"What do you mean, I can't see the property?" I'm getting this question a lot more these days.
I have interior photos and floor plans of my available rental properties on my website. The photos are of the property when it is vacant. For properties that I am listing for rent this summer, I am getting calls wanting to view the property.
Some of these callers are sitting in front of the house and are calling me from my sign; some are calling in anticipating of coming into the area to search for rental housing in a few days. Unfortunately, many have failed to read the showing instructions on my website and many do not realize that these properties are actually OCCUPIED now.
I always try to accommodate showings if I have completed rental applications for all the adult applicants AND I have provided the current residents with notice; however, the days of me grabbing keys and jumping into my car are over.
I'm curious why callers expect me to drop everything I am doing, come to the property, disturb the current residents to show them a house they could have seen from the convenience of their current home several weeks ago.
If prospects only have a few days to select their new rental home, doing their "home search homework" would be in order so that they can investigate other aspects of the area - schools, shopping, etc - after narrowing down their home search by availability, rent and length of lease.
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM * 45 years of property management experience at your service * Now renting Central Virginia rental homes for the summer, 2009 season.... http://VAHomes4Rent.com
Wallace S. Gibson, CPM * GIBSON MANAGEMENT GROUP, Ltd.
Central Virginia
LandlordWhisperer
View our available Charlottesville, Albemarle and Lake Monticello 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
You are confirming what I have heard from rental agents: like Buyers, renters have become more demanding. I wish you a busy and successful rental season! (Summer is our high season.)
PS I really enjoyed your photo, which made me laugh out loud. We have a very bold red fox in our neighborhood, too. But not quite as bold as that one, lol.
Margaret - thank you * I don't think it is prospects being demanding so much as they are not doing their homework BEFORE they get here. If they only have a few days to secure a new rental home, checking out areas, rental prices, distances from their work/school from their computer at home would be the FIRST step in narrowing down their selection rather than driving around a neighborhood calling on signs.
Many prospects coming from areas where rental homes rented on a month to month basis, don't realize that the sign is on a home that may not be available for 3 or 4 months.
I get rental calls from my 4Sale sign on the Sellers fence which happens to be located at the end of an apartment complex. Instead of finding it annoying, I figure I just might get a lead.
Linda * I agree - and to me, a sign serve two purposes...1) it advises neighbors that the unit is available in case they know someone who wants to live in their area; and 2) someone driving by can note my website and phone number to check out the property.
The calls are not annoying - it is the demand that they be able to see a property that is someone else's home immediately. Not only is there the concept of courtesy to the current residents, there is the showing condition of the property and the security issue of taking an unknown person into a residents' home.may
Not everyone has common sense - even when it is the first thing they should do is make a call to see if it's 'still' available.' It would save them time also.
I love your photo too!
Wallace I have a question. Are you saying that you require a completed rental application before you allow a property to be shown? That seems a bit extreme. I've just spent the morning with a military spouse looking for a rental property for a three year lease. Only one home out of the 8 we viewed had any photos and even if they had until we actually saw the rooms could she determine whether it would work for her family. I do agree though if the instructions say 24 hour notice that agents should follow them!
Cindy - yes. Since I am taking a "virtual unknown e-mail address" or "voice on a phone" into my residents' home I require a completed one-page rental application for each adult applicant. I want to pre-qualify them and I want them to have previewed the 30+ photos and floor plans of my properties to make sure that they want to invest the time and energy to preview it. I also don't show occupied homes on the weekend out of consideration for my residents and most prospects understand and appreciate this.
In our area, we do not show other agent's rental listings - there are too many prospective renters chasing too few rental properties for that.
Wallace-thanks for the clarification. As you can imagine in Northern Virginia there are hundreds if not thousands of homes for rent. I wish more agents would do as you do and at least put photos in the MLS. It would save countless hours of frustration trying to find a clean and presentable home for qualified tenants.
Cindy - our MLS requires 1 photo of the listing....luckily, I started taking pictures 6 ot 7 years ago and keep them archived for each property and up date photos with new painting, etc. My husband does the floor plans using Home Plan Pro and he can do them in 2 to 3 hours depending on how big the property is.
Luckily, many newer homes in our MLS have the floor plans in the listings or the owner/builder has them on their website so I copy and scan into JPG if necessary.
With the influx of no-shows we are revising our showing policies across the board. We will be conferring with our attorneys to acquire the correct legal language to use. We are leaning toward adapting to a system requiring (individuals without an agent)potential renters to pre-qualify prior to showing appointments.
Diane - I learned the 10 min Realtor Rule eons ago....I wait 10 minutes and then I leave; however, I first get their name and cel # and request them to call me an hour before the appointment. I give them my cel # and tell them that if they are going to be late to call me otherwise, I will wait 10 minutes and if they don't show, I will be gone and they will have to re-schedule...they rarely do not show up since I have their personal information and cel #s....
It's not so much the no-shows as the time wasters who do not preview the property online, don't know the # of bedrooms, etc.
Luckily, the majority of the time, they are waiting for me in the driveway and have already walked around the outside of the property. Viewing the inside is actually the last step in the process. If they want the property, they give me their check for FMR and SD and then I prepare the lease packet for them.
Wallace - we always get the name and cell phone numbers, but it does NOT prevent folks for standing us up even though we always call prior to the appointment and ask them to call if they will not be coming. Some of these places are miles away from our office. My agents have had enough and will NOT do a rental showing UNLESS the down payment money is on hand.
I will give an update on this when we get it documented
Diane - luckily, my rental prospects rarely don't show. I have had them call when I am driving away with a good excuse and I'll re-schedule; otherwise, they need to submit an applicaton and then I'll review it and re-schedule.
My prospects are incoming military officers, medical school residents/doctors and graduate school students who rent on fixed term leases * sometimes for 2 or 3 years, so they rarely do not show up.
I have new property owner clients who are moving to FL in mid-June....they can't find rental housing there NOW be cause everyone is on M2M leases; meanwhile, in my area, we have fixed term leases and I've know since Feb what properties will be coming vacant for the summer.
I have several homes that are rented to military families here for UVa JAG law school and I start re-leasing them in Dec since I know they will be gone when the school session is over.
Know your rental market; know your rental SEASON; know your rental prospects.
Rental prospects put in their head how things should be and demand the property manager follow suit or you can expect a negative reaction. That is where things are right now. Each of us has to run our business so it works for us, not the the other way around.
Vey well put. Best Business Practice very widely. What works for you in the West Coast, Wallace in the East and myself in Midwest Chicago area can all be different and still works for each of us. www.nwi2rent.com
Rental prospects in our area for summer rentals are already CRYING!!! Yes, CRYING because they waited too long thinking they had time and rental rates are going UP as inventory is going DOWN!!
I am getting calls daily for summer moves. People are planning earlier for relocations. Pre-Move leasing is more and more common. If you're a property manager within thirty miles of a Major U.S City, Military Base or Campus, then you are already busy matching prospects to your property inventory.
I agree....I started renting for July, 2009 in Dec, 2008 * the sooner people get their rental housing situated * the sooner they can get on with their life.
Hi Wallace you are only the best. I have learned so much from you keep it up especially the others. P.S. i love the pic can I steal it?
Great ideas