In Nigeria today, the shortlet market is thriving as more people are seeking out tastefully furnished apartments for a short period. The market is gaining traction either as a replacement for hotels during vacations and business trips, for hangouts and gatherings with friends, or even for wedding preparations. There are even remote workers who take shortlets for a change of environment.
This booming market has seen more property owners, tenants all trying to get in on this market. This many players in the field, plus the demand, make it difficult for shortlet businesses, individual properties, and genuine realtors to stand out.
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The key to success is advertising your shortlet apartment the right way. While real estate marketing may work for land and properties, shortlet marketing follows a different advertising and marketing strategy as its rental policies and ownership are different from other parts of real estate.
What Makes a Shortlet Attractive to Renters
Before advertising your shortlet, you need to understand what makes a shortlet attractive to the renter, why your apartment should be the chosen one among the numerous options calling them out there, and how you can use that to make your advertisement stand out and make it more attractive to the renter.
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One of the first things any individual looking to rent a short-let considers is location and proximity to landmarks and local amenities. Another key consideration for renters is the interior, aesthetics, and cleanliness. Renters want a more spacious room and access that a typical standard room in a hotel would not provide.
It’s no secret that people go to hotels because of the amenities they provid. While shortlet apartment can’t compete with all the services, they also have amenities that stand out and attract individuals from the free WiFi, the backup light, security, privacy, fully equipped kitchen, Smart TVs, and even fancier luxurious services like housekeeping services, swimming pools, and home gyms.
Pricing of the shortlet apartment is another attraction that can be used to make your property attractive to renters. Being able to get 2-4 rooms for the price of 2 nights in a luxury suite that allows only 2 guests is a great selling point. These features combined and placed strategically can help elevate your shortlet above all the others, especially when you offer flexible payment options, allowing renters to book a date and pay in installments before their day of arrival.
Where to Advertise Your Shortlet
The best place to begin advertising your shortlet property is on real estate platforms. This provides security and excellent control. Using a platform like Krent to list your property, you create a seller’s account, and individuals also scouting your apartment are verified members of our platform, so each member is protected. While there is autonomy for you, the seller, to come up with rates and images, we also verify the listing, securing both the renter and the seller. Most renters feel more comfortable renting from secure and verifiable platforms rather than from random phone numbers on the internet.
You can also utilize other areas to promote your listings such as social media by creating content around your property, creating reels within the apartment to show live videos of how the apartment looks in real time, use relevant hashtags, and enlightening renters on why your property can meet their accommodation needs for short periods. Having a “Google My Business” page also helps promote your listing, as people want to buy from verified listers, and having a verified Google page that they can check out is a powerful addition to your offerings as a seller. Having your renters trust you even before contacting you is a pillar you should build your listing on, and that can be achieved by a good online presence.
At the end of the day, word-of-mouth advertisement travels faster than any other media form. Join various renters and shortlet communities where you can share your listings, offer a discount on referrals, and encourage renters to tag the apartment on social media.
Promote conversations and buzz around your property, advertisements can focus on various forms, from the external building look to the kitchen, the room, and amenities, etc. All these can be used to advertise your shortlet property.
Using Krent to List Your Shortlet
Listing your shortlet on Krent gives you as a host on our platform full autonomy and visibility. You get to control your listing, update your dashboard and manage your inquiries, not to mention listing your shortlet is very easy.
To create a listing, you first have to create a seller’s profile. After that, simply log into your dashboard and click “Create Listing.” You’ll be guided to add a detailed description, set your rates, and enter details about your property. There are certain verification steps to ensure trust, for your safety and that of the renter; basic questions such as confirming your contact information and uploading accurate property details. Once complete, your listing is live and visible to Krent’s built-in audience of renters actively searching for shortlet apartments.
You can add virtual tours and high-quality images directly within the listing interface, and embed video walkthroughs via YouTube. This not only makes the platform a great fit for sellers but increases the renters appeal and helps them make informed decisions. You get to handle every inquiry regarding your property, so your interaction and conversations with renters are fully yours, allowing for quick responses and conversations.
Not just that, your personalised dashboard allows your track views, update listing as it’s available, adjust price, making Krent a powerful choice for listing and sellers.
