This last month I found myself in the interesting position of having SEVEN vacant rental properties
(ouch!). The typical newspaper ads were not pulling enough calls, any many of the callers were
Section 8 tenants (barf!).
Nauseous at the though of forking out another $4,500 on vacant properties next month, I decided to
pull out an old, but under-utilized technique. . . the paper flyer. I made hundreds of flyers on my
computer in various colors. I included a map with directions on the flyer (thanks to
www.mapquest.com). I had them distributed on car windshields in every shopping mall, supermarket
and church parking lot within a mile radius of the rentals.
Did I get some nasty calls from people who didn't appreciate the flyer on their windshield? Sure,
but who gives a hoot? The United States Supreme Court says it's free speech protected by the First
Amendment! Bottom line: every tenant to whom I ended up renting came from a flyer!
Here's another bonus about flyers: you can legally discriminate using them. We all know that
you cannot advertise for families, because it is discriminatory against single people. We also know
that a family with kids is less likely to break a lease early than a single person (I don't need
statistics to tell me this, for I know that the though of packing up my kids' crap is enough to make
me want to NEVER move!).
HERE'S THE POINT: If you place your flyers in places that families visit, your chances of finding a
family to rent are increased. Rather than a blind ad in the newspaper, put flyers on windshields of
cars parked at Bennigan's & Chili's Restaurants (who else would eat at such horrid
places?). Place flyers in church parking lots, schools and Toys 'R Us. The law says you can't
STATE who you want as a tenant in your flyer, but it doesn't prohibit where you distribute
the flyers!
Copyright 2001 All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be copied
or reprinted without the express written permission of the Author.
William Bronchick, Esq.
Legalwiz Publications
==================================
E-mail bronchick@legalwiz.com
Website: www.legalwiz.com
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