When a property comes to market for sale, owners quite rightly expect their estate agent to make it shine. Good photography, carefully written property particulars, room measurements, a floorplan where appropriate, useful information about the location and the features that make the property stand out.
And, perhaps most importantly, enough detail to help a potential buyer imagine what life there could look like.
So why should a property to let be treated any differently?
At Oakfield, we don’t think it should. A rental property is still an important asset for its landlord and, for the person moving in, it is going to become their home. We believe the way it is marketed should reflect both of those things.
Tenants aren’t just looking for a property – they’re looking for a home
Rental property marketing can sometimes be reduced to the basics: one bedroom, garden, parking, available from October, £X per month. Those facts matter, but they don’t tell the whole story.
A prospective tenant isn’t simply choosing a collection of rooms and a monthly rental figure. They’re deciding where they might wake up every morning, spend their evenings, work from home, invite friends and potentially live for several years. They’re choosing a home.
And when rent represents a significant monthly commitment, tenants quite reasonably want enough information to decide whether a property is worth viewing. That means answering practical questions as well as listing features. How large are the rooms? What’s included? Where can they park? What’s the outside space really like? How convenient is the location? Could an additional room or outbuilding work as a home office?
The more useful information someone has before making an enquiry, the better informed that enquiry can be.
What should good rental property marketing include?
Good rental marketing isn’t about making a property description unnecessarily long. It’s about giving prospective tenants the information they actually need.
Depending on the property, that could include:
- Clear, good-quality photographs that accurately represent the accommodation
- A useful description of the layout and important features
- Room measurements
- A floorplan where appropriate
- Details of gardens, balconies, terraces and other outside space
- Clear information about parking
- Details of furnishings and appliances included
- Relevant information about heating, broadband and utilities
- Council Tax information
- Useful information about nearby transport, shops, parks and amenities
- Details that explain how less obvious spaces could be used
It is the difference between simply documenting what is there and properly presenting the property to the people who may call it home.
“A landlord is trusting us with a valuable asset, and I believe the standard of marketing should reflect that. Strong rental demand should never be a reason to lower the standard of presentation. Good marketing helps us show a property at its best, set realistic expectations and attract tenants who genuinely understand what the home has to offer.”
Emma Hawkins, FARLA, Lettings Managing Director, Oakfield
Good particulars help tenants picture themselves living there
Consider a one-bedroom apartment with a private garden and summerhouse. Those are useful facts, but useful marketing goes a step further.
Could that summerhouse make a good home office for somebody who works remotely? Could the private garden offer somewhere for a morning coffee or to relax after work? Is there allocated parking? Can someone walk into town? Is there green space nearby for someone who enjoys walking or running?
Those details begin to build a much clearer picture. Suddenly, you’re not simply advertising a one-bedroom flat with a garden. You’re explaining what living there could actually look like.
A recent Oakfield rental property on St Helens Road in Hastings is a good example. Our particulars didn’t stop at mentioning a garden, parking and summerhouse. They included room measurements, appliances, heating and broadband information, details of the allocated parking and suggestions for how the summerhouse could potentially be used.
We also gave prospective tenants useful context about the property’s position close to Alexandra Park and its accessibility to Hastings town centre, the Old Town, station and seafront.
For somebody deciding whether to arrange a viewing, those details can make a real difference.
“When tenants are looking online, they’re often comparing several properties quite quickly. The listings that answer their questions properly make it much easier for them to decide whether a home is right for them. Good photos matter, but so do the practical details – room sizes, parking, outside space, what’s included and anything distinctive about the property that might suit the way they live.”
Izzy Cunningham, Senior Lettings Negotiator, Oakfield
Why does good rental property marketing matter to landlords?
It’s tempting to judge rental marketing by one measure: did the property receive enquiries?
We think landlords should expect more than that. The purpose of strong property marketing isn’t necessarily to generate the largest possible number of enquiries. It is to help generate the right enquiries.
A prospective tenant who already understands the room sizes, parking arrangements, outside space, location and important features can make a much more informed decision about whether the property suits them before arranging a viewing. That can help focus viewings on people for whom the property is genuinely a potential home.
One Oakfield landlord, Hubert K, highlighted exactly that connection in a Google review after letting his property through Oakfield. He said Tia had:
“prepared beautiful and honest listing photos & description, and then very quickly brought me several good-quality applicants.”
Hubert went on to say that Tia had listened carefully to what was important to him, suggested realistic pricing based on current market conditions and ultimately helped him find “fantastic, respectful tenants”.
Jeffrey Richardson
That word “honest” is important. Good property marketing shouldn’t make a home appear to be something it isn’t. It should present its genuine strengths clearly, accurately and professionally so that the people responding have a realistic understanding of what they are coming to view.