Best Practices for Advertising
The most important thing in advertising your shortlet is the look, unlike renting a house or buying a property, where you can visit the property, for shortlet apartments, decisions are mostly made from images and videos that guests can see. Draft out a mood board, note the kind of images and videos you want, invest in a professional photographer and videographer to carry out a shoot for the listings, and create a story angle to showcase the space. It could be luxurious, elegant, comfortable, etc. Also add a detailed and honest description.
Because of the many alternatives, renters are not going to wait long minutes or hours to hear back from you. It is important to respond promptly and courteously to enquiries, to increase customer satisfaction and convert them to renters, and follow up on time for guests who haven’t committed close to their arrival date, as you may be able to close a sale by answering and alleviating their worry. You can also include an auto-response for the first message for platforms that allow. Always end the message with a question to keep the conversation going.
Ensure to highlight unique features which give your property an edge over others such as proximity to the airport, swimming pool, an in-house gym, a housekeeper, or the environment.
Leveraging Social Media for More Reach
Using social media to promote your property, goes beyond posting content. The right kind of content for the right audience and the right keywords and hashtag can help boost your videos better. Always use an engaging hook, be it a question or a caption that makes people want to watch your video. For instance, “How do you destress after a busy work week?” This makes your audience think and want to see your suggestions on de stressing after a busy week. Then you can now give 1 or 2 suggestions which involve renting a shortlet apartment for the weekend, ending with a Call to Action [CTA] that makes them take action. Ensure to make use of popular trends and hashtags.
Collaborate with micro-influencers looking to build their brand, especially those whose niche is real estate. They can create content for their brand while promoting your rental.
Finally, know your target audience and post content at optimal times. This is very crucial as knowing your target audience and the time they interact with whatever social media platform you’re using will allow you to get the most out of engagement. Check the engagement of others in the industry, when they post and how their engagements are compared to yours.
Keeping Your Listing Fresh
It is important to keep your availability updated. When a rental has been booked, update accordingly with the date it will be occupied and take it down from the selection. When it is vacant or there is a cancellation, it is important to update it immediately as you don’t want to miss prospective renters.
Reviews and testimonies are very important to build your credibility. Endeavour to request for feedback and reviews from renters who have stayed in your apartments. Renters tend to trust feedback from other renters compared to the opinion of the seller. Encourage renters to leave feedback on your Google My Business page to help promote your reputation and credibility.
Be open to offering promotions and discounts on rental property. During festive seasons and holiday periods, offer deals and discounts to get the property moving. For instance, offering a special deal for couples during the Valentine’s period.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
It is very important to not misguide your renters with fake videos or images, as much as you want to convince your renters that your property is the best fit for them. Using fake online images or posting amenities that are not available can lead to dissatisfaction and bad reviews from renters.
In today’s rental market, speed matters. When a potential tenant messages you about a listing at 10 AM, every minute counts. Social media algorithms immediately bombard interested renters with competing property ads. Respond within 5 minutes (by 10:05 AM), and you’ve likely secured their attention—or even closed the deal—before rival listings tempt them. But wait until 1 PM to reply? In those 3 hours, your renter has already been flooded with alternatives. Suddenly, your property is just another option—not their top choice.
Another mistake to avoid when advertising your rental, is not stating your rules and guidelines openly. Always state your rental rules upfront such as no smoking, check-in/out times, and clean-up expectations. This is to avoid misunderstandings and attract the right tenants. Clear rules mean smoother rentals and happier renters.
Standing out means combining good service with smart advertising and Krent gives you the tools to succeed with less stress.
Frequently Asked Questions(FAQs)
What is the best place to advertise shortlet apartments in Nigeria?
Krent is one of the best platforms to advertise shortlet apartments in Nigeria. It offers verified listings, a built-in audience of renters and, listing management tools. Other platforms include Airbnb, Instagram, Google My Business, and real estate communities on WhatsApp and Facebook.
How do I list my shortlet for free online?
To list your shortlet for free, create an account on platforms like Krent, where you can upload photos, descriptions, and pricing.
What makes a shortlet apartment appealing to rentals?
Key features renters look for include proximity to key locations, stylish and clean interiors, strong amenities, competitive pricing, and flexibility in booking.
How do I get more bookings for my shortlet?
To get more bookings, focus on high-quality images and videos, fast response to inquiries, regular updates to availability, and strong social media presence. Offer promotions during holidays, encourage referrals, and collect reviews to build trust and credibility.