Although conducting an open house is the best way to showcase your property, it is not always possible. The interested tenant might not be able to come personally if their location is too far away or they might not have enough time.
Their other option is to connect with you online to check the unit, after seeing your property listing online. If they reach out, you should anticipate that they will have questions and that they will expect you to answer them. Knowing your units very well will give the impression that you value your business. If you want to be very transparent to your potential tenants, you can offer them a virtual home tour since some queries require answers supported by visual evidence.
Let me list down some of the questions that the tenants would usually ask so that you are more prepared.
• Are there more pictures?
Sometimes you would receive requests to show more pictures of the property since they are not satisfied with the pictures that you put up online.
Renting a house is a big deal and a tenant would want to know every single detail. They want to see beyond what is posted online. They might want to see more of the nooks and crannies or how much light comes in during the daytime.
This is why when you create listings at Padleads, include more pictures of the small details and not just the general view of the property. It does not have to be fancy but make sure it is clean and pleasant to look at. However, it is still recommended that you produce high-quality, well-curated, and professionally photographed images. This could help lessen these kinds of requests.
• Is there room for an office?
Some tenants prefer to have their own office at home so they can still get work done without interruptions and cluttering their work things in the other areas of the house, especially in this time of health crisis when working from home is becoming common nowadays.
Show them an extra space inside the unit or a corner where they can set up a mini-office.
• Can I see the oven while opened?
You might find this question unusual, but this question comes up more often than you think. As I’ve said, some tenants will want to check every nook and cranny.
When tenants ask this, they are usually looking at how much space there is in the kitchen. They might want to check if there is area is big enough to move around or is the space too narrow between the oven and cupboards.
They may also be interested in the appliances specifically if they will use it for a hobby or a home business.
• Is there good cellular reception inside the premises?
This may be one of the first questions to pop up during your conversation. Mobile gadgets and the internet have become an essential part of everyone’s daily lives. It has become a need during this current situation where people are working from home and even having their classes online. So you would understand that a good reception is a must.
• Can I check the water pressure in the shower?
This is another request that seems a bit weird but somewhat understandable. Tenants differ in many ways and a tenant who has particular preferences regarding the shower pressure is not unheard of. If you are unable to do so, you can describe it instead.
• Can I see inside the refrigerator?
Their reason for asking this may be the same as opening the oven – to check the space. It might not be a big deal for some but it will be for those who will be living with other people. They will want to know how cramped it will get if all of them will crowd in the same room at the same time.
• Is it possible to see the surrounding area?
When you purchased your property, you were probably checking out the neighborhood as well. This is just the same for tenants. They will want to assess the environment where they will be staying or how far the amenities are from the building.
• Are there supermarkets and restaurants nearby?
If the property is surrounded by nearby markets and food places, then it will be a bonus for them. They will want to live in a place where they can easily buy their needs without the hassle of commuting. This will entice them to rent your property more.
• Can I see how far the parking area is?
The tenant may want to see the distance between the parking area and the building. They would also want to check for streetlights along the way.
• How far is the highway from the building?
They ask this to evaluate the accessibility of your property and the available public transportation for them. Not all of your tenants will have cars so they will need to know their options beforehand.
Provide them the necessary information that they need and you’ll have a new tenant in no time. Remember that this is an agreement between you and your tenant. If you have questions, so will they.