One of my coaching clients was having a problem with less than fruitful showing appointments for her rentals. Here’s the plan that we’ve implemented in our office and the plan that she’ll be implementing for her office soon, too!
Please ask the following questions to prospective tenants who call to inquire about a property.
1. How many people are you looking for a home for?
2. Does (rental amount) fit into your budget?
3. We only take two year leases. Are you comfortable with such a commitment?
4. Because of the condition of our rentals, we do not accept any pets, and we also do not accept any smoking or candles. Is that a challenge for you?
5. We require a $2,000 security deposit plus first month’s rent. Are you fine with that, assuming you love the property?
6. We cannot accept Section 8 or people with poor credit ratings. Can you tell me about your credit rating?
7. Once we agree that this home is perfect for you, we will require a non-refundable $52 background and credit check for everyone over 18 years old. Would that be agreeable to you?
Then you can say, “Great, I would love to show you the home. Because we have had some no-shows on showings, we would like you to call 30 minutes before our appointment. Once I get your call, I will leave the office. Thank you for considering our gold-plated homes.”
Please type and put this script/checklist in front of everyone who will handle incoming calls for your rentals. This list should cut down the number of poor quality rental showings.
Excellent advice. I already do this because of no-shows in the past. I also require an application deposit before I process the application. If the prospective tenants are approved and sign the lease, that money is credited towards their deposit. If they are approved and don’t sign the lease, that deposit is retained by us.
Thanks for the great tips….
Jay
Thanks for the script and great suggestions!
Valerie
We use the script with a few changes and additions and it has helped us better qualify the rental appointments. The best part is having the applicant call 30 minutes before the appointment. That’s a real time saver and further tests their motivation.
Thanks Walter!