marketing to landlords

January 10, 2014

Property Management Marketing Trends for 2014

Property management Marketing Trends

If your like most property management companies your most likely strategising on how you can reach the targets you have set your property management company this year.

If you are not and your looking to increase your profit on last year you should start to put targets in place now. The best way to increase your property management companies profits is through marketing.

Here is my 4 property management marketing trends that will help you increase your profit in 2014.

1. Content Marketing

Your website visitors

This is the number one way potential landlords can find your property management business. There are two types of visitors you can attract to your website. The first is a customer who knows they want to employ your services to either let or manage their property. They normally enter search such as “ Property Management company in Dublin”. You should have your website already optimised for keywords in order to have some of these searches land on your website. If not learn more about letting agency SEO here. This type of search short tail keywords

Your second visitor is somebody who is looking to research a topic in order to get help. They are typically looking for an expert who can help them with a problem they have. In order to reach these potential customers you need to understand their problems, their pain points and write articles on how to best deal with these problems. Really what you are looking to show here is your domain knowledge and show them that they are better off employing you to resolve their issues. A typical search term may be “ finding tenants in Dublin”. The type of search term here is called a long tail Keyword.

What content to write about?

A really good starting point for understanding pain points being searched is by using Google Tools such as keyword planner. Here you can research how many times a month a short tail keyword or long tail keywords are being searched for. In order to write about this content and deliver it on your property management website you should install a blog. But do not get frightened by the thought, you have the knowledge in your head you just need to put in writing, Check out this guide to writing a property blog

2. Google Apps

Last year I talked and blogged about this quiet frequently but I see that using Google tools will help your website visitors grow hugely this year. If your not using Google apps yet start immediately as I see these being key in property management marketing trends in 2014.

Google Places

If you don’t have your Letting agency on Google Places put it on there right away, its quick and easy and you can have it up live in a couple of minutes. Here is a post on set up your Property management company on Google Places

Google Local

Google places is the Yellow Pages of the internet. Once a visitor to Google searches a term such as “letting agent” and their IP is visible Google will automatically return local companies to the search. This is only possible by activating Google Places. Below is a typical local search return result

Google Reviews

Once you have listed Google places I would highly recommend asking customers to leave a brief review of your services. To see how to do this you can look at this post “Requesting a Google review”.

By requesting and building your reviews it will really help build the trust you will receive from new visitors to your site. I spoke about showing your domain knowledge with reviews you reinforce this knowledge. So now when you create content your visitors will see you know what you are talking about. Here is a previous blog post I wrote on Building Landlords trust

Google Authorship

Ever wonder when you do a search on Google why certain search returns show thumbnail images to the left? These images are avatars of the author of the article, by setting up Google Authorship on your content you are verifying with Google who the author is and that it is not spam. Google will show your posts higher within a search result once Google Authorship is set up. By including the image more visitors will be drawn into clicking on your webpage as it will stand out from that of other search results.

3. Video

This should also appear under the Google Apps if you are going to use YouTube which is owned by Google, you will automatically use the same login for your apps as you will for YouTube.

Video Content Management

Video is fast becoming a major marketing force and if you are not going to use video you are going to get left behind. As above when I discussed becoming a domain expert video is the best way to come across as this expert.

If you have a Google account you can then set up your channel and link it through to your website. This is important in all of the Google apps and doesn’t change here. You are effectively telling Google that you are using this app for your website and in turn Google will improve your search ranking.

If you haven’t set up your channel yet see how to do it here Setting up your property management YouTube Station.

Property Marketing Video

Depending on your strategy in marketing properties you may want to look at video tours. Promoting a property through video is a great way to rank high for certain search terms for properties. And similar to above using video for certain keywords will return a video play screen within Google search results, this is the top way in getting instant clicks. Here you can see how to edit a property marketing video.

4. Call to Actions

Include steps 1 – 3 on to your website and I guarantee you will see a huge spike in your website traffic. The last piece in property management marketing trends is having an effective call to action.

The content on your property management website needs to confirm your domain knowledge as an industry expert in the property management field. Now that you have them on your site having reviews linked in as discussed will build trust so now you just need these landlords to contact you. All you need is their contact details to make a website visitor a high end lead.

