Top 16 tips for advertising your French Rental Property
- Where to advertise apartment listings?
- Unique selling points
- High-quality photographs
- Concise description
- Key information
- Recommendations
- Warm, clean, and safe standard
- Property Features
- Cost Effective Upgrades
- Local Facilities
- Pet Amenities
- Determine Lease Terms
- Keep track of your inquiries
- Mix and match
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
France will be the world’s top tourist destination in 2024, attracting an astonishing 89.4 million visitors annually. With consistent monthly rentals throughout the year, France offers some of the healthiest rental yields in Europe.
Now is the perfect time to market your property in France wisely, as more and more apartments are listed for monthly and annual rentals. The number of marketing channels has narrowed, and the intensity of competition has increased dramatically.
This means there is a high chance of finding renters for your property, but you should ensure that your property is in good condition and in a marketable area.
Steps for Rental Listings
The initial step in setting up your rental involves providing a title, description, price, and extra information about your property. It’s advisable to include information, such as specifics about the neighborhood and the advantages of staying at your place.
Moving on to the second phase, you’ll be prompted to input details about your property’s features and availability.
The following three elements are crucial when it comes to marketing your rental in France:
1. The appropriate price point;
2. Client testimonials above 4.5;
3. Differentiation: make your rental stand out from the crowd.
Equally important, France introduced rules for advertising rental properties a few years ago. These regulations require landlords to provide specific information in their ads to ensure transparency and fairness in the rental market:
- Rental Costs: Advertisements must include the monthly rent (loyer), service charges (charges locatives), and total rent (loyer total).
- Property Size: The exact surface area of the property in square meters must be provided.
- Energy Performance: The property’s energy efficiency rating (diagnostic de performance énergétique, DPE) must be included.
- Location: The precise location must be mentioned, including the neighborhood or arrondissement.
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Rent Control Zones: In areas with rent control (zones tendues), the advertisement must indicate if the rent complies with the regulatory cap.
These measures certainly ensure tenants have comprehensive information before making rental decisions.
Top 16 tips for advertising your French Rental Property
Our top tips for advertising your French home for short- and long-term rentals include:
1. Where to advertise apartment listings?
Where you look for renters largely depends on the specifics of your property, its location, and the kind of tenant you’re aiming for.
For instance, a deluxe apartment in downtown Paris might call for promotion, whereas a countryside cottage could simply benefit from a notice on the community bulletin board.
Moreover, it’s essential to determine whether you’ll be renting out the property furnished or unfurnished and whether you plan to target an international market.
The methods used to advertise rental properties are relatively standard: estate agencies, websites, ads in local newspapers, noticeboards, etc.
In France, there is no centralized system of real estate listings, like the MLS in the U.S., so you have to look around a bit to find listings you can visit. The leading websites for listing rental apartments are Seloger.com – listings by real estate agents, Pap.fr – listings direct by the owner, Wunderflats, Lodgis, FUSAC (for listings in English for foreigners), Appartager (for apartments with roommates), Studapart (for students), Cité Université listings (for international students), etc.
Where you look for renters largely depends on the specifics of your property, its location, and the kind of tenant you’re aiming for.
For instance, a deluxe apartment in downtown Paris might call for promotion, whereas a countryside cottage could simply benefit from a notice on the community bulletin board.
What should you look for when searching for the right rental agency in France for your ad?
Search Results – Excellent ranking on all major search engines;
International Visibility – A growing audience of users from all over the world;
Customer Care – High-quality advertiser support that can help you effectively target international renters;
Flexible Plans – Different subscription plans for short-term and long-term rental;
Commission – Check if the agency is charging a commission upon the letting of your property or whether you only pay advertising fees.
2. Unique selling points
You need to be strategic in marketing your property’s unique qualities because more and more new rentals are hitting the market. Your listing should include one striking photo that captures all of your property’s key selling points: the views, the gorgeous facade, the top patio, and so on.
Each property has a unique quality, such as amazing views, being close to schools and markets, being in a charming town or hamlet, being distant and peaceful, or being in a popular vacation/touristic area. You must clearly communicate any unique features of your property to potential buyers. Make your home distinctive.
Furthermore, it’s wise to match your selling points to the essential needs of your target audience. For example, long-term tenants frequently search for homes that have:
- Good Wi-Fi to allow remote working;
- Adequate heating;
- Proximity to amenities like supermarkets, transportation, and schools;
-
Outside area.
Your advertisement should address every one of these so-called search criteria.
3. High-quality photographs
Properties are sold through photos, particularly those featuring the outdoors. Prospective buyers or tenants want to visualize where they will stay and want to see it. Your property’s clean, light, and airy appearance should undoubtedly be highlighted in the photos. Make sure then the photos you use capture the unique selling feature of your long-term rental home.
