You’ve only got three seconds to make a lasting impression! This is a simple truth that applies to everything from making new friends in school when you’re a kid, to attracting the ideal tenant to lease. Providing impressive apartment leasing services in Chicago requires a pretty simple approach: surprise potential tenants by making them say ‘WOW!’ with these six tips that will surely have the applications rolling in with no delay.
The real estate leasing landscape in Chicago shows no shortage of prospective renters, but there are a few easy steps you can take to guarantee your property achieves the WOW factor that attracts in droves and earns you a great reputation!
WOW Tip #1: It’s Attractive on the Outside (How cute!)
When it comes to first impressions, prospective applicants are already forming an opinion by looking at the building’s exterior and outside spaces—so make sure your front area is in order at first glance.
- Cut the lawn and keep the gardens maintained.
- If located on a main street or major intersection, make sure all sidewalks and walkways are well kept and free of damage or debris—especially snow and ice in winter months.
- Clean and remove any litter lying around on the front of your property, especially, on busy streets and corners.
You’d be surprised at how a fresh cut lawn and a maintained exterior can wow potential renters even before the viewing begins!
WOW Tip #2: It’s the Paint that Makes it Great
Colors influence moods and evoke emotions in people. Consider what your potential tenant might feel when they walk into a room painted fire-engine red… The color red evokes a range of moods and emotions from energetic to passionate to anger and even aggression. While a few people may appreciate it, going the bold route will likely work against you. When deciding on colors to paint the interior walls, opt for neutral tones throughout. It’s also easier for tenants to match furniture and decorations with neutral tones. The best neutral tones for painting walls are:
- Gray blues
- Beiges
- Grays
- Aqua blues
- Light, subtle browns
Once prospective applicants step foot into a room and smell the scent of fresh paint, it signals a clean and appealing look to the property. Ultimately, the smell of fresh paint goes a long way and definitely sets your property apart. In fact, some of your future tenants may already own the furniture that fits in perfectly with your newly chosen paint colors!
WOW Tip #3: It’s Super Clean (…does Mr. Clean, like, LIVE here?)
In order to WOW prospective tenants, every aspect of every room must be sparkling clean. They do not want to see dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, dusty floors, and, the worst of it all, rings around the bathtub or toilet. Every room that you are presenting for viewings, must go through a vigorous deep clean. Here’s a list of what you need to do:
- If you have hardwood floors, make sure you wax them or Swiffer them. They should be spotless.
- Dust all the window sills, paintings, corners, fan blades, and shelves.
- Clean and shine kitchen counters and appliances such as refrigerators, stove tops, and cupboards.
- Deep cleanse the washroom mirrors, toilets, bathtubs, and faucets. Get rid of old shower curtains and replace with a new set.
- If you have curtains, make sure they are washed. You’d be surprised that curtains smell funny after months of not being washed.
When you’re done cleaning, do an inspection and use your own finger to see if you pick up any leftover dust or dirt. The point of deep cleansing every room is to ensure not one speck of dust can be seen anywhere. Once you’re done shining everything, the best way to find out if its super clean is to see if you can see your own reflection in it.
WOW Tip #4: It’s Very Spacious
“Less is more” is so true: rooms simply look larger when empty. It’s an optical illusion that works for everyone. The key to making your properties look their most spacious is to declutter; maybe put some things back in the closet or storage. To declutter, here’s a list of frequently occurring items to remove and help free up space:
- Books, magazines, piles of loose papers
- Blankets, pillows, and towels
- Candles and candle holders
- Small kitchen appliances such as toasters, blenders, cookie jars, and coffee and tea makers
- Small lamps
- Trinkets on side tables
- Electronics such as DVD players, stereos, landline phones, and alarm clocks
- Shoes and clothes
- Office supplies
- Toiletries, perfumes, aerosol cans
- Toys
WOW Tip #5: It smells delightful! (follow your nose!)
Another way to wow prospective tenants is to tickle their senses with delightful smells. A successful real estate leasing service in Chicago would often go so far as baking chocolate chip cookies in their model homes, creating that “just like home” smell. Plus, it was a nice icebreaker to offer future renters a fresh, warm cookie! Even if baking isn’t your thing, you can easily add ‘WOW’ to your property by:
- Adding a bowl of potpourri in each room
- Disposable plugins in the hallways and bathrooms
- Spray air freshener in the bedrooms
- A bouquet of flowers in a vase in the living room
WOW Tip #6: It’s Depersonalized (Nothing personal)
Probably the most important ‘WOW!’ factor that you’ve got to do is depersonalize the space. It’s important for renters to picture themselves living in the home, so here are some important items to take down before showings begin:
- Take down all photo frames of family photos placed on bookshelves, desks, walls, and the refrigerator.
- Pack away framed certificates, diplomas, and wall-mounted plaques
- Store exercise equipment such as elliptical and treadmills away
- Tuck away personal care products such as shavers and hair dryers
The Bottom Line to Wow Prospective Tenants
In order to wow potential renters, remember to appeal to their senses. To showcase the best landlord services in Chicago, make sure you present aesthetics that leave a lasting impression on prospective tenants. You want to wow them by having a beautiful and well-kept exterior, along with new coats of neutral paint on the interior walls. And, most importantly, you want to present a clean, decluttered, and depersonalized space that smells great. Once you implement these wow factors into your properties, you’re sure to attract new tenants happy to sign a rental lease with you!
Getting Help from a Rental Property Maintenance Company
Whether you’re gearing up to buy a new investment property, you just did, or you have a list of buildings you want some assistance with, a Chicago rental property maintenance company can be a great help. Here at Blue Collar, we know that investment property maintenance is a full time job, but it doesn’t have to be YOUR full time job. If you’re tired of spending too much time dealing with maintenance requests, finding reliable vendors, and juggling the logistic of scheduling service calls, contact us today. We’re ready to help!
Contact us today to learn more about the ways we help investors in Chicago.