You can take a look this blog on letting agency website design for more ideas

Entry Forms

A simple and easy contact form which only requires name, email and phone number works best. Take a look at competitors sites and your own and if you have anything more than the above I am sure you are losing possible customers. You want to create as least friction as possible in order to get the landlords details. Expecting a potential landlord to copy and paste an email address into his email is not acceptable and only showing a landline number is the same. I personally am not a fan of Captcha as so many people get them wrong and end up leaving in frustration. As the KISS acronym states Keep it Simple Stupid.

Analysis

Implement these property management marketing trends into your business today. The team at Rentview are happy to help and you can find more information on some of its property management software services here

September 6, 2013

30 Ideas for Marketing to landlords

Marketing to landlords

Finding new landlord clients is one of the biggest challenges letting agents face in today’s rental market. With so many agencies competing for business marketing to landlords in the traditional sense is going to eat into any annual marketing budget rapidly. But don’t worry there is many ways to promote your services and find new landlords for your letting agency whilst not costing you any upfront marketing spend.

I am sure if I said to you today that if I would pass you on new landlords and list their properties with your letting agency at 75% of your listed fees you would jump at the chance, right?

Well keep reading because here are 30 ideas for marketing to landlords that will surely land you new landlords and cost you nothing upfront. In fact, in over half of my suggestions on marketing to landlords will cost you nothing at all.

30 Ideas for marketing to landlords

Offer a referral scheme to current landlords to invite their family and friends and receive a discount. This way you retain your current landlord and it does not cost anything to win a new landlord. Word of mouth is powerful!
Ask your tradespersons to recommend your services to landlords next time they are on site repairing a rental property. For every referral, give them a commission. It’s a great way to promote your letting agency.
Place an advert on some free local websites in the property classifieds section. Landlords tend to look at how other units are priced here also.
On completion of your services, ask a landlord for a referral for a family member or friend who may be interested in your services. Always push to offer great customer service, and finding new landlord referrals will not be a problem.
Contact end of tenancy cleaning companies offering a referral scheme where you both recommend each others’ services. Cleaning companies would also appreciate your business, and your services can complement one other.
Attend a local networking event. There are always landlords and investors at such events and they are a great place to meet new clients.
Join your chambers of commerce; networking is what the chambers of commerce is all about and by attending them, your name will circulate within the business community quickly.
Place a business card and note on the notice board of an apartment complex where you have just let out a property explaining you require more in the complex. Landlords conducting showings are sure to pass by, and it’s a great way to promote your letting agency.
Contact your local mortgage advisors informing them of your services along with working an affiliate scheme. Look for a buy to let specialist; you are bothworking with the same type of customer.
Place magnet branding stickers on your car whilst out meeting landlords and conducting showings. You would be amazed at how this can help push your brand… Be sure to be a polite road user however 😉
Maildrop leaflets in an apartment complex the next time you let out a property enquiring more units with a special offer. This is a great, quick way to get units in a complex, as landlords will be emptying post boxes whilst conducting showings. You can leaflet 100 units in 2 minutes.
Call previous landlord clients on lease anniversaries offering your services. Just because the tenants stayed on for another 12 months and the landlord renewed the papers doesn’t mean you shouldn’t keep in contact.
Call in to properties which have been sold recently and are getting renovation works offering your services. This means keeping on eye on your territory and simply dropping in when workers or a landlord is on-site.
Attend local property investor meet ups. Simply search for these events and you would be surprised with the number going on in your area.
Call landlords advertising properties to let in classifieds section of your local newspapers. Many landlords still use print media, they may not get as much attention as they could online and this is where you can step in.
Email and or call landlords marketing properties to let on local websites. Landlords advertising on free listing sites may simply not be marketing to their audience correctly. Most tenants search property portals now for property.
Go to the next distressed property auction in your area and hand out leaflets with a promotion at the front of the venue. These auctions are like bee hives for bees, landlords swarm to them so make your presence known.
Place a notice on a local supermarket notice board looking for a property in an area you have just let one. You would be surprised the number of landlords which use these to let properties. Its also a great are to find new landlords contact details.
Leave business cards at your local key cutting business where you get keys cut. A landlords is one of a key cutter’s best customers and so are you most likely.
Join an affiliate scheme with a locksmith who changes locks from bad tenants. Many landlords get new locks fitted when tenants are exiting and this can be a great way of getting your name to them.
Write a letting agency blog about the area where you wish to attract new business. Lots of people search their area on search engines and by blogging about an event or area, you are sure to rank high.
Drop a card into a property which has a private to let sign at the front of the property. Landlords are most likely visiting the property daily so let them know about your service.
Promote your services through local online community pages on Facebook. Many communities now have an online presence so why not drop by and say hi and mention your letting agency promotions.
Promote your services to other businesses in your area via social media. Use a Hashtag on all your comments. It’s a great way for someone in your community to come across your services.
Leave your business cards in a networking jar or on a board in your local bank. Most banks are now promoting local businesses and services; make sure your letting agency is promoted.
Offer a free prize of one of your services for a local charity event. Whilst it may cost you time to provide, the promotion of your brand within the community will be well received. It’s also a great way for PR in local papers and online.
Offer free advice to landlords online, through your office or local citizens advice centres. Many landlords who need help with tenants often research for advice and by offering it for free they are sure to use yourself if anyone when employing an agent’s services.
Connect with an estate agent who only sells property offering either a referral scheme or commission structure. Lots of properties are sold by estate agents for the BTL market.
Partner your services with a local appliance sales or repair company where you recommend each other’s services. Most landlords will outsource repairs and it’s another great way to pick up landlords.
Leave business cards in your local DIY store. Landlords always have a couple of DIY jobs to complete between lets, so get your card beside the cash register.

