Due to the pandemic and the movement restriction across Malaysia, the overall airbnb industry in Sabah has been experiencing a flattened rent growth at a time where the rental activity should be heating up. However, as the movement restriction lifts up, the economy has slowly opened and the rental market has also been waking up. This can be seen as a great opportunity for anyone with the intention to rent out the property to get it ready for listings. Rental listings are a fundamental part of your marketing strategy. A well-written listing will attract the kinds of tenants you’re looking for. This does not mean that you will be picking and choosing your tenants based on any demographic as this will be discriminatory and against the law. What should be done is to have a good listing to attract the kinds of tenants who are looking for what you have to offer.  After all, you don’t want to waste an applicant’s time if they need to be near certain facilities and there is none in your area. Now that you know a great listing is necessary, how do you write that attractive listing? Well, Pinstay as an experienced Airbnb management company in Sabah have compiled some tips for you.

Know Your Audience 

Before you do anything, you should research your audience and the kind of tenants your properties attract. Begin with your current tenants. What are your current tenant’s demographics? Who are they? Are they older or younger? Do they have families or are they single professionals? Then ask them why they chose your property. Their answers will allow you to highlight the right features and amenities of your homes. Knowing your audience is essential to help you determine where to post your listings. You probably know that younger residents prefer the convenience of mobile. They are more likely to use mobile applications like Booking.com, Airbnb and more to search for the homestay or property location which they are looking for. Do keep in mind that age is not the only demographic you should focus on as other information such as marital status, income, career type can also influence which platform you should be utlising. Always remember that you are posting to an audience who are most likely going to rent your property, not an audience who would choose to rent your properties. 

Know Your Neighborhood

Before writing your own listing, check out listings for similar properties in the same neighborhood, particularly for Airbnb management company in Sabah that are filing vacancies successfully. Analyse and study how they talk about their features and amenities. Look at the pictures to see how other homestay or airbnb management properties are presenting their properties. Finally, look to see if there’s anything missing that your property has; something that makes you stand apart. Perhaps your rent is lower for the same size unit. Maybe your unit has a good view or space for an in-home office which is a feature that has become more popular as people are working from home. Bottom line, keep up to speed on the kinds of properties available in your area and how you stand out among them and make sure to list them out as these qualities are what makes your listing unique. In addition, you should also know what your neighborhood has to offer such as is your property close to public transportation or if there are big employers around the neighborhood. Good education is also an important feature especially to renters who has a family. 

Know Your Property

This seems to be very unnecessary, but if your property management company has multiple properties, it can be pretty challenging to know every detail and amenities for every single one. So be sure to take the time to refresh your memory by doing a walk-through of vacant properties or review old listings. If the unit is still occupied, ask if you can set up a time to take a walk-through. Better yet, ask your current tenant what they like best about living there. 

Be Descriptive

English teachers hate it when students use words like nice and good in their work. That’s because these adjectives don’t reveal much information about the property. The same is true of apartment listings. A nice view doesn’t tell the reader what’s outside the window. Good lighting doesn’t help, either.  That goes for superlatives, too. Words like best, biggest, and closet don’t really do much to describe your property. 

Take these examples: This house has the best view in town. 

Think about it. Your property could have the best view but this doesn’t mean the view is great.

Instead, try this: This house has 180-degree views of the lake and surrounding park. 

These types of sentences tell your audience a whole lot more about the kind of property you are renting. 

Include Really Great Photos

You may be tempted to take photos as part of your walk-through, but don’t. Wait until your property is empty, repaint the walls and make sure that the whole unit has been professionally cleaned. Remember, you want to put your best foot forward in your listing. For great pictures that help you do that, follow these tips: 

• Take several pictures from different angles in each room at the time when you have the most light available. 
• Opt for a wide-angle lens instead of a fish-eye lens, which distorts the picture.
• Take high-quality images and use a tripod to avoid blurry or pixelated images. 
• Don’t include people in your shots.
• Best to wait until property is vacant, if not at least tidy up the place and put all the personal items away.

Consider a Listing Widget

Creating listings for each property and posting them to the right platforms can be time-consuming. There are tools that can help you streamline the process. A listing widget can help you create consistently branded listings that prospective tenants can search and filter easily. And you can post your listings simultaneously on several platforms with just one click. Finally, a listing widget makes your listings more mobile-friendly and allows prospective tenants to apply online. 

Your listings are the foundation of the marketing strategy in your Airbnb management company in Sabah. They are your audience’s direct line to your available properties. Writing a listing that features the best parts of your and cuts out all the fluff will help you attract tenants and build your reputation as a provider of fantastic rental experiences.

Interested in Homestay Management Sabah? Contact us now.

Related Articles:
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