Pin ItSo you have found this site and you have inventory to unload. You have so many apartments in New York Well today I will give you five easy ways to make your listing informative enough to make the phone ring. Besides this site there are so many other sites like craigslist to name a few that borrow the same formula to advertise. Most of these components are the same which are tag line, description, owner’s/realtor’s info, location and images. A real estate agent’s typical day is busy and a huge part of the day is spent on the phone. So you have to make those ads efficient enough to capture the prospective tenant for your listing. If the prospective tenant is given all the info on the ad that would limit your calls to serious renters. Vague ads might make the phone ring but most will hang up if not all the info is stated. So let’s go through each component and make them as efficient as possible.
- Tag Line/Headline
“ INCREDIBLE VIEW FROM BALCONY”
“A ONE BEDROOM WITH PLENTY OF LIGHT”
So above you have two examples of a tag line or headline for an ad. The problem with these two is not really the information they give but that they are both in CAPS! Having uppercase lettering is equivalent to shouting! No one likes to be yelled out, so why yell at a prospective tenant? Remember that saying “read between the lines”? Well what comes to mind every time I read something in caps is someone who is desperately trying to get rid of something they are having trouble with. Always remember your product sells itself. Find the one thing in your listing that stands out and make that your tag line. Let’s say for instance a balcony that could be a key selling point of the apartment. Then you should write “Incredible view from balcony” but you noticed no uppercase lettering. It doesn’t sound like someone is trying to shove an apartment down my throat and another thing it sounds confident and creditable. - Description
The expression “the devil is in the details” derives from the earlier phrase, “God is in the detail” which basically means details are important. Give as much information as you can about your listing. Remember this is where you will grab the right tenant. Go with the basics first. How many bedrooms and bathrooms? Is there plenty of closet space? Is the place entirely renovated or partially? Try also to take note of the square footage of your listing. Have a good eye on anything that will attract a married couple with a child for that two bedroom or the college student for that studio. Your wording will narrow the prospective tenant and help you rent your product quickly. - Owner’s or Realtor’s Info
Who are you? Besides viewers wanting to know about your listing they also want to know who they’ll be dealing with. Are you the owner or the real estate agent?Knowing this piece of information can also narrow your calls drastically. Times are rough and most people know when you deal with a realtor most likely you are dealing with a broker’s fee. Putting this info on your ad will eliminate a huge amount of time on your phone calls. Don’t get me wrong there are advantages when dealing with a realtor for one thing they’ll help find you a home suited for your needs. They have inventory and if one place is not appropriate for you then they might have something else that is. Write on your ad any details on how to get in contact with you. Is the best way to get in contact with you by mobile or landline? Let’s not forget we live in a social media and email world. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to give either information out especially if you can be found on facebook or twitter. They’ll remember you and use you again and you can also be easily refereed. Also if you are a realtor that belongs to a firm write the name of the firm and it’s contact info. Let your clients feel comfortable that they can get in contact with you at a moment’s notice. - Location
Location! Location! Location!
Be mindful of your surroundings. Is there a cafe around the comer or a shopping mall up the block? The best thing about having a one bedroom with a balcony is having a one bedroom with a balcony with a cafe around the corner. Cafes are seasonal, so if you have a listing during the summer time then mention the cafe. This also could be a selling point to your listing. Take notice of transportation as well and I don’t mean just subways try to take notice of the local buses as well. We do live in New York City and most of us do all of our traveling through public transportation. Walk around the area and take notice of anything that might help you rent your listing quicker. - Images
My favorite hobby is photography. I might not do it as a profession but well enough to know the do’s and don’ts in the field. This is the closest your client will ever get to seeing your listing without being there. Taking the best picture possible of the place is essential. First thing take as many pictures as you possible can of the place. At least if you do you’ll have many pictures to choose from when comes to selecting the few that you can post. Another thing to remember is timing. Is the place ready? Has it been renovated yet? You may want to take the pictures when the floors have been polyurethane or when the walls been freshly painted. Wait until the place looks like no one else ever lived there before. Now let’s talk about angles, yes wide shots. I never understood why someone would want to take a portrait shot that is a shot taken vertically instead of horizontally. The more you show the more you get an idea of how big the space is. There are exceptions to this rule when one can use vertical shots and that would be in bathrooms. Many times the bathrooms are so narrow that a vertical shot is the only shot. If the building the place is housed in has a beautiful lobby maybe it is worth including the shot. Also any amenities the place might offer like a pool or a gym and save the pictures you might use them again.
Hopefully these tips have been helpful and make the life of a realtor slightly easier. Remember that your product sells itself and all you need to do is advertise it.
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