So now you know how to increase your marketing to landlords with no marketing spend, i’ts time to start implementing your letting agency promotional plan. You may also be interested to read a blog posting on Finding landlords

May 14, 2013

Link building strategies

Link Building strategies for your letting agency

Link building for your letting agency website is crucial in order for your site to get listed high on organic search results. In a previous post we discussed the biggest challenge letting agents face today, which was winning new properties to let and manage. We then went on to discuss how to win more landlords with a post on marketing to landlords in 5 Steps.

With so many letting agency websites to compete with it has become essential for you to put an SEO strategy into place.

Link Building strategies

One way search engines rank your website higher against others is by how many times your website gets mentioned on the internet. This term is simply called “inbound links”. The more websites that mention your website the higher search engines rank your own website (Page Rank). Page rank is important as the higher a websites page ranks the higher amount of credibility it gives to its link to you (Link Juice). If you are going to start to build links you need to research link building strategies.

What tools can help you?

A tool you can easily use in your toolbar to see what page rank a website has is available on Google Chrome

A really quick way to find out how many links you currently have going to your site can be found by visiting Alexa. Enter your site url and it will return a link with your number of links.

A useful exercise is to check up with a number of your competitors and see how they are doing. Through some research you could possibly find some websites that can give you some really strong links.

Further research into link building

Probably one of the best articles I have ever come across with regards to Link building strategies is written by Jon Cooper. If there is ever a document I would recommend reading it is this one… by the way it is free and I did not write it 😉

We would be delighted to hear how you get on with your link building strategies and what worked well for you.

by Andreas Riha

Imagecredits Mark Kens

March 20, 2013

How to market rental property

What is your strategy in “How To Market rental property”?

Learning how to market rental property successfully is vital for letting agents and landlords. This skill is even more important than ever before, as the highest amount of tenants ever are looking for private rental property, and the internet is the most common place for them to look.

What strategy do you use to market rental property?

Most letting agents use a strategy to market rental property. I have outlined 3 strategies below that agents use to market to tenants. Each strategy attracts a lead quality.

Property listed with no photos or only an external photo

From my experience, this strategy is often used to market rental property that is not in great condition or below the listed value. Personally, I would feel that by doing this you could be wasting a lot of time in showing the property as people coming to view the property may not be interested in the property at all, but came to view of it because of its location. I think the main strategy behind this is playing “the number game” by getting enough tenants in to view it will eventually interest somebody. The benefit here is the potential to attract a large volume of tenants, depending on price. The negative here is that time is money and you can end up doing multiple showings to a lot of tenants.

Tenant Qualification – The tenant is happy with the location and price.

Property listed with ample photos

This strategy is favoured by most agents who list the property with photos of every or nearly every room. The potential tenants who come to view are qualified* and whilst the volume of tenants may not be as high, they are interested in seeing more than just the interior photos. This is when you market rental property as it saves you a significant amount of time.

Tenant Qualification* –The tenant is happy with the location, price, property and interior.

