The Landlord's Guide to Classified Ads

If you've made use of landlord portals to let your rental properties, then you know that an appealing advert is all-important. In this article, we'll walk you through the essential elements of an amazing classified ad.

The difference between a property that's quickly snapped up and one that sits on the market isn't always about the place itself. The classified ad may not be doing your property justice. This article aims to help landlords by explaining the essential elements of a great property advert and run you through what your classified ads should include.

Pricing your rental property

Price is the single most important factor when seeking out tenants. The best way to figure out whether your property is priced too high (or too low) is to do a quick search of the portals you're advertising on to see what similar homes are renting at. Settle on an average price that seems to yield success for properties like yours and see if that sparks any interest.

When listing your property, always round your price up or down to the nearest £100. This way, when someone searches for properties within a certain price range, you'll appear in more search parameters. For example, if you list your rental property at £600pcm, it will appear under both the site’s £500–£600 and the £600–£700 range filters.

Photos for a property advert

It goes without saying, but having a professional photographer take the photos for you goes a long way when you're trying to catch a potential tenant's eye.

Big, beautiful photos are the second most important part of your classified ad. You need to hook potential tenants, and that means showing off your home's best features. To do this, make sure all the rooms you photograph are clean and well-lit. You should try to capture as much of each room as possible and choose each shot carefully to show off the best angles.

At the very least, you'll want photos of your kitchen, living room, master bedroom and bathrooms. You'll generally want 6–10 high quality photos—one photo per room. For your lead photo, consider showcasing your best quality photo. If possible, make it one of the home's main selling features e.g. the kitchen.

House features

Installed a new boiler? Fixed the shingles? It pays to list any work you've done and/or any novelty features your house might have. Make a bullet point list telling tenants about...

Recent renovations/refurbishments
Character appeal (e.g. exposed wooden beams, wood-burning fire places, etc.)
Nearby parks/rivers/shopping centres
Proximity to important locations (Universities, transit, landlord, etc.)
Parking accommodations
Security features
Storage space
En suite bathroom
Low tenant fees
Pet-friendly
Smoke-free

Writing a description for a property advert

You'll want to lead with a description that succinctly describes (and upsells) your property. Include the important information tenants want to know, such as:

Date the property is available
Number of bedrooms
Number of bathrooms
Whether the property is furnished/unfurnished
Rent/utility details
Energy certificates

Obviously you should aim to sell your property to your ideal tenant, which means describing specific features that might appeal to them. For example, if your house is located near a university, describe the short commute and highlight all the local pubs and hot spots. If you want to rent to new families, describe nearby parks, schools, and community centres.

The key here is to understand your audience and adapt your advert to give them the information you think they’d like to see.

Getting a floor plan of a property

When tenants look at classified ads, they're hoping to get a sense of a home's size and layout. Many prospects won't even click on an advert that doesn't include a floor plan.

Fortunately, there are many programs available that allow you to create a floor plan for yourself. Examples include free browser-based software by RoomSketcher and Homestyler. You can also pay a company like easyProperty to draw up professional floor plans for you.