Leasing Your property in Chicago?

Leasing Your Property in Chicago?

Discover How You Can Dramatically Improve Your Chances of Finding a Renter With Lofty’s 19 Perfect Showing Tips!

leasing in chicagoIf you are a landlord and need to rent or lease your property, there are several things you need to know that will improve your chances of landing a tenant. Although the market for prospective tenants for apartments in Chicago is in full force, many offers vanish into thin air because potential renters were simply turned off with poor landlord behavior!

So, before you conduct any viewings, make sure that you are prepared and professional. Simply use this step-by-step checklist of tips that’ll show you the right way to present your property!

A Few Hours Before the Viewing Begins

  • Preparation is important before the viewing begins. Here’s what you do need to do before the potential tenants arrive:
  • Always dress to impress. You’re going to want to dress one step above what you think the potential tenants will be wearing. Let’s say the dress code is casual, then dress business casual. If the dress code is business casual, one up them and dress business professional (men can go with or without tie). It’s better to look overdressed because you can always remove layers if they are dressed casually.
  • Before you head on over to the unit, make sure you review the details of the unit you are about to show. This boosts your confidence when you know the highlights of the property.
  • Make sure you have all keys for all areas of the property such as the garage and storage units. There’s nothing worse than not having entry to an area the renter wants to see!

Etiquette & BehaviorEtiquette Right before the Viewing Begins

Right before the potential tenants arrive, make sure you’re on your best behavior and practice these practical tips on etiquette:

  • Arrive at least 15 to 30 minutes before the scheduled viewing begins. Even if you arrive on-time, you may not have enough time to prepare the place.
  • Don’t park your car in the main parking spot. Instead, opt for street parking and, if possible, allow them to park in the closest spot to the property. You never want your potential renter or leaser to park too far. It is important for them to know how it feels to park like they would if they lived there.
  • Once you arrive at the unit, open all the window coverings (unless the view is unwelcoming).
    Make sure you clear the path before the viewing begins.
    Bad breath is unprofessional, but gum is just as distracting! Have a breath mint beforehand, but avoid chewing gum at all costs.
  • Switch your phone off or to silent and wait until after the viewing is over to reply to missed calls and text messages. Anything else is a potential distraction, offense or annoyance and could easily tarnish an otherwise promising professional relationship.

Here’s to Having a Great Viewing

Once the potential tenants have arrived, here are some tips to make it a successful and impressive viewing.

  • Be congenial and greet the viewers with a happy smile and friendly, firm handshake.
  • Get a feel of their pace by asking if they have another meeting right after the viewing. If they are in a hurry, speed up the viewing.
  • When showing the rooms of the unit, don’t stand in the middle of the rooms because it makes the rooms look smaller. You want to make the rooms look bigger than they appear. Avoid standing in front of windows, it blocks natural light.
  • If you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t resort to lying. Instead say, “Good question! I don’t know the right answer at the moment, but will look into it right after the viewing and get back to you.” The important thing is to follow through on unanswered questions.
  • Point out the positive highlights of the unit by saying, “The kitchen’s appliances are all new” or “You can see the sunrise in this room, giving it a whole heap of natural light.”

beautiful kitchenClosing the Viewing on the Right Note

Once the viewing is about to end, you want to end it on a good note. Here’s some tips on how to successfully close the viewing:

  • Finish the viewing in the nicest room of the property such as the kitchen or living room. It helps to close the viewing in a room where there is a table and chairs. Make sure to have final conversation there, just in case the potential tenants want to make an offer and write down some notes.
  • If they are interested in placing an offer, talk about the next step: the application process.
  • Close with a sincere ‘thank you’ and tell them that you’ll be in touch. Clarify that both parties have each other’s contact information such as email addresses and phone numbers.
  • Turn off the lights, close all the shades, and lock all the doors. Don’t leave anything behind.

Remember, in order to get your potential renter to want to rent from you, it’s important to come prepared and look and act professional. Potential tenants are obviously looking for a new place to call home, but they also want to start a fruitful relationship with their landlord, so that’s why being professional is so important. In order to make a lasting impression and, eventually, have new tenants seal the deal with you, just follow these steps and we can guarantee that you will greatly increase your chances of signing tenants.

Do you have a property in Chicago that you want to lease or sell? Get in touch with our experts here at Lofty to see how we can help.

Whether you just need to find the right tenants for your investment property, or you want everything managed from top to bottom, live the life you deserve and let Lofty handle the rest.

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