Avoiding technology is basically impossible. If you’re like most people, you’re doing most of your shopping online, gathering information online, and making plans through apps and platforms. 

You’re also communicating online. 

Email, text message, social media – everything is touched by technology and the way we communicate now depends on access to quality tech. 

What does this mean for your Memphis rental property? 

It means you have an opportunity to communicate better with tenants. When you communicate better, you establish and maintain a more positive relationship, which leads to better rental experiences and higher tenant retention. It saves you money on turnovers and vacancies. 

When you can streamline communication with your tenants by using technology, you have a better and more profitable investment experience. 

Here’s how you do it.

Marketing Your Rental Property With Technology

How you communicate during the marketing phase of your rental experience will determine how many tenants are interested in seeing your property and ultimately apply for it. 

You need to be proactive, and you need to be responsive when tenants contact you for more information about the listing you’re sending out onto all those well-trafficked rental sites. We’re always surprised to learn how few tenants get a response when they reach out to landlords and even property managers with questions about a rental home or even a request to see it. If they don’t hear back from you or they can’t reach you, you’re going to have a very hard time renting out your home. 

When you’re marketing your property, always include contact information. Make sure it’s a phone number or an email address that you’re going to check consistently. If you have the bandwidth, set up a separate phone line or email address specifically for your listing. That way, you’ll know exactly why people are calling, texting, and sending emails. You can give those communications your full attention.

Self-Showings and Memphis Leasing 

If you’ve ever tried to schedule a showing with a tenant, you know how frustrating it can be. They’ll want to see the home at specific times and on specific days, depending on their own schedule. You’ll have to be as accommodating as possible because you want to make it easy for prospective tenants to see your home. This might mean moving things around on your own day or sacrificing a weekend to show your rental home. 

Have you ever showed up for a showing and then been ghosted by a tenant? 

It feels like a colossal waste of time.

Utilize technology by installing a self-showing system. This will help you communicate about showings and waste less of your time. 

There are many different types of self-showing technology available, and every system has a few of the same features:

• You can expect an electronic lock to be installed on the door, and that lock can be manually opened or controlled digitally through an online app. 
• When someone wants to see the home, the prospective tenant will have to provide identification, including a driver’s license and in some cases, credit card information. 
• Many self-showing systems require additional documentation such as a form that pre-qualifies them. It includes questions like move-in date and income amount. 
• When a prospective tenant has had their information validated, the door is remotely unlocked for them to complete their walk-through. Pre-qualified prospective tenants can access the property at their convenience within minutes of contacting you on the app. 

Follow up once they’ve seen the property, and make yourself available to answer any questions they have or provide additional information. 

Self-showings allow for better communication and a faster leasing process. The technology that’s required is minimal and easily accessible to Memphis landlords.

Ask for Written Maintenance Requests 

Part of your maintenance process is receiving tenant repair requests. That’s communication. 

For emergencies, you likely want to receive those requests as they occur. Tenants will call you to let you know there’s a flood or a fire or a sewer problem that needs immediate attention. 

When they’re making routine repair requests, however, leverage the technology you have to collect written requests. This is better for your tenants because they will feel more comfortable making maintenance requests at any time. It’s better for you because it provides you with documentation. A written maintenance request shows you when the request came in and begins a paper trail that shows how the repair was handled. 

Collect these written maintenance requests by email or even text message. If you can invest in some online software, you’ll easily be able to capture the maintenance needs through an online portal, making it easy for you and your tenants to follow the progress of the repair.

Provide for Online Rental Payments

Tenants want to pay rent online. If you cannot provide for online payments, at least provide a way for tenants to pay electronically. They don’t want to write checks and they don’t want to mail or drop off their rent payments every month. 

Online or electronic rental payments will reduce the amount of communicating you have to do with your tenants. You won’t have to call about late or missing payments quite as much. Rent will come in more consistently because tenants appreciate the convenience and the security of paying rent by phone or online instead of with a paper check or a money order or cash.

Work with Memphis Property Managers to Leverage Tech

The best technology is with Memphis property managers. We are able to streamline communications because we can invest in the best tech that’s available. 

This is just one of the resources we can provide. Our marketing and leasing systems are completely online. We communicate with tenants through the entire cycle of the tenancy, from marketing to screening to leasing and management. Maintenance is completely streamlined and tenants are always in the loop about when repairs can be expected. 

Find out how we can help. When you need the support and resources of a Memphis property management company to streamline tenant communication, contact us at RiverTown Realty.