If you own a rental property with a vacant unit, it is tempting to show the unit off to the first prospective tenant who walks into the management office.

That, however, is not a sound procedure for real estate investors to adopt for a couple of reasons.

Qualify the Tenant

Before you show prospective tenants a vacant rental unit, have them fill out an application and then qualify them to make sure that they can afford the unit–otherwise, you are potentially wasting your time.

Moreover, by filling out the application, you accomplish one other important thing before showing the unit: You have a better idea of whom you are showing the rental to, including a name, address, and telephone number for security measures.

After all, you do not know who these people are, and unfortunately, people have been attacked and robbed by individuals to whom they were showing vacant units.

Prepare the Unit

Before you take someone to see the vacant unit, make sure that the unit is clean and well lit to make the best impression possible. Allow the individuals walk freely around the unit and be ready to answer their questions completely.

If the unit is occupied already, you should notify the existing tenant of your intentions to show the unit before actually bringing a stranger into his or her home.

In this case, set up reasonable times during the day and workweek that will enable you to show the apartment—preferably in the tenant’s absence so you can avoid possible negative input from existing tenants. Just be sure not to leave a prospective tenant alone in an occupied unit, and make sure no one touches any of the existing tenant’s belongings.

If you must show a unit while the existing tenant is home, make sure to be polite and show the unit as quickly as possible—tenants really do not like a walk-through by the landlord or anyone else.

Finally, make sure your showing of the rental unit is constant with every applicant. You do not want to get into trouble with discrimination laws by not showing certain applicants certain units or failing to answer every applicant’s questions about the unit with the same regard you would anyone else.

It has been stated previously. Real estate investing is like an onion–layer upon layer. Knowing how and taking care to show vacant rental property units is just one more layer.

When done right, however, it makes investing in real estate more profitable, and as a result, a lot more fun.