I took a 2-day course by my web host HOMERENTALS.NET a few years ago and some of the information shared by those attending the course was the use of a spreadsheet to keep track of listing postings AND that postings should be done on the weekend....it was a no-brainer for me and I am wondering why just like weekend emergency "on call" rotation, why more property management/real estate firms do not post their listings on the weekend.
I posted 5 listings at 7:30A today/Sunday, and had the WHOLE of our area Craigslist rental listings for my listings for over 5 hours until the next rental listing post. Additionally, historically, there are fewer listings on the weekends AND more people start their search on the weekends or in the AM so posting early 7 days a week as been my routine for over 2 years.
My spreadsheet is simple.....3 columns with the property address abbreviation/Availability Date/Rent THEN 1 thru 31 rows down for the days of the month and 6 columns across. I use excel so that I can change each section independent of the other.....I post the same row of listings every 5th day and I keep them in different colors. When I have an application or lease out on a property, it remains on my website; however, I put another listing in it's space in the CL listing rotation.
If there is EVER a question as to what property listing I posted when, I have my spreadsheets saved since day ONE.....This is my spreadsheet from August, 2008. I've never posted more than 8 listings in a day and when I get a new listing, I create a CL ad, post it and e-mail a link to my new clients - they are SO IMPRESSED!!!
| 207G | 1,995.00 | NOW | Insert | Craigslist * AUGUST * 2008 | ||||||||
| 101G | 1,395.00 | NOW | Date | Postlet | Postlet | Postlet | Postlet | Postlet | Postlet | Postlet | Postlet | Postlet |
| 103G | 1,395.00 | NOW | 1st | 103G | 113A | 22T | 554C | 1591B | 407G | |||
| 304G | 1,895.00 | NOW | 2nd | 304G | 174D | 1700E | 1555I | 1692F | 2492W | 405G | ||
| 306G | 1,495.00 | NOW | 3rd | 207G | 1640R | 12A | 3266AT | 29H | 27H | 1827S | 102G | |
| 405G | 1,595.00 | NOW | 4th | 101G | 392J | 2304R | 1664H | 115B | 723C | 117M | 104G | |
| 102G | 1,395.00 | NOW | 5th | 306G | 113A | 22T | 554C | 1591B | 407G | |||
| 407G | 1,595.00 | NOW | 6th | 304G | 174D | 1700E | 1555I | 1692F | 2492W | 405G | ||
| 104G | 1,795.00 | NOW | 7th | 207G | 1640R | 12A | 29H | 27H | 1827S | 102G | ||
| 303G | 1,495.00 | NOW | 8th | 101G | 392J | 2304R | 1664H | 115B | 723C | 117M | 104G | |
| 1555I | 4,695.00 | NOW | 9th | 103G | 113A | 22T | 1771OB | 554C | 1591B | 407G | ||
| 392J | 1,195.00 | NOW | 10th | 304G | 174D | 1700E | 1555I | 1692F | 2492W | 405G | ||
| 1827S | 1,995.00 | NOW | 11th | 207G | 12A | 29H | 27H | 1827S | 102G | |||
| 27H | 1,195.00 | NOW | 12th | 101G | 392J | 2304R | 1664H | 115B | 723C | 117M | 104G | |
| 1771OB | 1,595.00 | NOW | 13th | 103G | 113A | 22T | 1771OB | 554C | 1591B | 407G | ||
| 2492W | 1,195.00 | NOW | 14th | 304G | 174D | 1700E | 1555I | 1692F | 2492W | 405G | ||
| 1700E | 1,695.00 | NOW | 15th | 207G | 12A | 29H | 27H | 1827S | 102G | |||
| 22T | 1,495.00 | NOW | 16th | 101G | 392J | 2304R | 1664H | 723C | 117M | 104G | ||
| 554C | 1,995.00 | 9/1 | 17th | 103G | 113A | 22T | 1771OB | 554C | 1591B | 407G | ||
| 115B | 1,395.00 | NOW | 18th | 304G | 174D | 1700E | 1555I | 1692F | 2492W | 405G | ||
| 12A | 1,595.00 | NOW | 19th | 207G | 12A | 303G | 27H | 1827S | 102G | |||
| 1692F | 1,895.00 | NOW | 20th | 101G | 392J | 2304R | 1664H | 723C | 117M | 104G | ||
