LANDLORDING 103 – MARKETING TO FIND TENANTS KAREN RITTENHOUSE
you when meeting a prospect or have them in a kitchen drawer if you allow prospects to view on their own.
Ask for the money. After a showing, ask when they plan to move in and if they prefer to pay the deposit by
money order, bank check, or credit card. Always assume they plan to take it.
Offer an incentive. If they sign the contracts within 24 hours of viewing the property, offer a financial
incentive. It can be a discount off the move-in amount, a discount off a future month’s rent, a gift card to a home
improvement store, anything you come up with.
How did they find you? Ask every prospect. Keep track of what marketing is working so you can
focus there—and what isn’t so you can improve or eliminate it. If you don’t measure it, you can’t improve it.
If it’s already rented. If someone responds to a property that is already taken, don’t just hang up. Get this
person’s contact information, find out what he or she is looking for, and tell this prospective tenant about other
properties you have or will have available.
Find out why. If a prospect turns down your property, do all you can to find out the real reason. It may be
something you can take care of before the next showing.