Five tips: How to bag a rental on the Coast

Cover letters, personal identification, tenancy references – Tamara Wrigley shares her tips on how to bag a rental in the tight Sunshine Coast market.

The Sunshine Coast has a vacancy rate of 1 per cent.

Caloundra and Gympie have the tightest vacancy rate in Queensland with just 0.5 per cent of properties vacant, while Noosa is also tight at only 0.8 per cent.

 

Gone are the days of being cavalier when it comes to finding a rental property - you need to be dogged in your approach to stand out from the pack.

 

Here are my Top 5 Tips to bagging that dream rental in this historically competitive market:

 

Be organised - have all your documents ready

 

If you don't have your ducks in a row, forget it. There have been hoards of people turning up for viewings, and most of them come armed with cover letters (yes, really!), personal identification, previous tenancy references, personal references, bank documents, pay slips and anything else that can support their application. You definitely need to have all of these ready to go, both digitally to upload and/ or paper. If not, there's no point even turning up. It might also be worth checking your credit score before applying for anything.

 

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Have your rental bond ready in advance

 

It might seem obvious, but so many potential tenants miss out on the rental they wanted because they don't have the readies. Whether it's out of your own pocket or a loan etc, make sure you have the cash ready to go.

 

Build up rapport with the agent

 

Real estate agents can get a bad rap, but if you get them onside, they can become a friend for life. They know the area inside out so even if you don't manage to land the first house you meet them at, if you establish a nice friendly relationship from the beginning, you'll be front of mind when the next suitable place comes up. If it comes down to just a few applicants, the agent's steer usually influences who the landlord chooses. Make it be you! They're also the best eyes and ears on the ground when it comes to purchasing a property.

 

Dress smartly

 

While turning up to a viewing in a top hat and tails might be overdoing it, you definitely want to make the right impression, so be groomed, neat and tidy. While estate agents won't be judging you on your appearance, the owners may be there, and the neighbours will no doubt be peering over the fence. Someone polished will come across more desirable than a scruff.

 

Follow up

 

Most of the time, agents will be on the phone to you before you've even got home, but if you're really keen on a property, submit an application and be sure to follow up - quickly. If you've not heard anything within 24-48 hours, follow up again as if it's down to just a few of you, the person that calls and wins them over may be the one that gets the property.

 

 

 

 

Tamara Wrigley is a media commentator, award-winning businesswoman and property mogul, who bought her first property at the age of 21. Follow her Instagram page and Hepburn and Corder Renovations page.

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