Landlords: five ways to fill a vacancy faster this season
Small changes to pricing, photography and response time that shorten vacancy by weeks.
Vacancy is the most expensive line in a rental P&L. Cutting two weeks off a turnover usually costs less than the concession you would offer to close a slow deal.
Price to the week, not to the month
Off-market inventory behaves differently from the public market. Because these properties are never advertised on the MLS or the major portals, pricing is negotiated between a much smaller group of motivated parties, and the timeline is usually driven by the seller rather than by the market.
- Fewer competing offers on the same property
- More flexibility on closing dates and contingencies
- Direct access to the listing agent instead of a call center
Response time beats rent reduction. The first agent to answer usually rents the unit.
LavaZoo Market Desk
Photography that actually converts
Before you commit, compare the asking price with recent closed sales in the same building or on the same block, check the taxes and common charges, and ask how long the property has been quietly shopped. A listing that has been circulating privately for months is a very different negotiation from one that came to market last week.
- Get pre-approved so you can move quickly
- Ask the listing agent for the last three comparable sales
- Confirm what is included in the sale before signing
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