How to Advertise Your Rental Property in Arkansas

Your vacant house in Little Rock or Fayetteville isn't just sitting there. It's a money pit. Mortgage, taxes, insurance—all coming out of your pocket while you hope for a tenant. Hope is not a strategy. The Arkansas market is crowded, and if your listing looks like everyone else's blurry, vague mess, you'll get the applicants nobody else wants. You need a qualified tenant who pays on time. This is how you make that happen.

THE PRICE IS WRONG (AND IT'S KILLING YOU)

You priced it based on what you need to make the mortgage, or what you think it's worth. That's suicide. Get on Zillow Rental Manager right now. Find three properties in your exact neighborhood—same beds, same baths, same condition. What are they actually listed for? That's your new price. Be brutal. If yours has a fenced yard and a new AC, you can be at the top end. If it's dated, you're at the bottom. Price it 10% too high and you'll lose a month's rent in vacancy. Do the math. It's ugly.

YOUR PHOTOS ARE AN EMBARRASSMENT

You took six dark, vertical phone pics at noon. The shadows are harsh, the rooms look tiny, and you didn't even show the damn backyard. In a digital market, photos are EVERYTHING.

FIX IT TODAY:

• TIME: "Golden Hour." Shoot just after sunrise or before sunset. The Arkansas light is soft and makes everything look better.
• GEAR: Use a tripod. Or prop your phone on a counter. NO SHAKY, DARK, VERTICAL VIDEOS.
• THE NON-NEGOTIABLE SHOT LIST:
  1. Curb appeal. Mow the lawn. Sweep the porch. Frame it perfect.
  2. Living room. Wide angle. Every blind open, every light ON.
  3. Kitchen. Countertops EMPTY. Not a single appliance out.
  4. Primary bedroom. Bed made with plain bedding.
  5. Primary bathroom. Spotless.
  6. THE ARKANSAS ESSENTIALS: A CLOSE-UP OF THE THERMOSTAT (prove the AC works). The IN-UNIT WASHER/DRYER. The COVERED PARKING spot or carport. The FENCED BACKYARD.
  7. The "Lifestyle" Shot: The covered porch, the walking trail out back, the quiet street.

If this sounds like a pain, hire a local real estate photographer for $200. It is the single best investment you will make.

YOUR HEADLINE GETS 3 SECONDS. MAKE IT COUNT.

Garbage: "Nice house for rent in Fayetteville"
Gold: "$1,295 - 3BR/2BA in Hillcrest // Fenced Yard & New AC"

Formula: [PRICE] - [BED/BATH] in [NEIGHBORHOOD] // [TOP FEATURE] + [2ND FEATURE]

THE DESCRIPTION: THEY SCAN. THEY DON'T READ.

First line: Hit a pain point. "Tired of coin-op laundry and street parking? This updated bungalow has a dedicated carport and full-size W/D in unit."

Then, BULLET POINTS ONLY.

• Rent: $1,295/mo (Due 1st, $50 late fee after 5th)
• Lease: 12-month minimum
• Pets: One dog under 40lbs okay ($250 non-refundable fee)
• Parking: Dedicated carport + driveway
• HVAC: CENTRAL HEAT & AIR (NEW 2023) <-- BOLD THIS.
• Laundry: Full-size washer/dryer IN UNIT
• Feature: Fully fenced backyard, covered front porch

Arkansas-Specific Perks: Mention "ceiling fans in every room," "energy-efficient windows," "walk to [U of A / ACH / trail]," "quiet street."

THE LEGAL TRAPDOOR: THE FAIR HOUSING ACT

The U.S. Fair Housing Act is not a guideline. It's the law. You cannot write an ad that discriminates.

• ILLEGAL: "Perfect for a young professional," "Great for a married couple," "No children," "Christian household preferred."
• LEGAL: "Quiet neighborhood," "One-bedroom layout," "Near St. Vincent's hospital."
  Describe the property, not the person. A discrimination complaint will cost you more than a year's rent. Just stop.

THE PLATFORM WAR: YOU MUST BE EVERYWHERE

Posting on just Zillow is amateur hour. You need a wave of demand.
POST TO ALL OF THESE ON THE SAME TUESDAY MORNING:

1. Zillow Rental Manager (feeds to Trulia/HotPads).
2. Facebook Marketplace AND local Facebook groups (search "Fayetteville Rentals," "Little Rock Housing" – join, post).
3. Craigslist Arkansas (use real photos or you're spam).
4. Apartments.com.
5. University Housing Portals (if near U of A, A-State, or UCA – this is mandatory).
   THE HACK: Manually managing this is a part-time job. This is the exact problem a syndication service solves. A platform like Hemlane lets you build your listing once and it automatically bombs it out to all these sites. Every inquiry funnels into one dashboard. You stop chasing 5 different inboxes and start screening tenants. It's not a cost; it's a time machine.
6. Try Hemlane: Hemlane offers a free plan or you can try the full version free for 14 days at hemlane.com.

YOUR 3-STEP BATTLE PLAN

1. TODAY: Do your price comps on Zillow. Set the correct price. Schedule your photo shoot for golden hour.
2. THIS WEEK: Write your killer listing with the headline formula and bullet points. Use Hemlane or manually post it to ALL FIVE platforms above ON THE SAME DAY.
3. NEXT MONTH: Have your pre-screen text ready. Answer every inquiry within MINUTES. Schedule showings in blocks. Run background checks. Sign the lease.

Stop thinking. Start doing. That vacancy is an open wound. This is the suture kit.

Still need help with advertising your rental property?

If you’re still deciding where to list your rental, we put together a guide on where to advertise your rental property, covering the most common listing sites and what to consider for each.

SOURCES / YOUR LEGAL AMMO:

• U.S. Dept of HUD - Fair Housing Act: Link
• Arkansas Attorney General - Landlord/Tenant Resources: Link

DISCLAIMER: This is a frantic memo from the rental trenches. It is tactical field advice, not legal counsel. Fair Housing laws are complex and strictly enforced. Consult a qualified Arkansas real estate attorney for guidance on your specific situation.