Making your rental property stand out from the competition can be a challenge. With such an active rental market in Las Vegas and other popular cities, you can easily miss out on valuable rental income and quality tenants if your listing gets lost and your property sits vacant. Many rental property owners make common marketing mistakes that affect their chances of filling vacancies and maximizing their investment.

If you want to ensure your rental property is a success, our Henderson and Las Vegas property management team shares the top marketing mistakes that owners and landlords should avoid.

1. Underestimating Digital Marketing

One of the most important things you can do as a rental property owner is take advantage of digital marketing. Having a strong online presence can increase visibility and help you reach your target audience more effectively. Some digital marketing strategies include:

• Creating an organized and value-driven website that is easy to navigate.
• Optimizing your rental property listing to help search engines your rental property.
• Posting and engaging users on social media platforms.
• Tracking and responding to online ratings and reviews.
• Posting your rental property on different real estate directory websites.
• Serving online ads to people actively searching for rentals in your area.

Using a combination of search engine optimization (SEO), tailored online ads, social media, and the right listing sites, you can make your rental property more competitive and attract the best tenants in a cost-effective way.

2. Failing to Understand Your Target Market

Another mistake many rental property owners make is not getting to know their audience. If you want to market your rental property to your ideal tenant successfully, it is crucial that you understand what they need and want in a rental. Ask yourself:

• What is most important to them?
• How do they spend their free time?
• What does their budget look like?
• What types of amenities do they find appealing?
• How are they searching for their next rental?

For example, your marketing message should include good schools in the surrounding area and outdoor activities in the area if you want your next tenant to be a young family. If you are looking for single professionals to rent your property, you may want to mention the easy commute, dining, and entertainment they will have to choose from close to the rental property.

3. Not Writing a Good Rental Listing

If you really want your listing to stand out, it is important to use descriptive wording that highlights the unique features of your rental property. Avoid generic or fluffy descriptions that do not share any value. Instead, try to focus on specific things that differentiate your property from other rentals, such as:

• Recent upgrades to the property.
• Types of appliances, flooring, and storage.
• Pet policies.
• Included utilities.
• Proximity to grocery stores, gyms, and other desirable destinations.
• How soon tenants can move in.
• The duration of the lease.

Additionally, skip long paragraphs and make sure your descriptions are concise and easy to read. Potential tenants should be able to scan the listing and find essential details quickly.

4. Forgetting to Track Your Numbers

A big part of marketing is tracking your results and figuring out what works best. Some rental property owners or landlords forget to track the progress of their marketing campaigns or fail to gather data that could help them be successful in the future. Digital marketing makes it easy to see your metrics, rankings, and other key numbers that indicate what marketing approach is delivering the best results.

5. Not Using Professional Photos

A big marketing mistake that is easily avoidable is failing to use professional photos for your rental listing. Photos are often the first thing a potential tenant will view when looking for a new place to live — even before the rental property description or rental price. This gives you an opportunity to make an impression that draws your audience in and invites them to take the next step in the application process.

What makes a high-quality real estate photo? There are several ways you can improve the images you use in your rental property listing, including:

• Bright lighting that does not cast shadows.
• Strategic angles of the rooms.
• Including exterior photos of the property and neighborhood.
• Providing photos of every room, including the kitchen and bathrooms.
• Using high-resolution images.

If the photos of your rental property are poor quality, you may want to consider working with a professional real estate photographer. This investment can go a long way toward attracting tenants and filling vacancies quickly.

6. Skipping Competitive Incentives

Offering incentives to potential tenants and including these incentives in your rental marketing strategy can help to set you apart from the competition. While you might be hesitant to offer discounts or other perks that may initially cut into your rental income, the cost of a vacant rental property can be much more significant in the long run.

Some examples of incentives you can use in your marketing are:

• Discounts on security deposits.
• Waiving move-in fees.
• One free month of rent.
• Longer lease terms.
• Waiving pet deposits.

7. Not Recognizing When It Is Time to Work with a Professional Property Manager

Marketing and managing your rental property is a lot of work that takes time and energy away from your personal life. Those with multiple rental properties or other full-time jobs may find it particularly difficult to stay on top of everything. If you are struggling to manage your day-to-day operations and cannot focus as much time on marketing as you would like, it may be time to work with a professional property manager.

An experienced property manager knows how to reach your target audience and drive interest in your rental property. They have the resources to handle online marketing, professional photography, and property listings that set you up for long-term success.

Successful Rental Property Marketing with a Property Manager

A Henderson or Las Vegas property manager can help busy landlords and property owners streamline the rental process, from marketing and filling rental vacancies to collecting rent and communicating with tenants. The Black & Cherry property management team provides exceptional landlord support with tenant screenings, accounting, maintenance, and more. Contact our property management team to see how we can help you with your Henderson or Las Vegas rental property!