Today’s show is sponsored by Marc Cunningham of Grace Property Management. Marc has created some amazing products for property management companies, which we can say firsthand as we’ve implemented his systems here. Visit their website and try out their products! To get a 10% discount on any of Marc’s products, use the promo code “Brad”!
My guest on this episode is the remarkable Dave Borden, who was nice enough to come to town and go over some information on marketing for property managers. He’s so full of information and great advice, though, that we decided to split the episode into two parts! This is part 2 of 2; part 1 aired last week.
This part is all about online best practices and industry trends. Dave and I dig deeply into how to do well online. We discuss what kind of domain name is ideal, as well as when you should (and, just as importantly, when you shouldn’t) use redirects to bring customers to your site. We also talk about content, with Dave giving great information on the minimum number of words you should have on certain pages and offering some suggestions for where to get ideas for what to write about.
Dave and I then move on to talking about the sometimes complicated relationship between property managers and owners. We discuss ways to handle the question of who’s in charge of deciding when to fix things and how much to spend on them. We also talk quite a bit about pricing models and attracting the right owners.
If you haven’t heard about Dave’s own product, Rent Screener. This is an absolutely invaluable tool for property managers, and I highly recommend you try it out if you aren’t already using it! Best of all, Dave is generously offering a 10% discount to listeners of this podcast. Tune in to learn how to get your discount!
Here’s where you can find Dave:
Show Notes
[02:24] - Dave begins by talking about domain names, explaining that many people don’t take certain important things into account when choosing one.
[04:31] - We hear some words of caution for people who are already doing well with an existing URL but are considering switching to a new domain.
[05:59] - Should you buy multiple other exact match domains and redirect them to your main domain? Dave says no, and explains why.
[08:16] - Brad brings up a story that Dave told him yesterday, so Dave recounts the story for the audience. He then draws out the lesson from this to explain how to best appear in search results.
[10:08] - Brad talks about diluting your brand, offering an example to illustrate what he means. Dave then offers his own advice on the topic.
[12:40] - We learn about windshield time, with Brad explaining how he reduces the need for his employees to drive across town to work for a couple minutes.
[14:03] - Dave talks about content, revealing the magic number of words to have on your property management page.
[17:12] - Brad suggests becoming a full-disclosure company on your site, then brings up the pricing model that he uses. He and Dave then discuss this before Dave returns to talking about ranking well in Google by having at least 2,500 words of content on their landing page.
[21:20] - Every conversation you have with an owner could be a blog post, Dave points out.
[22:00] - Brad points out that there’s a larger mindset in society that people want to have all their information upfront, tying this into his pricing system. He and Dave then talk about how your pricing brings in the type of owner you want.
[26:16] - Brad’s multiple property owner agreement is a great way to encourage people to buy another investment property Dave then points out that you may also be able to get a commission for helping them to buy this additional home.
[29:03] - Dave brings up something he’s seen property managers deal with: the question of who’s in charge (the property manager or the owner).
[32:02] - Brad brings up a side story that happened recently, then he and Dave further discuss the issue of making fixes to the property and when to consult the owner first.
[35:04] - Dave talks about his tenant screening product, which is called Rent Screener
[38:02] - Transunion has made a commitment to the tenant screening industry, Dave explains, then talks more about Transunion’s process and how to use its scores in screening tenants.
[40:44] - Brad is now pushing into an unaccompanied vacant home showing situation. Dave then elaborates on what Brad has been saying about this topic, explaining how much time it can save.
[45:47] - Dave talks about how to reach him and how to get a 10% discount on anything you order through his company.
[47:25] - Dave takes a moment to rave about how great his team is, and to emphasize how much he cares about doing right by his customers.
Links and Resources: