How to show the property, for OOS?

Question

Hi all,I can use software to conduct 95% of all property / tenant / cleaning  tasks, except...

for showing the property to interested tenants.
I don't know that this would be an issue, as I'll be doing MTRs and most folks may be out of town anyway.

But does anyone here have ideas or suggestions for how I should think about this?

Thank you.

Patrick Osterling · Answer

Patrick, not sure if you meant this or not, and don't mean to be redundant, but you could create a video tour and just sent the prospective tenant the link. And, to your point, often times the property is already rented so a showing wouldn't be feasible. I think I've only had 2 or 3 people ever ask to see the property in person. Photos, video and reviews should be sufficient.

Jamie Banks · Answer

I rarely allow tours because I take detailed video tours for guests to use. In each market I operate in I have someone available for showings this person is usually my runner who is responsible for quality control and restocking inventory but I've also used a cleaner for this. I usually pay ~$25/drop in. I've also used college students for this.

Patrick O'Shea · Answer

Plenty of pics and having a virtual tour for potential guest to instill a sense of confidence in the property. Zillow includes links to virtual tours for your ad. Sometimes I get people asking for a walk-thru, and most of the time my units are full and I don't want to bother. I feel good pics and a virtual tour is the best I'll give them.🤷‍♂️

Allen Duan · Answer

Some MTR guests will ask for showings. If you want insurance bookings, those always require a showing beforehand. Find a local person who can help you with this and pay them per showing. A real estate agent would be a great fit as they know how to show homes and have the schedule flexibility. You can also become great referral sources for one another =)

Scott Allen · Answer

@Tanya Maslach Since it sounds like you're not really using a property manager - connect with whoever helped you purchase the property to see if they know of a leasing agent or showing agent that you could reach out to help hold the property open to tour at least once to twice a week for an 1-2 hour period on weekends.

If you're getting a lot of traction with prospective but qualified tenants that would like to view the unit - let them know the time that the leasing/showing agent will be there so they can view the interior.

If they're going to lease the property for you - one to half a months rent is fair compensation. If they're just going to be there for an hour to two during a time frame you have set for prospective people to view - give them directions that prospects will need to reach out to you for lease details/moving forward. Offer the showing agent anywhere from $100-200 to hold it open for you. Or $50 per showing.

Good pictures, and good video walk through's are also a good thing to have so you can forward it to them and make sure they review prior to letting them do a physical tour. A message stating your qualifications for applicants will let them know whether they should apply or not too.

Miguel Del Mazo · Answer

I agree with the above. Great photos make a world of difference in providing confidence for your potential resident. Video is even better, if professionally done.

Most of our travelers that are coming from any distance are happy enough for great pictures and good customer service to rent.

The people who tend to want a tour are usually already in town at another rental and aren't happy there for some reason or another. They are asking to see the space so they don't wind up jumping from the frying pan to the fire. We are local, so we try to accommodate requests to see our units, but realistically, with vacancy so low, it's hard to do showings. If we can't show, usually just talking to the potential resident and taking the time to assure them that we aren't scammers or slumlords is enough to get their commitment to rent.

Sylvia Santelli · Answer

I'll repeat the obvious too----

Take a video, there are lots of apps and hacks and tutorials on how this can be done. Also, because your unit will probably be booked with a guest most of the time. But ultimately there will be people who still want to see it in person. And that's fair since we know not everyone is honest about their listings.

Michael Smythe · Answer

@Tanya Maslach most STR and MTR guests book site unseen.

A 3-D tour can be done one-time and used over and over again.

Tanya Maslach · Answer

Thanks so much @Scott Allen.    My sense is grand majority of MTR's are rented from tenants not in state or in the area for a showing anyway.  So I'll keep my current plan of photos and video as the  main source for "showings".  Thanks for your input on this one.

Zachary Deal · Answer

For Medium and Short Term rental properties professional photos are always recommended. The extra cost is typically well worth the benefit. Also, a 2 minute video walk through can be nice to have for anyone wanting a more in depth tour.

How to show the property, for OOS?

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