How to Post Your Student Property on Residen: A Complete Listing Guide

Creating a great and effective listing on Residen isn't just about filling a vacancy. It'll mean positioning your property to attract the right student tenants while maximizing your listing's visibility to qualified leads through our platform algorithms. This guide walks you through features designed to help your property stand out.

Start With the Right Listing Type

Residen has two listing types, each with their own layouts and optimizations

When creating your listing, you'll see two options: "Posting a single listing" and "Posting a multi-unit building". Choosing correctly matters, because it determines which amenity options you can select and which filters your listing appears in.

Select "Posting a single listing" for:

• Detached or semi-detached homes
• Individual apartments
• Individual townhouses

Select "Posting a multi-unit building" for:

• High-rise or low-rise buildings
• Townhouse complexes

This distinction creates an optimized layout that helps students filter for their preferred living style and ensures your property reaches the right prospective student tenants from the start.

Maximize Your Amenity Score

Selecting all applicable amenities is crucial in raising your amenity score

Here's where Residen's platform intelligence really works in your favour: our listing compatibility algorithm uses an amenity score to match your property with students searching for amenity-rich listings. The more applicable amenities you select, the higher your listing grade appears for relevant leads.

Why this matters:

• Students place amenities higher on their compatibility algorithm
• Higher amenity scores = better grades for compatible students
• Accurate amenity data leads to better-matched inquiries

How you can optimize:

Don't undersell your property. If you offer an amenity, click it. Some examples:

• Newly built/renovated
• In-unit or shared laundry
• Parking
• Internet included
• Dishwasher, microwave, other appliances
• Outdoor spaces
• Storage options
• Air conditioning

For single listings: You'll see options like backyard, finished basement, stove type, etc..

For building listings: You'll see building-specific options like elevator access, concierge, security features, gyms, etc..

Pro tip: Students value transparency. Only check amenities that genuinely exist and function properly. A high amenity score with accurate information beats inflated claims that lead to disappointed tours.

Photography That Performs

Having clean and professional looking photos, especially your preview photo, can help make your listing stand out

High-quality photos are so critical, especially because they're your first impression and most powerful marketing tool. This is especially true for the photo you select to be shown first, which will appear in your listing cover card.

Best practices:

• Well-lit (natural light + all lights on)
• In focus and steady
• Horizontal orientation
• Highest possible resolution for clarity

What to photograph:

• Every bedroom (empty or minimally staged)
• Living room from multiple angles
• Full kitchen (counters clear, organized)
• Bathrooms (clean, minimal items on counters)
• Unique features (study nooks, walk-in closets, views)
• Building exterior and entrance
• Parking and outdoor spaces

Staging tips:

• Remove as many personal items and clutter as possible
• Made beds with neutral linens
• Clear all countertops except minimal decor
• Open curtains/blinds for maximum light
• Add a plant or fresh flowers for warmth

Your upload order matters. The first photo, the preview photo, becomes your thumbnail in search results. Make it your strongest, most inviting shot: typically a bright living room or kitchen, or a bright picture of the exterior.

Write a Description That Converts

Your listing description should be scannable, informative, and inviting. Students are comparing dozens of properties, so helping them quickly understand why your listing fits their needs will separate your listing and invite new leads.

Structure that works:

Opening hook (2-3 sentences): Lead with your strongest selling point and location advantage. Example: "This bright 4-bedroom house is a 7-minute walk to campus with all utilities included. Perfect for students who want convenience without the stress of managing monthly bills. Newly renovated kitchen and four dedicated study spaces make this ideal for serious students."

Detailed description:

• Room sizes and layouts
• Recent updates or renovations
• Neighbourhood character and proximity to campus
• Transit access and walking distances
• Why students love your location

Avoid:

• Generic descriptions that could apply to any property
• ALL CAPS or excessive punctuation!!!
• Outdated information
• Vague claims without specifics

Enable Direct Scheduling

Residen allows landlords to set their available times, so that students can request showings without a back and forth

One of Residen's most powerful features is direct booking for property tours.

