Investing in rental properties for UBC students is an excellent way to generate income while also becoming a part of our passionate and energetic community. There are many properties both within the UBC campus and its surrounding area that would be ideal for students to rent while they complete their studies.

The only question becomes how to reach students who are looking for a home. Flyers pinned to notice boards do not have quite the same impact that they used to, after all. Instead, consider leveraging social media as a way to get your properties noticed and ensure that they have consistent renters year after year. Here are some ways to accomplish this goal:

 

Take Great Pictures

Your first step in selling the product you offer — in this case rental properties — is to let buyers know what they are getting. Attractive photos entice users to click on the first picture and then look through the information you have, increasing their interest in signing a lease. Some general tips on taking great property photos include:

• Get the entire property exterior inside the frame using a wide-angle lens or similar technique. Leave out neighboring houses unless you want additional photos emphasizing the area’s qualities.
• Take your exterior photos in the brightest daylight possible. Borrow an umbrella lamp for interior photos.
• Give students a “tour” of the home by photographing rooms in succession while describing how the layout flows from one area to the next
• Include very specific information about rent amount, number of rooms/baths, lease terms and other important facts in the album description

 

Post Consistently

Your most active time of the year will likely be in the summer when the new semester is about to start, but that is not the only time of year people think about houses. Post about your listings six or more months before they become available for lease. You will generate long-term attention and also boost your visibility by maintaining engagement throughout the year as opposed to just a few months.

 

Tap Your Friends List

Sites like Facebook have excellent paid, targeted marketing options, but using your friends to share is 100 percent free and creates a nice organic reach baseline. Ask anyone in the UBC or Vancouver community if they would share your listing photos and information just in case someone they know may need a place to rent.

 

Mix Up Your Content

Just blasting your wall with home listings is not always the best way to maintain engagement. Try to find interesting posts about the local area or articles about maintaining a home so that young students can get excited about the idea of living near UBC, not just the home they will be living in.

 

Following these guidelines should help you get more reach and increase the likelihood that people will be enquiring about your properties long before the new school year starts. To find beautiful UBC homes that any student would clamor to rent, visit our UBC real estate listings page.