WHEN you start out as a landlord from the age of 22 you learn a thing or two about managing property.

Travel, transport and even food have been disrupted by tech. In this week’s edition James Davis, portfolio landlord & property expert at Upad, shares valuable insight on getting ahead when marketing your property online.

Great landlords are now master digital marketeers. Effective landlords will soon be measured on how they can craft, manage and optimize listings for authoritative online property portals. As we increasingly target modern tenants, it is important that landlords are marketing their properties in today’s world.

n Making the Rightmove online

The property and technology worlds have collided, with 92 per cent of people looking for their next rental property online. In fact 46 per cent of tenants use mobile apps to look for their next property and with this trend on the increase it is vital landlord’s review how their ads appear on mobile devices. Like a copy of the Yellow Pages, traditional letting services will soon be discarded as landlords turn to much more manageable and cost-effective solutions for promoting their rental properties.

Enter Rightmove. Since starting in 2000, the website has claimed an astonishing 77 per cent share of the fast-growing online property portal market. Much like how organisations now adjust their online strategies to the tune of Google’s algorithms, landlords should now begin adjusting their approach to be more effective on Rightmove.

n Image is everything

Overwhelmingly, 91 per cent of Upad customers place photography as the single most important part of an online listing. You could be advertising a

stately home in the hanging gardens of Babylon, but without well-composed photography it won’t get the attention it deserves.

We’ve also seen that adverts with a floorplan generate 72 per cent more enquiries. In short, if you post great photography and a clear floorplan you will compete with the best online listings.

n All in the composition

When posting shots of your property, it is important to paint the fullest possible picture of the space. Online users want all the information and they want it quick.

Provide different aspects, including key features, exits and views. Don’t go ahead with the shoot if it is dark as natural light is something renters will be attracted to. Finally, make sure the property is clean and presentable – dressing the beds but removing personal belongings will make it look homely but not lived in.

n Structuring your copy

It’s important that you are able to comprehend the key selling points of your property and mold them into a succinct advert. Don’t use needless

“letting agent speak” as property descriptions must be informative but snappy.

Use sub-headings to help people navigate your adverts. And if you can provide clarity on the finer details, such as the cost of council tax and bills, in

neat and ordered bullet points - you will leave fewer questions unanswered.

n Get free advice

To build a truly modern understanding of how to optimize your property listing for key websites, join our free webinar. You will gain a practical

understanding of how to digitize your approach to listing properties.

n Visit info.upad.co.uk/propertyhelp