Property listed with a walk through video

This is a very targeted strategy. It brings SEO benefits to your letting agency brand if done correctly. This may take longer for you as a letting agent to advertise, but it really is a great way to list and market rental property. Any potential tenant who has viewed the marketing video and arranged a viewing are as qualified as they come.

Tenant Qualification –The tenant is happy with the location, price, property, interior and layout.

It does not require you to have professional recording equipment and in fact most smart phones now with a 5 mega pixel + camera providing excellent footage. They can be quickly uploaded directly from your smart phone to a YouTube or Vimeo account through their app. In our next blog we will look at creating your youtube channel.

You may also be interested in reading Why use youtube for marketing?

In a previous blog on Marketing to landlords in 5 steps I discussed how important it is to always market a property as professionally as possible. One of the reasons being is that it is a great way to market to landlords looking for an agent who has property in the same area as their own rental unit.

Here are a couple of links of different marketing strategies used by a estate and a letting agent:

Using humour in your marketing to attract viewers “Up tight Tribute to Honest Agent”

I am not sure if this letting agency was having a bad day when they decided to market this rental property or if the letting agent is a PR genius. I am sure that if they are reading they will go with the latter after all they got mentioned in national press, social media and even on our blog ha ha!

how-to-market-a-rental-property-example

I would love to hear your feedback on the strategy you find best and or perhaps a strategy that I have not mentioned.

by Andreas Riha

March 7, 2013

Finding landlords – Expand your letting agency portfolio in 5 steps

Finding landlords

Finding new landlords is the biggest challenge for letting agents and property managers. For most letting agencies and rental managers, finding tenants in today’s rental market is easier than finding landlords. So how can you increase your marketability as a letting agency to new landlords? Well there are a number of housekeeping procedures that some letting agents fall behind on which we will discuss below. These can improve marketability to new landlords and help in finding landlords to expand an agency’s portfolio.

finding-landlords

1. Advertised properties on portals

A lot of landlords today look through property portals to try and estimate what their property will achieve on the market prior to it being available. They will look at properties in the area, pictures, descriptions etc. So it is very important that your listed properties are looking their best. Have a detailed property description, mind your typos, make sure your pictures are professional and not taken from a low mega pixel digital camera. I would also strongly advise against night time photos. Even if the market is busy and you know that if it was listed without pictures you would still get a dozen showings in 48 hours ensure every listing is as professional as possible.

2. Profile Page about your letting agency

Once again landlords are busy looking through portals and having a profile with 2 lines of text is just lazy. I am not saying list a page full of text but put some thought into what your services are and what makes your rental agency stand out against the busy crowd. If there is possible to upload thumbnails of the staff, do it. This is a service business and that means it’s a people business so let landlords know who you are.

3. About us

This is similar to the above and is also relevant to your website. There are a lot of property websites that I visit and I can’t find out any information on the staff in the agency. Have they experience? Who are they? Have they been working in the industry long? This is all information that potential landlords really love to know. So why not really sell yourself here?

4. Services

We provide a full letting and property management service. This sometimes is as much information that is on a letting agencies profile or website and it’s not going to get you a large volume of inbound inquiries. List your services and if there is something that makes you stand out list it. Do you provide Digital Inventories on all your let properties? Do you offer a landlord free online account login on all managed properties? Free energy certs on all rentals? If there is something you can offer or currently offer that makes you stand out let potential landlords know about it.

5. Testimonials

In the information age that we live in there is nothing more appealing than customer testimonials in finding landlords. Now a written testimonial by Jack Smith is good but landlords may think is it genuine? A picture of Jack Smith beside his testimonial is more powerful. You can take this to the next level and include a small video clip of Jack Smith giving a testimonial. One of my favourite types of testimonials I am seeing now is Jack Smith leaving a testimonial on a Facebook page. Extract this and post it on your website and link it to your Facebook page. This way your new landlords can see its genuine and also might Like your Facebook page.

finding-landlords-letting-agent

Following this list can only increase your brand and image as a excellent and trustworthy letting agent or property manager. I would love for you to tell me what number 6, 7 or even 8 could be on this list so why not comment and let me know? Finding landlords is not easy but I hope this list will allow you find more.

As always, please feel free to share and ask any questions you may have.

Letting agents software

by Andreas Riha