Marketing

• February 1, 2009 / 1 Comment

  Landlords: reducing tenant turnover

  Even if they leave it perfect, a vacancy will cost you at least a month’s rent. That’s if you live in a hot market and the property rents right now. If your market is slower, you could be out two months’ rent or more. It would seem to behoove landlords to try to keep their […]

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• May 1, 2008 / 0 Comments

  The Missing 19 Percent

  Walk into any large grocery store, stop and look around you. Notice the variety of colors, shapes and sizes of different products. Notice the sparkling floors. Notice how the shelves are all lined up as if someone had put a yard stick against the front row of products. The store is designed and set up […]

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• January 1, 2008 / 0 Comments

  Following Up

  Sometimes prospective tenants can’t make up their minds. When they look at your rental property they get excited and say things such as, “oh, this is so cute,” mentally place furniture, and plan where little Johnny’s room would be. Then they go away. And you don’t hear back from them. Here you thought you had […]

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• August 1, 2007 / 0 Comments

  Written Rental Criteria Now Texas Law

  The Texas legislature recently passed into law a requirement that landlords make available to all applicants their written rental criteria. Those criteria must specify the grounds under which an application may be denied. In addition the applicant must acknowledge that he or she has received the rental criteria either in the form of a separate […]

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• July 1, 2007 / 0 Comments

  Fair Housing Act Prohibitions

  Protected Classes Under Federal Fair Housing Act •  Race •  Color •  Religion •  Sex (including sexual harassment) •  National origin •  Disability •  Familial status (children under the age of 18) Protected Classes either in local or state laws •  Ancestry •  Age (40+) •  Marital status •  Unfavorable military discharge •  Military status […]

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• May 1, 2007 / 0 Comments

  Landlords: why you should hold an open house

  What has long been the province of Realtors and For-Sale­By-Owners can also be effective for landlords—the open house. But don’t look to Realtors as an example; most of them don’t do a very good job of it. They just run a classified ad, plop a few signs in front of and around the property, and […]

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• April 1, 2007 / 0 Comments

  The economy’s slow– expand your business by expanding your demographic.

  Following Up Sometimes prospective tenants just can’t make up their minds. When they look at the unit they get excited and say things such as, “Oh, this is so cute,” and they start mentally placing furniture and planning where little Johnny’s room would be. Then they go away. And you don’t hear back from them. […]

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• February 1, 2007 / 0 Comments

  How landlords should cater to “by choice” renters

  “They don’t want to have the maintenance or pay the taxes that go along with property ownership,” says Linda Stoklas a real estate agent in Hanover Township, Pennyslvania. “They’re not there that much. They’re very, very active.  They’re cycling and skiing and doing all sorts of things that keep them away from home.” “We are […]

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• May 1, 2006 / 0 Comments

  Why People Buy, and Why You Might Care

  “But I’m not selling anything.” As a rental property owner, you are. Just as if you were selling can of food in a store, a lawn mower at the hardware store, you are selling a prospective tenant on the notion of renting from you and on a place to live. There is absolutely no difference […]

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• May 1, 2005 / 0 Comments

  Create a Picture of Your New Tenant

  Can you see him? Or her? Or them? He, she or they are the people who will rent your property. They are real people, thinking right now about moving. It’s just a question of where they will move. The fact that they are thinking about moving means they probably will. It means they will look […]

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