The problem with messaging: When students have to message back-and-forth to schedule viewings, you lose momentum. Messages get lost, timing doesn't align, and students book tours with more responsive landlords.

The solution: Add your available viewing times directly to your listing using Residen's scheduling feature.

How it works:

• Set your recurring availability (e.g., "Weekdays 5-7pm, Saturdays 10am-4pm")
• Leave unavailable days unselected (Saturday/Sunday if not working, the calendar will disable these days)
• Students book directly from your listing
• You receive automatic notifications on requests
• Confirmations or rejections are handled by you to ensure the time selected works

Benefits:

• Higher booking rates - Students prefer the convenience of instant requests
• Better qualified leads - Students who book are genuinely interested
• Reduced back-and-forth - Saves you hours of coordination
• Professional impression - Shows you're organized and accessible

Pro tip: Keep your availability updated. Nothing frustrates students more than booking a time only to have it cancelled. Consistent availability builds trust.

List Everything, Even Rented Properties

Your landlord profile will show all properties even if rented, providing more urgency

Here's a counterintuitive strategy that actually increases your success. Keep all your properties listed on Residen, even when they're rented. Here's why this works:

Builds your landlord profile:

• Shows your full portfolio to prospective tenants
• Demonstrates experience and professionalism
• Students see you're an established landlord with multiple properties

Creates urgency:

• "Rented" status shows your properties are in demand
• Students see which neighborhoods you operate in
• When a unit becomes available, interested students already know your portfolio

Enables quick turnaround:

• Re-surface listings instantly when available
• No need to recreate entire listings from scratch

Attracts future tenants:

• Students browsing for next year see your offerings
• You can collect interest before properties become vacant
• Builds a waitlist for high-demand properties
• Raises your neighbour score if properties are close together

How to do it: Simply click "Hide this listing" after posting the listing that is unavailable. When it opens up, click "Unhide this listing" and your listing maintains its view history and engagement metrics.

Leverage Student Sublets for Mutual Benefit

Another strategic recommendation that helps everyone: Encourage your current tenants to post their sublets on Residen. This works for a number of reasons:

For your tenants:

• Provides a trusted platform to find summer or semester sublets
• Reduces their financial burden during internships or study abroad
• Shows you're invested in their success

For you as a landlord:

• Maintains occupancy during typical vacant periods
• Demonstrates your properties are desirable (someone wants to sublet)
• Builds goodwill with current tenants

For your listing visibility: Residen's compatibility algorithm includes a neighbour score. When multiple properties in the same building or on the same street are listed, it signals to students that this is a verified student-friendly area. More nearby listings = higher collective visibility.

How to support this:

• Mention in your lease that sublets are allowed with your approval
• Share Residen's platform with tenants looking to sublet
• Streamline your sublet approval process

This creates a positive ecosystem where everyone benefits. Students find flexible housing options, you maintain occupancy, and the entire neighbourhood gains visibility.

Why Residen Works for Student Housing Landlords

Traditional listing platforms scatter your efforts across general renters. Residen focuses exclusively on student housing, which means:

Targeted audience:

• Every user is a verified student or looking for student housing
• No time wasted on unqualified leads

Built-in tools designed for student rentals:

• Group coordination features (students come organized, and in groups)
• Compatibility algorithms match your property to the right tenants
• Leads marketplace for proactive lead generation

Platform credibility:

• Students trust Residen as a student-focused resource
• Your listings benefit from platform-wide marketing efforts
• Being on Residen signals you're a student-housing-savvy landlord

Start Listing Smarter, Not Harder

Creating a high-performing listing on Residen isn't about gaming the system. It's about thoroughly and accurately presenting your property using tools designed specifically for student housing. When you leverage amenity scores, direct scheduling, comprehensive photography, and strategic visibility, you're not just filling vacancies faster, you'll be attracting better-matched tenants who are excited to rent from you.

Ready to list your property? Create your landlord account on Residen and start reaching tens of thousands of verified student renters actively searching for housing just like yours.