A recent article in the National Apartment Association’s “Marketing Buzz” section dealt with the topic of how to fill vacancies. As any landlord knows, this is a difficult subject. So many units sit empty for at least one month before being rented. Empty units are equivalent to wasted money. How can landlords ensure that they have the renters ready to fill vacancies quickly so that the unit is not losing money?
According to the NAA’s article there are three ways to simplify the process of renting empty units.
- First, it is critical that the landlord have a viable and effective online presence. Online advertising is absolutely essential in today’s market. Many people are looking on the web for vacant apartments, homes or even office spaces. In order to reach these people, landlords cannot afford not to have a website. Ideally, a landlord has an online and a mobile presence, as the number of people looking for rentals on mobile devices increases every year.
- Automate rental showings. When it comes to showing a rental, simplicity is key. Apartment or house hunters want to be able to schedule appointments quickly, so a website where they can schedule a viewing is a great innovation. For much more impact, invest in software that will let you give prospective tenants a “virtual tour” online before they come to see the unit.
- Streamline the application and screening process. Tenants consistently stated that they appreciated the online application process and preferred to have to enter information only once. Further, landlords benefit when they are able to organize and manage their application and background check information in a simple manner. Landlords should move toward programs and software designed to streamline the process of taking in tenant application information and screening information.
What if you could have an online application on your website that could instantly populate your database and forms with information about your applicants as well as trigger automatic background checks? With CheckPoint, you can!
CheckPoint allows you to put a link on your website that sends prospective tenants directly to your online application. There, they can enter their information, pay their application fee and agree to your background check requirements. CheckPoint will then run the background checks you request and send you the results so that you can make informed rental decisions. CheckPoint will even generate a customized lease agreement for your new tenant to sign.
Check out the great organizational and informational benefits of using CheckPoint!
Source: National Apartment Association, “Three ways to drive applicants to your vacancies,” February 28, 2014.
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