Vacancy Marketing
Preparation
Can you think of anything that works well approached in a haphazard manner? Leasing real estate doesn’t either. But, too often, agents and owners stick a sign in front of a property and an ad in the paper hoping some qualified will drop by.
At Majerle, we think a few hours of advance prep work increases the odds of getting a tenant quickly and cleanly. First, we research the market value. Of course owners want the most they can get and so do we. And that’s the price we want to set right from the start. Our goals in pricing are to avoid overpricing, maximize the rental rate and minimize the vacancy period. These are your goals too, aren’t they?
No, we’re still not ready for that sign… now we look at the property for repairs and cosmetic changes that may help reduce that vacancy time. Some owners want to do the work themselves… others want us to arrange for help. If you’re not a do-it-yourselfer, we have a sister company, Market Ready, Inc. (www.contactmri.com) that is ready to step in and handle anything from a simple lock change or winterization to kitchen & bath renovation and window replacement. Feel free to test them out before you call Majerle. Market Ready, Inc. is a licensed Maryland Home Improvement Contractor (MHIC #32273) and performs services for the general public.
One more thing before we hammer in that sign. Let’s do things right. Sure, there may be just a touch of over-regulation in the Washington Area, but until that changes, we need to be in compliance with the various laws and in good standing with the other regulatory agencies or the condominium/HOA. We’ll help here too. We will assist with obtaining the rental license and getting the necessary lead paint testing done.
Okay! Put up the sign! May we do that for you?
Advertising
Unless we rent your property, you pay nothing:
- NO advertising costs
- NO setup fees
Newspapers are dying and the Internet is taking its place. Newspaper advertising is very costly and provides readers with only a fraction of the information available in other media–and don’t even think about running a photo in the newspaper! …so, since we’re paying the freight, we’ve developed a multi-faceted marketing program that produces results. Here’s what we do…
Multiple Listing Service-MRIS
There’s really only one system today, the Metropolitan Regional Information® (MRIS). This system encompasses some 33 counties in 4 states and the District of Columbia. The same system takes sales and rental listings. MRIS listings are automatically placed on the National Association of REALTORS® website, REALTOR.COM, and on HOMESDATABASE.COM and several other real estate sites.
Internet
The MRIS® system is linked to our site so prospective renters can view all of our listings with a click and without having to know how to search the MRIS®. When changes are made to the listing, the link automatically carries the updated information.
Signs
Our signs have become widely recognized throughout our market area. Brochure tubes are available and can be filled with color brochures.