The best rental ads have the best photos. Don’t hesitate to hire a professional photographer. In online real estate marketing, remember that photos are like first impressions.
But high-quality photos alone may not always be enough in this fiercely competitive era of French rentals. For example, you could employ high-definition 360° virtual tour videos to market the rental property’s benefits effectively.
4. Concise description
Give a concise and accurate description of your rental home to prospective guests. In the first two or three lines, highlight the unique features that make your place special. You don’t need to list every piece of furniture. Use powerful adjectives such as cozy, roomy, calming, relaxing, etc. Give prospective tenants a verbal tour of what to expect from their stay at your property.
Also, don’t forget to provide some recommendations for nearby activities. And try not to be boring. Change “walking nearby” to “walking the Canal Saint-Martin’s beautiful trails” and “biking” to “biking the Seine River’s spectacular routes.”
5. Key information
You have roughly one minute to capture a potential tenant’s attention about your property. Generally, they want four key pieces of information, so make it easy for them to find this information. Let them tick all their requirements there and then:
1.) How much is it going to cost?
2.) Will it be big enough?
3.) Is it available?
4.) Where is it?
To sum up, a comprehensive rental advertisement includes professionally taken photos, a detailed summary of the property’s and the neighborhood’s features and amenities, a clear explanation of the lease’s terms and conditions, and easy instructions on how to apply for the property.
6. Recommendations
Recommendations are six times more likely to be followed by customers than traditional classified ads. They give us confidence. So, include some testimonials from previous tenants—it only needs to be one or two lines. If you use too much, it will seem forced or artificial.
The rental ad can be simple, but it is most effective when it boosts all the information prospective tenants seek.
7. Warm, Clean, and Safe standard
Before you even consider posting the ad, ensure the property is in a good state for renting. ‘Rent-ready’ standards are as follows: Safe, Clean, and Warm.
8. Property Features
If you know the amenities on your property and how to market them, you will be able to find more qualified tenants. Appliances (e.g., washer and dryer), pet policies, parking arrangements, patios, floors, new paint, elevators, storage, and layouts are examples of standard property features. In fact, anything that makes the apartment appealing can be emphasized as a remarkable property feature.
9. Cost Effective Upgrades
If you are struggling to come up with features for your rental property, think about making some affordable upgrades. You might highlight the renovations as features in your ads. Prospective tenants love it when a property looks and feels well-maintained.
10. Local Facilities
You’ll want to draw attention to the area around the housing in addition to its advantages. Note all the shops, restaurants, and schools close to the property, and add shopping centers and other commercial amenities. Include the proximity of major freeways and public transit hubs in your list. Lastly, list the parks, gyms, and fitness centers nearby because your tenants will want to unwind and maintain their usual lifestyles.
11. Pet Amenities
Ads that welcome pets always attract more inquiries. For example, if you rent out your property for a dog owner, ensure it has all the amenities that simplify pet ownership, including a dog wash station, fenced yard, or run space. To entice tenants who own pets, provide additional bonus points such as pet grooming services, dog parks, veterinarians, and nearby pet stores.
12. Determine Lease Terms
It takes skill to determine market rent on its own.
The amount you ask for in a security deposit also affects the number of inquiries you get. If you set the deposit so high that nobody can afford to move in, you might have a vacant property for a very long time.
13. Keep track of your inquiries
It’s a good idea to monitor your requests at all times. Which of the advertising channels resulted in the most inquiries? Where did your visitors come across your information? It’s worth noting that although one website may receive numerous inquiries, it might not translate to bookings. This information will help you update your ad details and plan your marketing strategy for the following year.
14. Mix and match
Also, it is essential to mix and match where you advertise—regional, national, and international websites with one another. Consider “short reach” advertising, which involves promoting your property to people you know, such as friends, coworkers, and club members.
15. Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overpricing the property
- Using low-quality images or no images at all
- Providing misleading information
- Failing to respond promptly to inquiries
16. Key Elements of an Effective Apartment Advertisement
- Compelling Title
- High-Quality Visuals
- Detailed and Accurate Description
- Location, Location, Location
- Contact Information
Double Check your ad
Before posting any advertisements, use our rental listing checklist. Double-check everything, and then publish the ad.
- The advertised rent amount is accurate;
- The deposit amount is valid;
- The contact person is proper;
- Accurate property square feet;
- The adequate lease length;
- Defined the washer/dryer setup;
- Outlined utility billing;
- Specified parking conditions;
- Co-signer policy;
- Pet policy;
- Lists of features and unit attributes;
- Professional photos provided;
- Shared video link;
- Important property amenities highlighted.
Don’t miss out on maximizing your rental potential in one of the world’s most sought-after markets. Take the first step with Wunderflats and transform your property listing into a rental hotspot!
