Trade Me is too expensive for advertising rentals

[brendan]

I've got 4 rental properties, and one of my tenants just let me know that they are moving out, as they have purchased a house.

I've been lucky having long tenancies, and last time I listed a rental property on trade me it was about $49. Now it's $99!!!

Too much i say. Fairfax, you are getting too greedy! I am voting with my feet, and am not going to list rental properties on trademe any more.

Instead i've listed with www.homeads.co.nz yesterday, and have already had a number of enquiries.

[Keithw]

I agree with the sentiment, but you are not actually voting with your feet, as Homeads put their listings on Trademe !!
You need to watch out if both you and Homeads end up listing on Trademe as Homeads charge a finding fee that often catches prospective tenants out.

I used Homeads before they used Tradme & their response was pretty hopeless.
They seem to be better now that they post on Trademe.

[SuperDad]

TM is simply the #1 site for advertising rentals, end of story.

$99 is just right (I was erring on the side of "bargain).

Homeads restricts the tenant pool to those who don't mind paying $120 for what they can get for free, or else pay a letting fee of 1 weeks rent (incl. GST).

How many properties do they actually have on the site?

TM is open with this amount, Homeads is not. A search for 2, 3 and 4 bedrooms in Auckland City and surrounding suburbs, in any price range, returns 34 properties.

Paul.

[SuperDad]

PS We took 2 properties off an agent using Homeads a while back. The agent using Homeads had ordered the ads, but they had not been placed. We had the properties tenanted before one of the Homeads classifieds was placed.

[roseneath_rat]

What does it cost to list in the classified in the NZ Herald or Dom Post for 6 editions? (3 weeks, 2 ads per week).

[SuperDad]

The Waikato Times is $12.35/day for a 3 liner.

I expect that most papers have their rates cards available on the net.

Paul.

[Mango35]

I found it a little pricey this time round too...

[Sharon]

TM is now way too expensive for advertising rentals.
If your properties are in areas with reasonable traffic flow investing in professional "for rent" signs is a much better option. Supplement this with a couple of 3 line newspaper adverts, works well for me.

[brendan]

I agree with the sentiment, but you are not actually voting with your feet, as Homeads put their listings on Trademe !!

I'm aware that homeads will put it on trademe, so i'm not missing out on anything. I'll probably notify some other letting agents as well, and they will all use their unlimited listing option to advertise on trademe.

So who is going to miss out? Fairfax are not going to get my listing fee, and my tenants are going to have to pay an extra brokerage fee/letting fee.

[freezinhot]

Tenanted my last rental using the local newspaper and simple road signs, you just dont have the ability to show photos, but you need to show thru tenants anyway. Trade me now becoming expensive to use.

FH

[brendan]

Hyperinflation???

If my maths is correct, between 2003 and 2009 cost to list a rental has gone up 3960% or 660% per annum. If only my house price and rental went up that quickly.

2001: $2.50 (http://web.archive.org/web/200108020...ce_listing.asp)

2003: $2.50 (http://web.archive.org/web/200308010...o.nz/flathunt/)

2005: $19.95 (http://web.archive.org/web/200504062...cture/rentals/)

2006: $49 (http://web.archive.org/web/200607190...group=PROPERTY)

2007: $49 (http://web.archive.org/web/200709040...group=PROPERTY)

2009: $99 (http://www.trademe.co.nz/Sell/Default.aspx)

2015: $8,182,741 (Assuming price increases continue at 660% p.a.)

[spurner]

Wow, that's impressive. Here I was thinking about the price of sending a letter to Australia going up from $1.50 to $1.80 - 20%. And my rubbish kart collection going from $90 to $98!

Whether it's $19, $49 or $99 it seems to have no relevance to how much it costs them to create the ad, which is unlike other price increases.

I've placed TM listings and had 1500 views and 50 emails/phonecalls/texts within 3 days. So I think in reality I and most others will continue to pay whatever they charge, especially while there is no other comparable service.

[donna]

It's the Marketing 101 - Law of Category Leadership - Trade Me are the leaders and on the Internet there is only one clear leader then the rest.

cheers,

Donna

[SuperDad]

Bingo Donna.

[Cassandra]

ads cost

What does it cost to list in the classified in the NZ Herald or Dom Post for 6 editions? (3 weeks, 2 ads per week).

Hi RR. Dom Post do a "double buy" special - ie 2x ads at a discount tariiff. Book for Wednesday and Saturday as they are target reader days to advertise property to-let. 2-3 lines priced $21 - $31 for the 2 ads

Trademe certainly does have critical mass. Is value in allowing upto 20 photos and can be renewed after 14 days at no additional cost. Many a tenant is turned -off and reluctant to pay Homeads letting /finder fees which i think are equal to 1x weeks rent plus gst.