop calling me, many of which were college students. I got my places rented within the week and got to pick and choose carefully who I put in my properties. And I might add that the tenants that I did select are exceptional tenants.
What time of year was it that you had this ad out?