Property Investment
4 min read
An empty rental property costs you money.
That’s because you’ve got a property, but no one is paying your rent.
So a lot of property investors worry: “What if I can’t get a tenant?”
After all, most people can’t afford their own mortgage and the mortgage on their investment property.
In 2025, the rental market is tough. Tenants have the upper hand, and it’s taking longer to find a good tenant.
At Opes Property Management, we look after over 1,300 properties. And we’re constantly testing out ways to find tenants faster.
So, in this article you’ll learn what works when it comes to finding a tenant faster for your investment property.
Think of your rental like you’re selling it.
If you were selling your home what would the real estate agent do?
You can do all of these things to create warmth when you are doing tenant viewings. After all, first impressions matter.
Yet, in the past property managers haven’t treated rental viewings like that. Often, prospective tenants turn up before the property manager. Then they walk into the house together.
The lights are off and so is the heater … and prospective tenants are left to explore for themselves.
So the first tip is to:
And just like open homes, weekend viewings work best.
That’s when most people have time to come and look.
So if you want to find a tenant faster, don’t just have viewings during week days. Have them on weekends too.
Make it convenient for your potential customers (the tenants).
The fastest way to scare tenants away is to set the rent too high.
How do you know if the rent is too high? Here’s my trick.
If your property is getting less than two tenants wanting to view your property a week, the rent is too high.
Often you’ll want at least six or seven tenants viewing each week. But less than 2 a week is a red flag.
If that’s the case, consider dropping the rent and also try:
Want to get a tenant? Simple (most people think): list it on Trade Me, then wait for tenants to apply.
That works in a hot market, but not when good tenants are thinner on the ground.
So, don’t just advertise on Trade Me.
For one development we were renting, the Opes Property Management team hired a social media influencer. She created videos promoting the properties and encouraged people to book a viewing.
We spent money on social media ads to get the videos in front of the right people, and it worked. We rented 15 of those properties in a matter of weeks.
So advertising directly to tenants (not just those looking on Trade Me) can work too.
The rental market moves quickly. Tenants aren’t just applying for your property – they’ll apply for others too. Because they don’t want to just apply for one property, get declined ... then have to start their search again.
So they will often take the first property they get accepted for.
That’s why if you take too long to approve their application, another landlord may snap them up.
I often recommend getting back to a tenant’s application within 24 hours.
You should also be flexible on move-in dates. I once had a landlord who rejected a tenant’s application because the tenant wanted a few extra days before they moved in (and started paying rent).
Rather than waiting the few extra days, the landlord said ‘no’. It took another 2 weeks before he found another tenant. He would have made more money if he had been a little more flexible with the first applicant.
Around 64% of households in New Zealand have pets, yet some landlords will always say ‘no pets’.
So if you are willing to consider allowing your tenant to have a pet … you’re at an advantage.
Because if you don’t allow pets, you can only rent your property to someone who doesn’t have a pet. If you do allow pets, you can rent to either.
That doesn’t mean you let a tenant who has a rottweiler rent your 1-bedroom apartment. You can be smart about it.
Not everyone can (or wants to) manage a rental themselves.
A good property manager will get your property rented faster by:
If you’re struggling to rent your property it might not be the market – it could be your management. So have a chat with a trusted property manager
Your rental property will be empty from time to time, but it doesn’t have to drag on.
When you use these 6 steps you’ll cut down your vacancy and, ultimately, make more money as a property investor.
Business Development Manager with 5 years Property Management industry experience. Property Investor in Christchurch
Tom Greene is the Business Development Manager at Opes Property Management in Christchurch with over five years of industry experience and is also an experienced property investor. Tom provides tenancy guidance and insight to those both starting and continuing their investment journey.
