Whether you’re using a broader real estate listing website like Trade Me Property or you’re listing privately through a property management firm, the quality of your rental property listing will partially define the quality of the tenants you see applying.

To secure high-quality tenants, you need to optimise rental property listing details to stand out in New Zealand’s incredibly crowded rental market. Whether you’re looking to list an apartment for rent in the bustling CBD or you’re putting your family home up in the suburbs, it pays to take time and nail your advertisement, as it directly correlates to the quality of the applicants you will receive.

After more than 10 years of managing properties across Auckland, Hamilton and Tauranga and writing thousands of rental property listings, we have a few key tips to help you get it right. Below is our comprehensive guide to optimise a rental property listing, one bullet point at a time.

1. Invest in professional photography.

First things first: your potential tenants will almost always look at the photos on your listing before they look at any other information. Strong images will help to convey the quality of your property. Your photos are also what catch a potential tenant’s eye in their perpetual scroll through properties.

Both of these realities mean one thing for you: investing in professional photography for the property you are listing is absolutely worthwhile. To truly optimise rental property listing performance, you might also consider hiring a stager to ensure your property looks its best.

Quick tip: Ensure every room is accounted for in the photos, and highlight any details that make your property particularly attractive to rent, such as a wide deck, lots of outdoor space, or unique indoor architecture.

2. Grab attention with the headline.

To optimise a rental property listing, your headline needs to do more than list your address. Of course, the important information should appear in your listing, but the headline is your opportunity to capture the right tenant’s eye. To find that ideal headline, you’ll need two pieces of information:

Your ideal tenant.

Consider who your ideal tenant is. Are you seeking a responsible family to live in a property in a school zone? Are you renting to students in their final year of education? Is a solo, short-term renter exactly what your property needs?

Your property’s unique selling point (USP)

Your property is unlike other properties on the market for a distinct reason. There is something exciting that makes your rental property a real gem, a true find for someone in your ideal tenant pool. Perhaps you have more storage than the average home, you’re in three school zones, or your home has a touch of that charming old-school character missing from many modern developments.

Combine those two details to find the most effective headline to list an apartment for rent (or a home, for that matter). For example, a “3 Bedroom House in Auckland” would be better conveyed as a “Modern 3-Bedroom Family Home with Sun-Drenched Deck in Auckland.”

3. Describe how someone will live in your property.

While your tenants need essential data, such as the number of rooms and the property’s square footage, the description should convey more than that to secure high-quality tenants. This is where you sell the ideal experience. A great rental property listing will connect with the reader emotionally and help them picture themselves living in your rental property day-to-day.

There are a few things you can add to your description to enrich it for your ideal tenant:

•       Talk about the neighbourhood, including helpful amenities nearby.
•       Highlight any creature comforts like double glazing or high-end appliances.
•       Explain how the space flows. Could they include a home office? Is the backyard secure for children or pets?

When you list an apartment for rent, we recommend emphasising the “lock-up-and-leave” lifestyle with security built-in. High-quality tenants are often busy professionals who can pay rent on time and live quietly; these qualities indicate that your property offers a low-maintenance, high-comfort lifestyle.

4. Be transparent, compliant, and upfront.

In Aotearoa, all rental properties must now meet the Healthy Homes Standards. This is a non-negotiable aspect of listing as a landlord, and a high-quality tenant will look out for this detail.

Make sure you are transparent about your Healthy Homes Compliance in your rental property listing, as this not only protects you legally but also signals to potential tenants that you are a professional and responsible landlord.

5. Price appropriately (or highlight hallmark features).

Finally, your price will play a significant role in the quality of the tenants you see in your applications. Remember that high-quality tenants pay their rent on time, have solid references from previous landlords, and care for properties throughout their tenancy. Pricing appropriately will set you up for success as a landlord.

Setting your rent too high can lead to long vacancy periods, while setting it too low might attract a volume of applications that are difficult to screen. To optimise rental property listing results, it helps to consult a property management company or research current market insights to find a fair price for your property.

A fair price will help you to attract “best-fit” tenants; ones who are more likely to understand the value of the home you are listing, and more likely to stay long-term, so you’re not repeatedly paying turnover costs.

As you can see, optimising your rental listing is an investment. It can help reduce vacancy periods and keep your costs lower, even more so if you rely on a professional property management firm to help you write and distribute the listings.

Most importantly, a high-quality tenant will save you thousands of dollars in maintenance and lost rent over the years. It all begins with that moment they see your rental property listing online, so it’s vital to make that moment count!

Let Aspire Property managers help you with listing your property.

Attract great tenants and sit back as your property portfolio is managed by the best property management service in NZ. We put customers at the centre of everything we do, and are proud to take care of investment properties all over the country.

Join Aspire Property Management today!