As many PCSing military families are on a time crunch to find military housing near their next installation, most expect landlords and property managers to communicate efficiently. Furthermore, service members are not always in the same city or even state as their next installation.
This means that anyone hoping to rent to military tenants should have updated practices that promote quick, convenient communication. Integrating the following property management organization tips into your digital workflow will help you get set up to address long-distance renter needs.
Technology for Property Management
Haven’t implemented a technological approach to managing your rental?
You may be missing out on some great opportunities to fill your vacancies. Implementing technology for property management best practices can go a long way in helping you succeed in filling vacancies.
We recommend streamlining your communications with potential military tenants by using a cloud-based service such as Dropbox or Google Drive. By using folders on these platforms, you can provide all necessary images, links, forms, etc., in one folder versus having to send multiple emails, texts and so forth.
Rental Property Management Tools
Take inventory of the different types of images, forms and links you find yourself sending to inquiring renters. Then, compile them into one convenient folder on your Google Drive or Dropbox.
Here are the common items landlords and property managers often send out to potential tenants. This is also a list of all of the features you should include in the cloud-based link you send out to prospective tenants!
Photos
You should have at least 20 photos of the rental or home for sale, along with a few shots of the front yard, back yard and surrounding neighborhood. The pictures you take of the property should tell a story and help military families imagine living their lives there.
Clearly label your photo files and order them starting with the entryway and most important areas of the home, with the least important being last. For example, you can label your entryway pictures “entryway 1,” “entryway 2,” etc. This way, prospective tenants can easily click on what they want to see at any given moment.
Floor Plans
When moving to a new area, one of the top items military members ask property managers for is floor plans. This is because they want to see the layout of the property if they are expected to sign a digital lease before stepping foot inside their new home.
Service members expect to see floor plans, and it is a great selling tool! Creating your own floor plan for your property is an easy and inexpensive way to set you apart from the competition. Get started with FloorPlanOnline for user-friendly tools, tours, room planners and more!
Rental Flier
Photos paint a picture, and floor plans help fill in the story, but your sales flier brings it all together with a narrative. While creating a listing online is a great way to advertise your property online, a flier can be easily handed out by hand or shared via text, email or even Google Drive.
A flier is an easily accessible tool to further your advertising efforts! Let’s say you begin connecting with a potential renter, and they are speaking with various landlords and agents about their preferences in a home. Having a flier PDF to send them will keep your property top-of-mind and reduce the chances of them forgetting why they liked your rental more than the last one they saw.
To design your own flier, you can use sites such as Canva (subscription-based) or event Snapflyers (one-time fee).
Expert Tip: It’s important that you are upfront about the SCRA military clause and your awareness of it. Military personnel want to know you understand the challenges they face and that they are not always in control of relocation orders, often causing them to have to terminate their lease early. This is a big selling piece for service members, and it is well worth the effort to include mention of it in your flier.
Video Home Tour
Take a few minutes to do a walkthrough tour of your home. Open all the blinds throughout your property and make sure the lights are all turned on to give viewers a clear sight of every aspect of the home. Talk to the camera, like you would with a friend, and point out key features of the home during your video tour.
Start from the sidewalk as potential renters would if they were there to physically view the home. Walk into the entryway, throughout the home and end in the backyard or outdoor patio. Keep in mind that people may only watch up to 20% of the video, so make sure you capture all of the home’s key features early in the video.
Applications to Get Started
Using an application that is able to be completed online or digitally signed will make the rental process seamless. One of the most popular and highly-rated application platforms available to property managers is HelloSign.
This service provides you the ability to securely upload your PDF and mark the places that need to be filled out or signed. It’s a fast and easy way to get the information and documents you need in a safe and secure manner.
More Like This: Are you taking your own real estate photos for your listings? Review How to Take Great Real Estate Photos with an iPhone.
Property Management Organization
Now that you’ve gathered all of the essential photos, videos and documents you may want to send potential tenants, begin compiling them neatly in Google Drive or Dropbox. Most people use Google apps through their phones, so opting for that platform will make it even more convenient for those you work with!
While the convenience of digital communications is an essential component of serving the high-tech military population, nothing replaces being able to talk to someone when an important conversation needs to take place.
You can easily create a digital business card to place in your cloud-based folders. This way, the military members you are reaching out to can find your contact information and reach out to you however they are most comfortable.
Expert Tip: Avoid emailing or digitally transferring documents that contain personal or sensitive information. Instead, use secure platforms such as HelloSign to ensure you are keeping your tenants’ information safe and secure.
List Your Military Rental on AHRN
Do you want more exposure for your listing? Interested in becoming a military landlord?
With guaranteed money for rent and government-backed expectations for rentals to be well-kept, military members are highly regarded among experienced landlords. Sign up at AHRN and begin the process of listing your property to attract the prospects you want!