 Ronnie (Flickr)

Summer is going to be here in a few days. For a lot of landlords and property managers, summer means business is booming and lots of work. However, don’t forget to think of yourself, and squeeze in some vacation time to take a break from the summer rental rush.

Landlords, like everybody else, deserve some time off to get some R&R. (Read Landlords, You CAN Take a Vacation for inspiration) When you appoint your friend, colleague, or family member to help take care of your property, make sure you full equip them with everything they’ll need. This will hopefully prevent any moments of “I don’t know what to do!” panic, and they’ll be prepared for anything that may come their way while you’re out.

Create a “Landlord Travel Kit” for your substitute landlord. Here are a few ideas of what you could include:

• All the keys to all of the properties. It’s also a good idea to include keys to access all of the units.
• A list of all residents, including information such as phone numbers, e-mail address, and unit address.
• Blank signed checks. Leaving a few blank signed checks are useful if any unexpected bills arise. For example, if a plumber has to be called last minute, this will pay for the services without having your stand-in landlord front these costs.
• A list of contractors. Include the names and phone numbers of maintenance workers, landscapers, plumbers, and electricians in the case of an emergency maintenance situation.
• Information on how to contact you. If a situation arises that absolutely requires your attention, you need to be accessible. Provide your substitute landlord your cell phone number, hotel information, and e-mail address. While on vacation, check your e-mail every few days to make sure you haven’t received any emergency messages. Even though you’re on vacation, it’s important that you’re not impossible to reach.

It’s not often that a single tool so drastically changes and improves how real estate agents do business. But that’s exactly what we’ve done in NYC, and we can’t wait to help agents in other cities too!

Agents who use Agentfolio convert more leads into buyers, work more efficiently and effectively, and better engage their clients by adding expertise and local knowledge at the critical times during the home search.

If that sounds familiar, trust us, it’s not.

Agentfolio is different than any other real estate tool you’ve used:

1)   It’s the only tool that allows multiple people involved in a home search (think husband, wife, agent teammates, etc.) to effectively collaborate in a central place that isn’t the disorganized email inbox.

2)   We’ve got mobile apps that sync with our web version so agents can help their clients, wherever and whenever. (And your clients can use the apps too!)

3)   In addition to being an agent tool, we also give today’s buyers the technology they want, making it a sticky platform that puts the AGENT front and center.

Are you ready for the industry’s first mobile and web workspace where you and your clients can search, share, organize, and discuss listings all in one place and with real-time data?

Do you want easy-to-use technology that you and your clients will love?

If you’re in Boston, Chicago, or New York you can sign up today at agentfolio.com. It’s free for Zillow Premier Agents.

We’ll be launching in more cities every month so keep an eye out or you can always email us at tellmemore@agentfolio.com

Happy Home Searching!

Here is a short video explaining Agentfolio, how it works, and its benefits.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Press release here.

GreenMountainJC via Flickr

Do you have a property that’s been vacant for a while? Watch out for squatters, because these uninvited guests are a pain to deal with. A city in South Florida passed a law just last week that will require renters to provide telephone, driver’s license, and e-mail information to open utilities accounts in an effort to prevent squatting. While not all cities are taking such a proactive approach to stop vacant properties from being invaded, here’s what you can do to prevent squatting on your property.

Continue to take care of your property.

Squatters are going to do their research before they move in on an abandoned property. Don’t give your home any reason to be labeled as “abandoned.” Even if it’s sitting empty, continue to take care of it: trim the lawn, clean the gutter, and keep a regular maintenance schedule. A property that’s regularly cared for is less likely to attract the attention of squatters looking for a new home.

Communicate with the neighbors.

If you’re not around all the time, it’s important to talk to your neighbors and notify them that your property is vacant. If squatters were to move in and occupy your property, it’s easy to assume that they’re just the new tenants. Your neighbors are an extra set of eyes when you aren’t around, so keep an open line of communication. Let them know when you have residents moving in or out, and ask them to call you if they think anything suspicious is going on.

Check up on your property regularly.

Just because there are no residents to check up on doesn’t mean you should stop making your rounds. Check up on your property regularly to make sure everything looks normal and nothing odd is going on. If there are squatters, there might be signs of a break-in or personal items scattered around the property.

Change the locks after a move-out.

Even though your residents have returned the keys to you, there could be extra copies floating around. Previous tenants who are down on their luck could easily use their old keys to re-enter your property. Changing the keys is a simple way to secure your home against trespassers. Also make sure the doors and windows are locked.

Complete thorough credit and background checks for each new tenant.

Not all squatters are the result of a break-in. Your tenants could be the culprits, allowing friends who aren’t on the lease into the property. This type of squatting actually complicates the legal process for getting rid of squatters because your tenant could return, making it difficult to prove your case. Prevent these types of situations from happening by completing a credit and background check for each resident.

