I splurged on a promo listing a month ago and got a dozen or so leads. Except for initial inquiries, my follow-up messages went unanswered. One lead scheduled a tour, and from the start it felt spammy and fake, and as expected, he/she was no show.
Am I doing something wrong? I communicated with them via Avail messaging. Should I go with a person’s email or texting? My replies were within 24 hours, and I had tour availability set up.
I understand your trouble with the leads you are receiving. Unresponsive prospects can be somewhat common and yet highly frustrating.
Rental sites make it very easy for renters to convey their interest in many properties in a short amount of time. With the ease of access, they may have contacted too many landlords and are overwhelmed with follow-ups or are just not quite as interested as the inquiry (often scripted by the listing site) makes them seem.
Leasing is certainly a numbers game and can feel defeating, as with the whole renting process. I encourage you to continue following up with leads as soon as possible after they reach out, and you’ll certainly connect with the right tenant for you.
Thanks Ricky,
I live about an hour and a half from the rental, so each showing is a significant investment of time and money. My initial friendly demeanor wore off after the first couple weeks, then I removed the automatic availability schedule; now I only book showings manually after applicants complete a brief pre‑qualification questionnaire. In my experience, competing platforms (Z and A) generate fewer low‑quality or “no‑show” inquiries, although I still use Avail.com to manage applications pre- and post‑showing.
You’re probably not doing anything wrong. Many rental inquiries never convert. Try responding faster, offer text as an option, ask a few qualifying questions early, and confirm appointments the day before.
Good morning,
Finally rented the unit and wanted to share briefly the entire process.
Pricing: Since the last time I rented this unit was about four years ago, I needed an educated estimate for rental unit. I started with a paid online service to get an initial price, then cross-checked using major platforms like Z-w and A-s, as well as some AI tools. I initially priced it too high, which cost me some time on the market, and eventually reduced it by $200 to get into the market range. Among all the tools, AI ended up being the most accurate.
Advertising: I used Avail, Z, and A-s. Z and A-s generated the most qualified leads. I handled responses through Avail and email. I also used an online pre-screening form before scheduling showings, which filtered out about 80–90% of initial inquiries. There are definitely bots and automated tools that trigger contact but drop off once you respond.
Rental and parking: I decided to advertise the unit and parking separately, since the location has strong demand for parking. That way, I could still rent out the parking space even if the tenant didn’t need it.
Showings: I started showing the unit while I was still painting it, which was not ideal. Once the unit was fully ready, the showings converted much faster.
Rent collection: The tenant is a young adult, and paying by check feels outdated to them. I am currently looking for a solid, legal, and reliable way to collect rent online or through automated banking tools. Yes, I am aware of Avail.com offering. Still deliberating other alternatives.
Good luck