| 2304R | 1,495.00 | NOW | 21st | 103G | 113A | 22T | 115B | 554C | 1591B | 407G | ||
| 1591B | 1,595.00 | NOW | 22nd | 304G | 174D | 1700E | 1555I | 1692F | 2492W | 405G | ||
| 23rd | ||||||||||||
| 1664H | 3,495.00 | NOW | 24th | 207G | 12A | 1771OB | 303G | 27H | 1827S | 102G | ||
| 723C | 1,695.00 | NOW | 25th | 101G | 392J | 2304R | 1664H | 723C | 117M | 104G | ||
| 174D | 1,495.00 | NOW | 26th | 103G | 113A | 22T | 3266AT | 115B | 554C | 1591B | 407G | |
| 113A | 1,595.00 | NOW | 27th | 304G | 174D | 1700E | 1555I | 1692F | 2492W | 405G | ||
| 117M | 2,295.00 | NOW | 28th | 207G | 12A | 1771OB | 303G | 27H | 1827S | 102G | ||
| 3266AT | 1,285.00 | 29th | 101G | 392J | 2304R | 1664H | 723C | 117M | 104G | |||
| 30th | 103G | 113A | 22T | 3266AT | 115B | 554C | 1591B | 407G | ||||
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM * GIBSON MANAGEMENT GROUP, Ltd.
View our available rental homes online with photos and floor plans
"...to be a Virginian, either by Birth, Marriage, Adoption, or even on one's Mother's side, is an Introduction to any State in the Union, a Passport to any Foreign Country, and a Benediction from the Almighty God...." Anonymous
client's love seeing how their properties are advertised. I know they don't realize how much work we do
I love it when someone knows how to use Excel to keep track of things. I have just three more things to say:
Russ - I no longer use postlets HTML for my CL ads as the spreadsheet suggests as my website host, HomeRentals.net, has configured an export function that watermarks the pics AND links directly to the listing on my website....the IMPORTANT thing is the routine and assigning the duties on the weekends.....
4. Wallace has been around a LONG TIME!!
Wow, that is some spreadsheet. Craigslist is a great source of renters.
May 6th * O Dark Thirty in VA and I've just posted 4 property listings...luckily we rarely have more than 100 listings per day so my listings usually remain on the first page....I think I learned the spread sheet trick at PROMAS seminar in AZ 2 years ago before NARPM conference.......It was used by office which rotated CL postings between staff and I thought it would help keep schedule clear....it is ALWAYS with me at home and office and I have actually used it in court when tenants wanted to know how I was marketing the property they moved out of EARLY since they did not see any print classified ads for the property.....Once I get application and $$$, I stop posting the property listing on CL and keep it on my website until signed lease is returned.
Wallace - I am impressed with your organization. Thanks for the tip about posting in the am and it makes perfect sense that the largest number of people would be looking on the weekends.
Pam - thank you for your kind comment.
I also get would-be client calls on the weekends - they are thinking about renting their home and don't take the DP so they check Craigslist and see my listings. I try to make a good selection and rotate every 5th day....CL will reject an ad that has been posted more often and while some agents Delete and then RePost an ad, that means that they have lost 6+ hours of the 24 hour cycle and they do double work. Not putting a link to their web site is also a common mistake. Using postlet or vFlyer HTML with photos is impressive and inexpensive.
Heck- I am so impressed -- definitely a numbers guy!
Great spreadsheet, Thank you for the great idea.
For all my lust for all things NASCAR, I am a girl!!!