What renters are searching for?
Ever wondered what renters are looking for in a property? Is it a shed, a pool, outdoor area or is it something else?
Well the answer might lie in the keyword search terms they use when looking for properties online, with recent data from property portal realestate.com.au offering a fascinating insight into the most common rental search terms.
So let’s take a deep dive into the most popular rental search terms in a bid to discover what renters want…
The data
Early in 2023, property portal realestate.com.au compiled a list of the top 1000 keywords searched by renters including a top 10 that had enjoyed the highest year-on-year growth.
And the results paint an interesting picture with renters seeking out things like pet friendly properties, dishwashers, and air conditioning along with terms like furnished, garage, and swimming pool.
So let’s take a look at the list:
- Furnished, pet friendly
- pet-friendly, swimming pool
- furnished, swimming pool
- air conditioning, dishwasher, heating
- air conditioning, built-in robes
- built-in robes, dishwasher
- air conditioning, garage, pet friendly
- built-in robes, garage
- air conditioning, ensuite
- air conditioning, garage
Interestingly, this data overlaps with the keywords buyers often use when searching for a property to purchase, but there are some subtle differences.
When it comes to buying a property search terms included things like air-conditioning, swimming pool, balcony, garage, and dishwasher but also extended to flood, and paddocks.
Realestate.com.au goes on to note this difference can be attributed to the fact property buyers can add some of the features they seek, while renters rely on what’s already available, which is why air-conditioning, heating, and swimming pool feature so often.
A note for rental owners
For rental property owners, the search term data offers an insight into the property features you can add to make a property more appealing to the wider market.
Just like running a successful business, owning a rental property is all about having a product that meets people’s needs.
The better the property caters to these needs, the more popular it becomes, making it more valuable and less likely to sit vacant.
That may not necessarily mean you race out and measure up your investment property for a swimming pool, but perhaps the next time you’re making improvements, you might like to consider the following:
- The air conditioning and heating
- Increasing the property’s storage
- Investing in a shed or upgrading off-street parking to a carport
- Adding a second toilet or ensuite, if feasible
Meanwhile, realestate.com.au noted a furnished and pet-friendly property was more important to renters in 2022 than the previous year.
In fact their data revealed there were three times more searches for those terms than the next search on the list of ‘pet friendly, swimming pool’.
In other words, having a pet friendly property makes it more appealing, so could be worth considering, while the right property might also benefit from being furnished.
How we can help
Our experienced property managers pride themselves on establishing great relationships with both rental occupiers and owners.
We manage every property as if it were our own and you can learn more about our property management services here.
Alternatively, if you are looking to rent a property, you can view the properties we currently have available here.