That’s better for tenants and better for landlords.
A strong rental market isn’t an excuse for weaker marketing
When demand for rental homes is strong, it can be tempting to think detailed marketing isn’t necessary. After all, if a property is likely to receive enquiries anyway, why spend more time on the photography and particulars?
We would turn that question around: if a landlord is trusting an agent with a valuable property, why wouldn’t they expect it to be presented properly?
Prospective tenants can scroll through property after property online, often making very quick decisions about which homes they want to investigate further. Photography matters, but so do the opening description, room sizes, location information and practical details.
A property receiving enquiries does not automatically mean it couldn’t have been marketed better. For landlords, the question shouldn’t only be “Can my letting agent find a tenant?” It should also be “Is my letting agent doing everything they reasonably can to present my property properly and attract the right tenant?”
There is an important difference.
Rental marketing isn’t just about getting more viewings
More enquiries do not automatically mean better results. If important information is missing, an agent may receive enquiries from people who discover at the viewing that the property was never going to suit them.
Perhaps the room is too small for what they need, the parking arrangement doesn’t work, they expected different outside space or something they assumed was included isn’t. Providing useful information upfront helps prospective tenants qualify the property for themselves.
That can mean better-informed viewings rather than simply more viewings.
Room sizes, appliances, parking, gardens, location and broadband can all matter. So can the possibility of creating a home-working space. The exact priorities will vary from tenant to tenant, which is precisely why comprehensive particulars are useful.
Your rental property is still a valuable asset
This is perhaps the point landlords should think about most. If the same property were being marketed for sale, considerable care would normally be expected over its photographs, description and presentation. Its importance doesn’t disappear simply because its owner has chosen to let it.
It is still the landlord’s asset, and it is about to become somebody else’s home.
At Oakfield, we don’t believe lettings particulars should be the poorer relation of sales particulars. Whether we’re selling a home or finding a tenant for one, an important part of our job is the same: understand what makes that particular property appealing and communicate it clearly.
How can you tell whether a letting agent will market your property properly?
Before choosing a letting agent, don’t judge them only by the fee they quote or the rental figure they suggest. Look at the properties they’re marketing right now.
Ask yourself:
- Are the photographs clear and well presented?
- Do the descriptions tell you anything beyond the obvious?
- Are room measurements provided?
- Can you understand what is included?
- Are parking and outside-space arrangements clear?
- Does the listing explain the location properly?
- Are distinctive features given the attention they deserve?
- Would a prospective tenant have enough information to decide whether the property is suitable?
- Most importantly, would you be happy for your property to be presented this way?
An agent’s current listings provide a useful indication of the standard of marketing you could expect for your own property.
Frequently asked questions about fire risk assessments for blocks of flats
What should a letting agent include in a rental property listing?
The exact details depend on the property, but useful rental particulars can include good-quality photographs, room measurements, a floorplan where appropriate, information about parking and outside space, furnishings and appliances, heating, broadband, Council Tax and useful information about the surrounding area.
The aim should be to give a prospective tenant a clear and accurate understanding of the property before they arrange a viewing.
Why are good photographs important when letting a property?
Photographs are often a tenant’s first meaningful impression of a rental property.
Good photographs should show the accommodation clearly and accurately, highlight its strongest features and give prospective tenants a realistic idea of its condition and layout.
Does better property marketing help landlords attract better tenants?
Marketing alone cannot determine who will ultimately become a suitable tenant, and all applicants still need to go through the appropriate qualification and referencing process.
However, accurate and detailed marketing can help attract better-informed applicants who already understand what the property offers and whether it is likely to meet their needs.
Should landlords check an agent's existing listings before instructing them?
Yes.
Looking at properties an agent is currently marketing can give landlords a useful indication of the standard of photography, written particulars and attention to detail they can expect.
It’s worth comparing this alongside fees, service levels, local knowledge, tenant referencing and property management support.
Is rental property marketing as important as sales marketing?
We believe it deserves the same care.
A rental property remains a valuable asset, and the quality of its presentation can influence how prospective tenants perceive it.
Good rental marketing should be accurate, informative and professional rather than treated as a stripped-back version of sales marketing.
Thinking of letting a property in Hastings?
Oakfield has been working in the local property market for more than 30 years, with our Hastings lettings team supporting landlords and tenants across Hastings, St Leonards-on-Sea and the surrounding area.
If you’re considering letting a property, don’t just ask an agent what rent they think they can achieve or what their fee will be. Take a few minutes to look at the homes they’re already marketing. Study the photography, read the particulars and look at the amount of useful information they provide.
Then ask yourself one simple question: “Would I be happy for my property to be presented like this?”
If you’d like to know how Oakfield would approach the marketing and letting of your property, speak to our local lettings team or arrange a rental valuation.