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Showing the Rental.
by Don Conrad
Late applicants
When you show up for an appointment, try to be early. Five minutes is more than enough time. Most people will be on time but a few will show up 5 to 15 minutes late. By arriving just a few minutes ahead of schedule, your wait time will be kept to a minimum for the latecomers.
When you initially set the appointment time, you should have given the prospect your cell phone number and asked them to call you if they are running late or can’t show up at all. This is good advice, but it doesn’t always work, so as an added measure of security, I will often place a call to the prospect a couple hours before the showing to remind them of our appointment. If they not at the showing within 15 minutes of the appointed time, I don’t wait around any longer. I have waited in the past, and I have learned that almost without exception, when the terribly late did show up, they were not worth the wait.
I also seldom give a “no-call, no-show” prospect a second chance at a showing unless there was an emergency or unforeseen circumstance that kept them from being able to contact me. You can allot as much time as you want, but my experience has shown me that latecomers or no-shows are generally not the quality tenants I’m seeking.
When you arrive.
Should you arrive before your scheduled appointment, you might wish to use this time wisely. I suggest you keep a few plastic, recyclable shopping bags in the glove box of your car. That way, when you get to the dwelling, you can make a quick check of the property grounds and pick up any debris that is lying around. While you’re at it, pull a few weeds and put them in the bag as well. Check the mailbox for any junk mail. Once you’re done checking the property, all you do is tie the bag handles together and toss the bag out when you get back home. As you’re policing the dwelling, take the time to make sure that all gutter extensions are in place and that there are no broken windows or anything else on the property vying for your attention before the prospect arrives.
There are two kinds of rental dwellings that you could be showing: occupied and unoccupied. Each is handled differently. Let’s discuss occupied units first.
Occupied rentals.
If the current tenant still lives there, don’t show the property unless you have an outstanding prospect who is highly interested. Before showing an occupied house, have the prospect drive by and take a good look at the property. Explain that there are still people living there and that you must protect their privacy, especially since they trust you enough to allow you to walk people through their home.
When I show an occupied unit, I ask that everyone stay together and not touch anything. I lead a quick tour of the dwelling, then after the tour, I will answer any questions. I always try to do the questions-and-answer session outside, weather permitting. If I can’t do that, I suggest driving to a local restaurant or back to the prospect’s home (you get to see how they live with this method) to continue our discussion and to fill out any necessary paperwork. Remember, the longer everyone stays at your current tenant’s home (even though it is for rent, if they still live there, technically, it’s still their home) the more likely the chance that something gets dirty, damaged, or stolen.
Showing an occupied dwelling can be bothersome and inconvenient to the current tenant so try to make these occasions rare.
Here are a few tips to help you decide when to show an occupied dwelling:
- Only show the dwelling to someone highly qualified who has driven by and who you believe will almost certainly rent the unit once he or she has seen the inside.
- Only show a dwelling that is clean and uncluttered. If the place will not make a good first impression, wait until the unit is empty, cleaned, and painted.
- Get permission from the current tenants and let them know what time you’ll be at their home and assure them you’ll only be there for a few minutes.
Unoccupied rentals.
Even though showing an occupied dwelling can save you money because the time between the old tenant leaving and the new tenant arriving can be greatly reduced, I think you’ll find that many of your showings will be at empty rental units.
When you show an empty rental, the precautions change. You no longer have to worry about someone causing damage to anything your current tenant owns, but the issue of personal safety now enters the picture. If you are a female, use extra caution when showing a rental unit by yourself. I recommend following these safety rules:
- Let someone know where you are going, the names of who you are meeting, the time of the meeting and the approximate time you’ll be back.
- Try to take someone with you if possible.
- Carry a charged cell phone. By the time you read this, a large part of the country will have a satellite tracking system for cell phone emergencies. With this system sending an emergency call out, you can still be tracked down even if you are unable to give your location. You just have to leave the phone on.
- Carry a loud shrill whistle or an obnoxious noise maker and can of mace with you, ready at all times and know how to use it.
- Try to stay between the applicant and an unlocked exit so you don’t find yourself trapped with nowhere to go.
- When you get to the house, you can ask for photo ID. Then call your answering machine or a trusted friend and give this information. Name of person you are meeting, including ID number, address, birth date, and the time of the call. Do this outside in view of everyone before entering the rental.
- Above all, trust your instincts, which are your best natural source of survival. In fact, I am such a firm believer of listening to one’s instincts that I need to recommend a book called The Gift of Fear by Gavin DeBecker. It is a book about listening to one’s instincts when it comes to personal safety.
As long as you keep safety a top priority, showing an empty unit can have many advantages.
The showing.
At this time, let’s proceed with the showing. Once your prospects arrive, greet everyone with a handshake and ask for their names. This approach shows professionalism and will help establish a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere, which will yield a more productive showing. Open the door and as everyone steps in, ask them to remove their shoes or wipe their feet, whatever is your protocol. Then begin your tour.
Lead everyone through the living and private quarters, one room at a time. Give them time to look things over and ask questions. This personal one on one time between you and the prospect is often crucial in addressing issues they might have. You want this walk through to be leisurely and informational, but don’t talk forever and don’t use all the obvious amenities as a sales pitch.
Be prepared to answer a lot of questions at the showing. These questions will cover topics about the dwelling itself, the neighborhood, you policies, what-if questions, and anything in between. Answer these questions as honestly as you can and be willing to admit when you don’t know the answer, although you should be able to answer the important ones. Topics like school systems, the neighborhood, costs for garbage, sewer, water, heat, and electric, to name a few.
Don’t be pushy or over bearing but work on selling the rental as the prospect’s new home. Bring attention to some of the highlights of the rental. Employ the ABC s of closing (I have an article on the ABCs of closing on my website at http://www.findthatqualitytenant.com if you are interested in this concept).
After you have answered all questions, and both parties are happy with each other, ask them if they are ready to fill out the application. If they are unsure, give them a couple minutes to discuss it, then ask again. Don’t leave the showing without asking this question. You drove to the rental to rent it and the application needs to be filled out to start that process. If at all possible, get the paperwork in motion. courtesy of www.findthatqualitytenant.com
Read more landlording and real estate investment articles
j_______________
If you would like further infomation on this topic, please purchase my book"How to Find That Quality Tenant". Ask your locale bookstore or see my website at:www.findthatqualitytenant.com
I am not a lawyer, therefore, if you have any legal concerns with anything in this article, please contact the appropriate legal counsel.
The above article may be reproduced without my permission under the following conditions: author name, website, and contact information must accompany article and be prominently displayed, and the article must be reproduced in it's entirety.
Thank You. Don Conrad
Copyright 2006 Blue Collar Publishers
www.findthatqualitytenant.com
e-mail: donconrad@findthatqualitytenant.com
phone: 1-888-452-0765
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Tip of the Month
August 2008 |
Discrimination is a serious issue. As you are looking for quality tenants, it is important to keep away from issues protected by the Fair Housing Laws. Under the Fair Housing Act it is illegal to refuse to rent to someone based on their race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, family status, or disabilities. Absolutely stay away from these issues when searching for tenants. I can tell you for a fact, none of these issues are determining factors on your tenant being a "good tenant" or a "bad tenant".
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