In a nutshell, squatters are trespassers who have no right to be on your property. In the case that squatters do invite themselves into your home, be careful about interacting with them. Alert the local police station and research the laws in your area regarding trespassing before you intervene.

You’ll see this spot nationwide all summer, on networks such as HGTV, CNN, A&E and Lifetime; you might also catch it online at some of your favorite sites. Check out both of our current TV spots here.

Click here to view the embedded video.

lydia_shiningbrightly (Flickr)

Balconies are a wonderful amenity in almost any unit. It allows residents to step out to get fresh air in the comfort of their own property. Unfortunately, like every other aspect of a rental property, balconies wear down and need to be inspected regularly. Therefore, you should add this to your preventative maintenance regimen. Failing to do so could put your residents’ safety at risk.

It’s important to learn how to inspect a balcony and identify any issues that could cause it to fail. Use the following checklist to help guide semi-annual balcony inspections:

• Inspect timber balconies for rotting. Test the wood by poking the wood with a sharp object like a screwdriver. Timber that’s decaying might feel soft or spongy.
• Inspect concrete balconies for rust, spalling, or deflection. If you find rust stains on the exposed steel, chunks of concrete are coming off, or the balcony is leaning, this can pose a serious issue.
• Check for unstable handrails. Make sure the handrails are not rotting, rusting, or are loose.
• Trim trees so that they’re not close to the balconies. You don’t want branches or leaves falling onto the balcony, because these could hold water, damaging it.
• Replace corroded fasteners. Fasteners that are beginning to deteriorate should be replaced because it could damage the surrounding wood.
• Make sure that the railings are high enough. Depending on your local law, the height requirement may be different. Also check to make sure that the gaps between the rails are no more than four inches apart to prevent kids and pets from getting through.

If you notice that any of the above problems are occurring on your balcony, make the balcony off limits until the problem is fixed. You don’t want to risk the safety of your residents when the balcony is not 100 percent stable.

decade_null via Flickr

In this week’s most popular blog posts, understand why rent is the new buy in a colorful infographic, and how you can make use of extra space in your lobby to create a lending library for your residents. Find out how you can prepare your property in the case of an earthquake, and how you can remove wasp nests.

Infographic: Why Rent Is The New Buy

We see it repeated in the news each week: renting is on the rise, and it’s not a trend that’s going away anytime soon. Take a look at the numbers behind why renting is such a popular lifestyle choice in this infographic by Appfolio.

Preparing Your Property For An Earthquake

Earthquakes can occur without warning. Earthquakes have a huge potential for creating property damage and hurting residents. That’s why it’s important for you to be as prepared as possible should an earthquake occur.

How to Remove Wasp Nests From Your Property

The summer time is primetime for wasps. When a nest is built, it could bring in hundreds or even thousands of wasps. This could put your residents at risk; wasps, unlike bees, are notorious for using their stingers multiple times, which could inflict lots of pain and could even trigger allergic reactions. Therefore, it’s best to remove these nests as soon as they’re found.

Apartment Trends: Lending Libraries 

Have some extra space in your lobby or game room? Why not start a lending library in your apartment building? Adding an apartment to your library is an easy, quick way to use free space in your building to offer another amenity to your residents.

Tips for Long-Lasting Carpet in Rental Properties 

Some residents love carpet. It can create a warm and cozy feel to a property, and can feel great under your feet. Additionally, carpet helps insulate the property in colder environments, and it absorbs sound. Here are some tips to make sure that carpet lasts through wear and tear.

Topic: 3 Ways to Close More Deals This Month!
In this session you’ll learn:

• How to create the number of conversations it takes to create one transaction.
• How to figure out “who” you should create appointments with for higher conversion.
• How and where the real business is coming from in today’s market.
• How to not only create leads, but how to create successful appointments.
• How to get more offers accepted for your buyers in multiple bidding situations.
  and more…

WHEN: Wednesday, June 19 at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET) — REGISTER NOW

Registration is limited to the first 1,000 attendees, first come, first served.

See all the free training, support, education webinars and courses available at Zillow Academy.

About Jared James: Speaker/Trainer/Author

Jared is the CEO and founder of Jared James Enterprises. He is one of the most sought after speakers and trainers in the world and travels around the globe speaking to entrepreneurs and sales people about what it takes to remain relevant and increase their incomes in an ever changing market.

In addition to keynoting events for some of the largest companies in the world, Jared has also performed various training for organizations such as NAR, CRS, RE/MAX International, Century 21 Canada, REALTOR Magazine, Yahoo! and Zillow.

