How You Handle Showings is the Biggest Factor in a Smooth Re-Rental!

Once submitted, we will respond with a simple agreement for all parties to sign, and then outline our listing and marketing strategy for you.

Lease Break Formal Kickoff Form

    We wanted to cover the process for you so the process is clear, and disruptions are minimized for you as much as possible. We utilize a showing scheduling software called Showmojo.  It automates much of the showing process for us, potential renters, and you. 

Note: Obviously the more available the home is for showings, the cleaner it is, and the better presented in general, the faster, smoother, and more stress free this process will be. We’re including some great pointers below that will help ensure you don’t miss anything important. While obvious, and despite our notices, many residents completely fail to heed these tips and those are the ones who usually have negative experiences, and they have no one to blame but themselves. 

Potential leads that meet a set of standard criteria will have the ability to request appointments with 24 hour notice. You will be notified of this appointment, and will then need to confirm the appointment via our showing schedule software (SMS or email), or propose a time to reschedule.  Be sure you clearly 

Once you’ve confirmed the time is acceptable, we’ll contact the lead twice. Once to let them know the appointment is scheduled, then our software will reach out to them one more time prior to the appointment to confirm they still want to move forward. If they have not confirmed the appointment 2 hours in advance, the appointment will be automatically canceled with you, us, and the lead, and this is final so you’ll be free to go about your day. 

Once you’ve confirmed that an appointment is acceptable, it is 100% confirmed until you receive a cancellation, so there is no need to keep checking with us, and it’s important that you be prepared for the showing. 

Unless it’s already been agreed that you will handle your own showings, our staff will always accompany potential leads into your home. 

If you have any questions please reach out to your account manager and they’ll address them. 

Thanks! 

1. We love pets too, and more than likely the person viewing will have them, however not everyone loves your pets and their smells. It’s a well documented fact that most pet owners do not notice the off putting issues so common with our furry friends. If possible during times of heavy showings have the pets off site. If not, crate them. If they bark a lot or are aggressive, even a crate will not help much and you really must get them out of the house. Crating them also avoids any chance that they get out.  Smells! You most likely will not notice this but if you have a pet, do not doubt there is a clear odor in your home. Of course constant cleaning is the best thing, but also load the home down with quality air fresheners, use carpet powder as much as possible, vacuum, if you have your own, steam clean high traffic areas (it will still have to be done entirely), and keep your air temp low. Cooler air hides smells more. Also air the home out as often as possible.
2. Perform a grounds / landscaping inspection. 
   
   
3. Common issues include:
   1. Overgrown or misshapen bushes 
      Weed infested grass 
      Trash 
      Weed & feed is a very cheap and highly effective treatment for most grass. It can help ensure you receive your whole deposit and makes a huge difference especially in the summer. For winter it’s not usually as effective but you may ask a gardener for tips.
      
      
4.    3.  If the home is blocked from view, removing low hanging limbs & branches is recommended (head high or higher is best).
   
   
   
5.  Address mildew, pollen, insects/webs/nests on house, driveway, sidewalks, and roof. Pressure washing is a very cheap trick to remove a massive amount of renter turn offs that are usually clear in photos.
   
   
   
6.  Lay fresh mulch or pine straw in all flower beds. Also very cheap and highly effective.
   
   
7. Clean out gutters. Technically this is a lease requirement, however we usually only enforce it for residents who have been in the home 3 years or more. However if you’re hoping to rerent it might help, a lot. 
   
   
8. During showing season, move or hide all trash, recycle bins, trailers, cars, campers, and any other items that aren’t strictly decorative. 
   
   
9. Assess what furniture you can live without for the next 60 days or so, and store it away in attic, garage, or off site. When in doubt, remove it! Almost always the least amount of furniture possible is best. 
   
   
10. Do an inspection of your own, and fill out an inspection form (we can provide) to get an idea of what others may be turned off by, and also what you might be charged for:
11. Tips for inspecting:
    1. Turn on all lights 
       Straighten up / remove obvious personal items such as toys, mail, etc 
       Open all blinds 
       Remove as many distractions as possible ie pets, people, etc 
       Focus on kitchens & baths, remove fridge magnets (nothing on or on top of fridge) small appliances (toaster, blender) sponges, rags, non decorative soaps, dishes, racks, etc. 
       For baths, remove non decorative towels, mismatched colors (2 max) bottles, toothbrushes, radios, beauty products, etc. 
       Switch loud obtrusive shower curtains for simple earth tones 
12. Arrange living room furniture to maximize open space in the middle of the room.
    
    
13. Remove all but a tiny portion of knick knacks such as baskets, candles, personal pictures, figurines, accolades, collectibles, etc.

1. Remove everything that isn’t decorative ie remote controls, DVDs, games, as many electronics as possible, pet toys, crates, leashes. 

1. Consider thinning out art work, tapestries, and other wall hangings. In general leave only the best most Zen feeling pieces to become the focus points. Definitely remove most or all personal photos. 

1. Touch up paint liberally, but take extra special care to match paint as closely as possible. Matching paint requires both color, and finish matching (eggshell, flat, etc). When in doubt, you should certainly consult a professional. If not at the property, then a niche paint store such as Sherwin-Williams. Paint quality is more important for a touch up than a full painting. A trained eye WILL be able to see any and all touch up paint jobs, but in our experience when done properly this is better than nothing at all. 
   
   
   

IMPORTANT! If you simply aren’t inclined to handling things like painting, then do not attempt to do your own touch up. If not matched correctly it could actually lead to substantially more problems / charges. We’re happy to set you up with one of our vendors if you’d like to just have a pro handle at a very reasonable rate.