Houston is a wonderful city to build a life and raise a family. Its booming job market, sunny weather all year round, and lower cost of living compared to the US average is every renter’s dream. On the contrary, vacancy is every landlord’s second-worst nightmare; the first is having horrible tenants. Fortunately for self-managed landlords, there are things you can do to generate lots of interest in your rental property and avoid vacancy. We start with marketing—the very important part for any business because no matter how great your property is, you won’t find the best tenant if nobody finds it online.

Attract as many potential tenants for your rental property – residential or commercial – with the following rental property listing practices.

Effective Rental Listing Tips for First-Time Landlords in Houston

1. Determine a reasonable and competitive rent price.

Check similar properties for rent in your area to ensure your property is competitively priced. You may want to look at properties that are similar in size to yours, in the same town, or type of home. Rental prices can vary considerably in other neighborhoods, so when choosing the best rate, take note of the following considerations.

• Explore similar listings in your neighborhood.
• Set base rent on essential utilities (location, square footage, floor level, etc).
• Review Fair Market Rent in your area.

2. Create a detailed rental listing description.

A well-written description can make a big difference. Keep the following points in mind when writing your property listing description.

• Create a catchy title.
• Highlight the property’s best features (great view, updated kitchen, open floor plan, off-street parking, etc.).
• Add high-quality photos (of the living space, kitchen, amenities, exterior, bathroom, etc.).
• Provide correct property details (number of bedrooms or bathrooms, nearby main streets or schools, neighborhood description, pet policy, etc.).
• Add a 60-second video walkthrough to allow renters to imagine what it might feel like to call your rental space their home.

3. Market your rental listing online at the right time.

The next step is to get your rental listing in front of as many prospective tenants as possible. The majority of tenants search online, which means the most effective way to find tenants is to create an online rental listing on popular rental listing sites, or you can use Apogee Properties’ search rental platform to list and promote your listing on sites and we’ll do the rest. We are familiar with Houston’s peak rental season because we do business at a local level and we use our local real estate knowledge when marketing properties to potential tenants who wish to live in Houston.

4. Promote your rental both online and offline!

A ‘For-rent’ sign is very useful in neighborhoods that get a lot of foot traffic and commuters. Another great way to market your rental property offline is through referrals and word-of-mouth by attending local events or corporate venues. Your local network can be a very useful marketing tool when it comes to spreading information.

5. Answer questions in a reasonable amount of time.

Make sure that your contact information is correct on your listing. Show that you are accessible by responding to questions (online or via phone call) as quickly as possible. Offer a great tenant experience by offering the most convenient methods for electronic and contactless payment, a 24/7 maintenance request system, and so on.

Have you found the tenants of your dreams? If not, we can help you.

Apogee Properties is happy to take care of your marketing and advertising needs, and a whole lot more. We offer the most comprehensive and cost-effective rental management services to rental property owners and investors. We help our clients manage their properties and their investments, but first, we make your rental property stand out in a competitive market.

Work with Apogee Properties

Apogee Properties is Houston’s Premier Property Management Company. We work and live in Houston, and our property managers are local. We’ve been in business for more than a decade, providing comprehensive property management services in the Houston region, ranging from a studio condo to a multi-family million-dollar estate. Contact us to learn more about our property management services, and what we can do for you and your rental property.

Get your property managed today!