Image by Hoboken Condos via Flickr

In this week’s rental industry news, see how one Florida city is preventing squatters from camping out in vacant homes. See why some rental investors plan to pull back on their home purchases this year, and how racial discrimination is still an issue in the real estate industry.

10 Things to Ask Before Renting a Luxury Apartment in New York City

So you’ve seen the heated indoor lap pool in the state-of-the-art fitness center, toured the screening room, entertainment lounge, game room, catering kitchen and pet spa. But take a moment before you rush over to the leasing office to sign on the dotted line. Here are ten questions to ask before renting in a luxury building

Investors Backing Out of ‘REO-to-Rent’ Market

For the past three years they have been swarming over the hardest-hit housing markets, buying distressed properties in bulk and pushing prices higher by double digits. The idea for these investors was not to buy and flip, but to hold and rent. Now some investors say they’ve priced themselves out of the market.

Here’s Where to Find the Worst Apartment Rentals in Chicago

The Chicago-born DoNotRent.com wants to be the main place that tenants go when they want to say something like “Stay Away! Living here is absolute hell!” Those with good rental experiences are also invited to comment on DoNotRent.

Study Finds Racial Discrimination in Real Estate Practices

According to a study by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, African-Americans are shown 4.2 fewer units than white inquirers. The numbers get even worse with Hispanic and Asian renters. On average, minority groups are given fewer opportunities by real estate agents to look at available homes.

Another Sign of Slow Economic Recovery: Vacation Rentals

Agents who handle rental property in such vacation destinations as Cape Cod, New Hampshire’s Hampton Beach and Maine’s Sebago Lake region are seeing a mix of slight price increases and stagnant rates, but no falling prices to rent a house on the water for a week.

Florida City to Create Landlord, Renter Database

Pembroke Pines, in Florida’s Broward County, is creating a detailed database of every landlord and renter in the city, compelling them to provide driver’s license, telephone and email information. The unusual new law by Pembroke Pines is an effort to stop squatters from taking root in vacant homes. The database would be publicly accessible to anyone who requests it.

Well, here is your blog post!

The stats:

• In May, 253 million homes were viewed on Zillow Mobile — that’s 94 homes per second.
• More than 55 percent of Zillow’s traffic now comes from a mobile device; on weekends it’s 65 percent.
• Zillow, Inc. has a total of 24 apps across every major platform.

(Source: Google Analytics, May 2013)

I didn’t post these stats to brag (though really, those are some pretty impressive numbers), but to contribute to a conversation about the general direction mobile use is moving.

Back when I ran a real estate brokerage, I had a website that was pretty successful at generating buyer and seller contacts. People would tell me, “Your site needs to be mobile optimized! Mobile is the future!”

Yeah, yeah, mobile mobile mobile. To be honest, I grew tired of hearing it. People searched “back then” on desktops and laptops. Not everyone used a phone app or an iPad to search for homes.

Not everyone uses mobile now either. But apparently a lot of people do.

In the year plus that I’ve worked at Zillow, my thoughts on mobile have changed. The near constant barrage of new phones and tablets, new mobile operating systems, new apps — it is almost overwhelming. Watching the mobile usage numbers grow on practically a daily basis should tell us all something.

Mobile isn’t the future. Mobile is now.

Joel Olives (Flickr)

If you’ve taken the time and money to invest in the landscaping of your rental property, you could help your garden flourish by attracting birds and bees. Birds can regulate any unwanted insects that are damaging your plants, which could help you avoid using pesticides. Bees assist with pollination, which helps trees, flowers, and other plants bloom.

To attract more birds and bees to your property, consider the following tips:

Plant native plants.

Native plants attract native birds. Planting plants native to your area will provide food for birds. Choosing a wide variety of plants could also increase the number of bird species you attract.

Plant the correct flowers for bees.

Some flowers attract bees, while others are sterile and do not attract them. When deciding on what flowers to plant on your property, do a little bit of research first. Make sure that the variety of flower you are planting attracts bees. Bees tend to like plants that have elaborate petals and lots of nectar.

Plant flowers close together.

Bees like flowers that are close together so they don’t have to fly that far. Consider creating flowerbeds that have lots of different flowers close together. Plant flowers along your walkway leading up to the entrance. It’s a great way to give your entrance some curb appeal, attracting more renters, while attracting bees as well!

Get your soil tested.

Go to your local garden center and get your soil tested. This test will let you know what type of soil you have. This will help you decide on what plants will perform best in your yard, which could help you decide on what to plant.

Be cautious of your herbicides and pesticides.

Don’t harm your visitors. The last thing you’d want to do is hurt the wildlife you’re trying to attract! Chemicals in herbicides and pesticides could be harmful to the wildlife you’re trying to attract. You should only use these chemicals if absolutely necessary, and use them according to the instructions on the label. Whenever possible, opt for green pesticides and insect repellants.