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It’s pretty widely known that the biggest key to good landlording is attracting and keeping good renters. Doing so protects your property, minimizes costs, provides stability, and gives you the greatest possible income. It also, in my opinion, gives you the unique ability to build relationships and trust … one of the big reasons why I’m doing this thang.
So I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how to find these “good renters”. The current situation in my home is pretty unique … four tenants are living under separate leases and sharing a common area upstairs. Though not an ideal situation for a family, this setup is great for a young professional or college student who’s trying to get ahead without having to live in the proverbial “parents’ basement”. I’ve been there myself for seven years, so I can appreciate the finer points of sharing a space and keeping the rent low.
When my current tenants’ leases run out at the end of the year, I plan to keep this same strategy (with some tweaks) and hopefully the same tenants (if things click). But I’ve already got to start thinking about how to fill the space quickly and with the right people if a spot opens up.
My location is one of the big factors here … I’m about a mile and a half away from Kenwood Towne Centre, one of the nicest malls in Cincinnati, so it would only make sense to try and connect with both mall employees and customers. I’d probably use roadside signs, bulletin boards, and (of course) a website … but I need your help to choose a domain:
So what do you think? Which one is the most likely to attract the right people? Which would be the most memorable to someone driving or walking by?
November 19th, 2007 at 9:48 pm EST
KenwoodApartment.com
Simple, easy to remember. And it is an apartment, not their home.
November 19th, 2007 at 10:27 pm EST
That was my inclination too.
One thing, though … it’s actually in Silverton, the next neighborhood over from Kenwood. So SilvertonApartment.com would more accurate, but its name recognition would be worse. Hmm.
I could even consider getting both domains and advertising the appropriate one in the appropriate place …
November 20th, 2007 at 12:22 am EST
I would say KenwoodApartment.com as well.
November 20th, 2007 at 12:40 am EST
kenwoodapartment.com its easy to remember
November 20th, 2007 at 7:43 am EST
Silvertonapartment wouldn’t be bad, it does say 1.5 miles to the mall…
November 20th, 2007 at 8:04 am EST
Honesty is the BEST policy.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:38 am EST
I’m going to go against the grain and say LiveNearKenwood.com. I don’t know why, but I just like it more than KenwoodApartment…
and since it doesn’t sound like a traditional home, the MyKenwoodHome.com domain might give potential tenants the wrong impression.
November 20th, 2007 at 11:10 am EST
True. If tenants think of it as a “home” (a vague warm term) instead of a “house” or an “apartment”, they’re probably more likely to stay and take care of it … and it’s not a traditional apartment, either.
I also like how it puts the ball in their court by encouraging them to take action.
Hmm.
November 20th, 2007 at 1:30 pm EST
Ok, guess there’s a lot more to a name than I thought…
November 20th, 2007 at 3:26 pm EST
You may know more about this, but kenwoodapartment.com might also be hit more by search engines. I think it also sounds the best anyway!
November 20th, 2007 at 10:33 pm EST
I like kenwoodapartment.com for ease and name recognition. Its also probably the most logical search term for someone looking to rent in your area.
November 20th, 2007 at 10:44 pm EST
Great suggestions, guys … I’m still not sure.
By the way … I don’t think I’d even try to find a renter on the Internet (way too much work for almost no payoff). Instead, I plan to put the website address on my local advertisements to direct people to more details. I figure that a URL is much more memorable than a phone number when you’re driving by!
November 20th, 2007 at 11:32 pm EST
you might try something trendy. like kenwoodhood.com…or kenwoodplacebook.com
November 21st, 2007 at 1:19 pm EST
i like livenearkenwood.
November 23rd, 2007 at 9:13 am EST
in terms of sales; its about action … personally, I think MyKenwoodHome is a nice subtle way of positively spinning the idea of your next home (even though its an apartment). It’s also then reusable if ever you want to sell the unit as a whole. But the other domains work as well; afterall what’s a name if no one can find it? Its all about marketing, placement, appearances.
In terms of search words, traffic building, etc — let me know if you want any help, the domain is only a minuscule part (meta tags, cross linking, etc)
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:11 pm EST
Of all your comments, Rebekah’s rang the truest. So after a little bit of turkey day coding, LiveNearKenwood.com is now up and running!
I’m not really concerned with building traffic through the web, but you’re more than welcome to check out the meta tags (or anything else there) and tell me what you think. Thanks, everyone!
November 29th, 2007 at 11:21 am EST
My hint for finding good renters:
Check out their automobile. Walk out with them. If it is tidy inside they are likely to keep their home the same way. Never rent to someone with fast-food wrappers on the floor of their car!
November 29th, 2007 at 11:42 am EST
Fantastic idea, Suebob!
November 29th, 2007 at 8:02 pm EST
I like LiveNearKenwood.com & also post flyers at the Mall