Area Craigslist rental listings are slowly dwendling, homes are renting FAST and prescreening is even MORE important with gas at $4+/gallon.
I can tell more and more landlords are pre-screening caller/applicants. Prospects when they call ALREADY know what questions to answer - when they need to move, what kind of pets they have, how long they have been in the area, how many in their family, where they are employed.
Also, they are spending more time on my web site previewing homes by viewing interior photos and floor plans and charting distance from the property to their work and schools....once they use my website, they can really enjoy the benefits of the mapping capability and neighborhood features.
Although schools and neighborhoods are still VERY important in their selection process, driving distance and commute times are entering the pre-screening conversation more and more. Questions about appliances, storage and services included in the rental rate are also being asked in the pre-screening contact.
Prospects are traveling with laptops or using computers at their new job to narrow down their choice and are viewing several properties in a given area at the same time.
I've had prospects call me from in front of a property after viewing it from their laptop in their car as they had signed on to a neighbors unsecured wi-fi signal.
It's good to see prospects are doing their HOMEWORK * I guess that's why they call it HOME WORK!!
http://VaHomes4Rent.com * Finding your new rental home in Central Virginia just got easier!!
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
Wallace, prescreening is key in our area. We often ask potential renters to come in to the office and pick up a key. It's relatively safe as we ask that they provide $25 cash or a check and a copy of their driver's license. If they lose the key, we have their $, and if they damage the property, we have a copy of their ID. We've never had any isssues.
20+ years ago in Napa, CA, local Realtor/PM firm did as you do and prospect changed property locks, put ad in local newspaper and rented the home 3X before Realtor/PM firm realized they key was still out and sent handyman to check on it.
Big spread in local newspaper and lots of questions from police on their procedure. Their liability insurance was cancelled - 6 mos later, I bought the PM accounts.
The downside of giving out keys seems to outweigh the plus side. I do not think a client would choose that method if they had the choice.
We are all going to get a lot more efficient in using gasoline with prices rising.