Finding Your Ideal Customer in Real Estate Investing

The customers of your real estate investing adventure are your tenants. Though it's never guaranteed that you'll find the ideal customer 100% of the time--someone is bound to skip out on rent or cause some trouble every now and then. But you can put your best tenant screening foot forward to get a better idea of the personalities you'll be working with.

Tips to Find the Ideal Customer for Your Real Estate Investment

There's nothing more satisfying than landing the perfect tenants. Unfortunately, finding the best customers to become tenants takes work, but there are a few ways to improve your chances of finding your ideal customer in real estate investing.

Referrals are Gold

Networking has become a vital strategy for most industries, including real estate. To build a successful real estate investment, you should rely on networking to connect with potential customers. If you have served your current customers well, they are more likely to refer their friends, coworkers, and family members to you when they are in search of a new home.

Hold Open Houses

Most professional real estate investors offer open houses for every house that they are looking to lease. Agents can do the same for apartments, condos, or townhouses. In an open house, you are more likely to interact with potential customers who might be interested in the property.

If you own and operate an apartment complex, it may be wise to have a unit permanently "on show" for any potential drop-in customers. While this unit will be an advertising expense, it may pay off if most customers come to you as drop-in tours.

Live Stream Open Houses

Webinars, "lives," or live streaming is the modern form of open houses. A webinar will assist you in generating leads while leveraging your business. Live streaming can benefit potential customers when they cannot tour a property for various reasons.

A scheduled event can save you money on printed flyers, it can save your current tenants from leaving their homes, and it can reduce the number of tours you need to schedule for prospective customers.

Advertise in High Traffic Areas

Once you identify an area with heavy real estate traffic, you should place various forms of advertisements. Advertisements can include billboards, radio spots, bus benches, etc. Additionally, door-to-door flyers or mailers can also show your face and company, providing you with traction in a competitive industry.

Create Digital Media and an Online Presence

Most of today's business operations are executed through the internet. Real estate investors should embrace their online presence and create digital media to reach more customers. Younger generations ready to lease or buy real estate will better connect and find agents when scrolling on their various social media accounts.

Link your various digital content back to your company website. Your website should be easy to navigate and inviting, giving customers a sense of who you are and what types of properties you have to offer. As always, make sure your contact information is current and easy to find.

Use High-Quality Photos and Videos for Property Promotion

When listing a property, customers want to see the home, and they want to picture themselves living in it. Customers deserve quality pictures of the property and may even wish for a walkthrough video to get a feel for the home's layout. This video can be put to jazzy music or even a voiceover if needed.

Consider hiring professional photographers to take pictures and videos of your property. While photos are often edited for effect, try to limit the number of filters to edits to show the true character and nature of the home. You want to be as transparent as possible with your prospective customers.

Final Thoughts

Once you decide to invest in real estate, you must ensure that prospective customers fill the vacancy. To fill your real estate investments, you must have the knowledge and skills of common marketing strategies to generate leads.