Leasing is a fine art

In this global property market, we not only use the best software products, we also have our best team matching prospective tenants with properties.

A dedicated leasing consultant gets the job done fast. Thanks to this we boast a 0.01 per cent vacancy rate as we write this article, but consistently we are below 1 per cent! Let me take you through our process and why it works so well.

Domain Property Advocates uses Inspect Real Estate, a customised online booking service that allows prospective tenants to automatically register for open home inspection and also to book their own times for inspections through our properties. This software also enables DPA to contact the potential tenant directly via text message and email to keep them up to date about the property and the inspection times – even if we are running a little late to an inspection, we can notify all those registered with a press of a button. 

The details on Inspect Real Estate also forms part of our extensive prospective tenant database. We keep them informed of other properties that may suit their needs and the feedback we have received on our comprehensive communication is very positive. Prospective tenants are too busy to look around for property – our leasing consultant works tirelessly to make the whole process as smooth as possible. 

DPA use all the major online real estate search engines to market our properties, coupled with specialised marketing to our extensive database of relocation consultants; via regular email brochures of upcoming properties. As a team we take pride in assisting executives and their families relocate, in what can be such a stressful time, DPA make it as straightforward as possible.

Being tech-savvy as a business has never been more pertinent, DPA facilitates an on line application which enables prospective tenants the ease of completing and submitting their application online, faster and easier. Of course we still accept a hand written application form, however, as a team we could see the frustrated prospective tenants being handed a form at property inspections to complete. Taking advantage of the on line application process, prospective tenant can get their application to us any time, with little hassle – this form also interacts with Inspect Real Estate so the details are automatically updated in the tenant data base!

A dedicated leasing consultant has the task of thoroughly checking and assessing each and every application form to find the best possible match for the landlord, not just the first three applications that arrive at the office, as many agencies do as a simple time saving measure. DPA have supremely high application standards and all must be accompanied by photo identification, a minimum of 3 referees and financial statements to verify the tenant is in a position to afford the property. We also utilise The National Tenancy Database (NTD) and TICA as a safeguard to our landlords, these public record databases disclose previous Tribunal judgements against the tenant, by utilising both databases we are leaving no stone unturned.  We always google check the prospective tenant and call to verify their next of kin as per the application. 

Our property open for inspections, are in a league of their own. Our professional leasing consultant arrives with ample time to stage the property with not only the industry standard material relating to the application process & the tenants’ rights and duties under the tenancies act but also a full property brochure, which we complete in house, complete with property floor plan.   This guarantees our property is remembered and stands out after a busy day of house hunting for the prospective tenant. 

Signage is important at every property to make the property easy to find for prospective tenants – Inspection days can be really stressful, let alone looking for the number hidden on the fence or front of the house! We use our for lease boards to show people the way. Lease boards are also a great way to let people in the neighbourhood know a home is available, which we find especially successful if friends or relatives have been visiting and are already interested in moving to the neighbourhood. Our heavily marketed cars also attract people to the property on inspection day, surprisingly we are one of the only real estate agencies in our area supplying our Leasing Consultant with a car.

DPA use key safes, making appointments easy at the last minute or after business hours. Having a Leasing Consultant that is dedicated to finding the right tenant for properties frees up our property managers to focus on providing superior end-to-end property management service. More often than not Real Estate companies rely on their property managers to open properties and lease them, leaving them too stretched for time to effectively manage their portfolio.

With a specialised leasing consultant, open for inspections are not slaved to 9 to 5, our last open for inspection can be scheduled as late as 6.15pm, we understand that not everyone to can get out of work to make it to an inspection at 5pm. Also, our open for inspections are not limited to the 1 or 2 standard opens per week. If there is a request to see a landlord’s property at an unscheduled time we do our best to make that happen.  At the end of the day an ideal tenant will have a job to pay the rent so we need to be flexible in our times to show them through.

Our cohesive business is due largely to our true team approach, with all departments servicing our clients with synergy. A leasing consultant has worked well for our business structure, our clients have benefited immensely, and our properties are leased to a better standard of occupant, faster.