Great news! Progress in being made to combat the pandemic and many experts say that by the end of 2021, we will have this issue behind us.
Are you an Agent with a rental listing that you are Marketing?
Or maybe you already found a tenant and you are helping your Owner manage it.
Both of these services can be a challenge these days.
Here are 6 Tips that may help:
I am an Agent Marketing a Rental.
- Virtual Showings / Video – Put your film director’s hat on. The first time I recorded a video tour, it was terrible. I used an iPhone 10 which is fine, but I bounced it around too much. In addition, I didn’t have a good plan to go from room to room and narrate my tour in a organized way. Like anything else, it takes practice. The great news is with today’s phones, you have unlimited retakes – for free! I recommend starting at the street. As you walk to the door, you have few seconds to talk about the town and the area. As you tour the home, accentuate the positive. Is there a park nearby? How is the carpet and paint? Is the kitchen updated? Is it ready for quick move in? Keep your video under two minutes, be professional and upbeat.
- Stay outside – When you have a showing, you may need to keep your distance. In some situations, you may open the door for the client, give them some instructions and let them tour the property on their own while you wait outside.
- Glove/Wipes/Hand Sanitizer – Always be sure to get to the property before the tenants. Leave hand sanitizer and gloves on the porch for their use. Space out showings so groups do not overlap. Wipe down high-touch areas like doorknobs.
I am an Agent helping my owner manage their Tenant Occupied Rental.
- Know the current eviction status – There is a lot going on with evictions. NJ Governor Murphy passed Executive Order 106 in early 2020 which has huge eviction implications. Can I still file? Are the courts open? Is there a backlog? What if I file but it never gets to a hearing? One third of residents in NJ rent and more tenants than ever are struggling to make rent payments. Many people have lost their jobs and may not be eligible for unemployment benefits. NJ has created a special site for information which can be a great resource: covid19.nj.gov.
- Text communication – If you cannot visit properties in person, texting is a powerful communication tool. Let’s say your tenant has a water leak. Have them text you a picture or video instead of going to the property in person. Does your tenant have questions about their lease? Texting provides a permanent record of the communication. Texting is short and succinct – that is especially nice if your tenant tends to take up a lot of your time talking on the phone.
- Drop off pre-addressed envelopes – If you are an Agent and the tenant is coming to your office to drop off rent, an easy way to avoid this is to provide the tenant with pre-addressed and pre-stamped rent payment envelopes. Drop off enough for the rest of their lease. Even if a year remains, your cost is still under $10.
As always, we want to be your resource for anything related to residential property management. Contact us anytime with questions. With over 400 properties under management, Agents trust us to focus on property management for their clients.