Other Options/Place To List Rental Property?

[Pauly Boy]

I did a quick search but didn't find anything outside of some comments in a Property Manager use thread, so my apologies if this has been covered before.

We have a condo in Lethbridge that we've always filled either via word of mouth or Kijiji - Are there any other places I should be using such as RentFaster? RentCanada? Rentals.ca? I've heard good things about RentFaster, but have never felt the need to branch out until now since we've had it listed for a week and not a single nibble... Usually I'd have something by this point. Maybe it's just the timing of listing during May Long, lack of students or uncertainty with covid, but it just has me thinking perhaps there are better ways.

Here's the condo listing - Just re-upped it. We handle everything ourselves (because property managers are useless). Yes I know we should have an outside shot, but the upstairs dog killed all the grass & yes I know my photo skills need work, lol.

Thanks in advance.

[jwslam]

In Calgary I found rentfaster tonnes more effective than kijiji. I think it's just much more friendly of a platform to search though from a tenant perspective.

I think your photos could use some improvement from the stance of brightness to improve attractiveness. See below... I can tell you tried to leave the lights off because it's too bright with the lights on. If these are cell phone pics, try turning on HDR mode to improve the light balance in the darker areas. Poor photo editing skills by yours truly gives only some measly improvement.

Good on you for making the place clean and presentable for the photos.
Otherwise your listing looks good to me for the amount of detail included.

Example before:


Example after (I only used the native windows editor... graininess comes from the low quality copy on kijiji / trying to improve sharpness):

[riander5]

Lol that is clean? Look at any professional real estate listing and you won't find shoes in the hallways, cereal boxes and dishes strewn about the counter, toiletries in the bathroom...

Anyways back to your question, kijiji, rentfaster, and facebook marketplace are the three must uses

[suntan]

The decapitated heads are hidden, so there's that.

[Pauly Boy]

Sorry forgot Facebook - Wife has the add up there since I don't dabble on it much these days.

Good call on the brightness, I'll clean those up. I had the lights off to get rid of the bad reflections.

As far as cleanliness, that's the best I could do with my last batch of renters - Unfort lost the drive with the originals of the empty place and did not have them backed up.

[TomcoPDR]

OP. Add you’re to a few Facebook rental group that best describes your property (single family home, townhouse, condo, etc)... rentfaster is always solid for Calgary I find.

I curious, which direction will the roomba bounce at the fireplace, does it follow the contour like a hockey puck, or bounce at a 45 angle towards kitchen island

[jwslam]

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Lol that is clean? Look at any professional real estate listing and you won't find shoes in the hallways, cereal boxes and dishes strewn about the counter, toiletries in the bathroom...

If only that were the truth...
This is easily already in top 10% of the better looking listings for owner photos that are actually useful in seeing the space

Maybe I have a poor definition of 'clean' here and I'm looking for 'relatively tidy'

Examples I found quickly
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...escent-heights
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ington-heights
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...y-new-brighton

[ercchry]

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Sorry forgot Facebook - Wife has the add up there since I don't dabble on it much these days.

Good call on the brightness, I'll clean those up. I had the lights off to get rid of the bad reflections.

As far as cleanliness, that's the best I could do with my last batch of renters - Unfort lost the drive with the originals of the empty place and did not have them backed up.

That’s probably the best feature of rentfaster... profile is always there, just renew the fee and make it live again, photos and description from the last round

I could see Lethbridge being tough right now as it relies so heavily on post secondary... seems a lot of schools are still doing a lot of virtual classes

[ExtraSlow]

For a rental listing, these pics are top quartile in terms of clean/tidy. They sure could be better, but they aren't a disaster and a cereal box on the counter isn't going to be a deal breaker.

[suntan]

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https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown

Are the tribbles for eating or pets?

[Pauly Boy]

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I curious, which direction will the roomba bounce at the fireplace, does it follow the contour like a hockey puck, or bounce at a 45 angle towards kitchen island

Haha, I have no idea as it was our previous tenant's, but I will shoot him a text and ask, lol.

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That’s probably the best feature of rentfaster... profile is always there, just renew the fee and make it live again, photos and description from the last round

Oh, nice. That's well worth the $35 or whatever they charge.

Yeah Lethbridge has no shortage of rentals ever it seems. Ours is on the "higher" end as well, so it automatically nixes a large chunk of students looking for cheap rentals in a good market (not that we want those either).

- - - Updated - - -

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Are the tribbles for eating or pets?

and why is there TP on the towel rack... so many questions, rofl.

[suntan]

Chinatown is its own bizarro world.

[riander5]

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If only that were the truth...
This is easily already in top 10% of the better looking listings for owner photos that are actually useful in seeing the space

Maybe I have a poor definition of 'clean' here and I'm looking for 'relatively tidy'

Examples I found quickly
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...escent-heights
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ington-heights
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...y-new-brighton

Haha i mean, when I said professional I forgot that anyone can be a 'professional' real estate agent. I moreso was referring to Jordan's listings. But touche on those hilarious listings

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Sorry forgot Facebook - Wife has the add up there since I don't dabble on it much these days.

Good call on the brightness, I'll clean those up. I had the lights off to get rid of the bad reflections.

As far as cleanliness, that's the best I could do with my last batch of renters - Unfort lost the drive with the originals of the empty place and did not have them backed up.

Fair enough, just meant that the better and cleaner the pics, the more luck you should have. Less shit in and around the house means people can imagine their stuff there better.

[TomcoPDR]

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and why is there TP on the towel rack... so many questions, rofl.

My guess is, if photo was taken during Covid panic, that TP would be a bigger flex than hiring @M.alex posing with his 40” biceps.

[suntan]

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My guess is, if photo was taken during Covid panic, that TP would be a bigger flex than hiring @M.alex posing with his 40” biceps.

Brilliant.

[tonytiger55]

As others have mentioned, try Facebook. But in particular the community pages. There have been postings in the community group of people asking for places to rent. So that might be another avenue. Don't be afraid to post in the Calgary groups (check permissions) as some people may know others in need at that location.

Just out of the box thinking. Try a few immigrant societies. I do know that people get work permits or get jobs in that town for various reasons related to immigration. So people in the medical or service industry field might have a interest.

[Power_Of_Rotary]

We listed our place on both Rentfaster and FB. Both had queries but FB queries seem to be more sincere. Ended signing with the FB tenant.

FB is ideal. You can somewhat "screen" your tenants and its FREE.

[Mitsu3000gt]

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. Yes I know we should have an outside shot, but the upstairs dog killed all the grass & yes I know my photo skills need work, lol.

Thanks in advance.

Professional photos are dirt cheap (many people don't seem to realize how cheap they are) and make a big difference. Lots of people just scroll by properties that don't have eye catching photos, and condo photos should cost you around $150. I'd offer to do them for you but I'm not in Lethbridge unfortunately.

[msommers]

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If only that were the truth...
This is easily already in top 10% of the better looking listings for owner photos that are actually useful in seeing the space

Maybe I have a poor definition of 'clean' here and I'm looking for 'relatively tidy'

Examples I found quickly
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...escent-heights
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...gary-chinatown
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...ington-heights
https://www.realtor.ca/real-estate/2...y-new-brighton

Garbage photos automatically equates to garbage realtors.

[mr2mike]

I personally use the point form with buzz words.
Less words and focus on photos. Also cropping them all so door edges aren't seen etc.
Try all lights on and some photos at dusk. Outside light won't wash out the image as much.

I had a similar post as yours a few years ago. No interest in ad and honestly its the market it seems but it's easy to think it's something you're doubt wrong.