ADVERTISING YOUR RENTAL PROPERTY Advertising - Where to Find Tenants It goes without saying that rental income is the lifeline of every landlord. If your property is vacant, then knowing how to find new tenants is the very first step on how to become a landlord. In this day and age, online classifieds have become the most popular method of finding tenants. Traditional methods of advertising your rental property offline cannot be ignored as well. The newspaper is another method but it is expensive compared to free online ads. For rent signs and word of mouth marketing remains highly effective till this day. "For Rent" drive-by signs are very quick and cheap to implement. More importantly, they deliver results. Recent studies have concluded that these simple signs account for nearly half of all tenants found offline. Word of mouth marketing is often overlooked when it comes to finding new tenants but it works well if used correctly. Best classified sites to find tenants online. Using Social Media Newspapers Local Bulletin Boards List with Realtor Word of mouth For Rent signs Offer incentives to your existing tenants Answering phone Things to Include in Your “For Rent” Ad Essential Information to Get Your Property Rented Quickly When placing rental ads for your property, there are some essentials you will want to include. Taking the time to make your 'For Rent' ad as detailed and specific as possible will help save you time by increasing the chances that only people who are truly interested will reply to your ad. How to Write a Good Ad for Your Rental Properties Knowing how to write a good ad for a rental property is just as important. To write a good ad, pay attention to these areas: Ad Title: Every copywriter will tell you that the headline is the most important part of your advertisement. In that limited space (Craigslist has a 70 character limit), you should create a title that is both informative and attractive. Include the most important information in the title, including the number of bedrooms and specific location of your rental property. Try to weave in a unique benefit as well (e.g. seaside property, 3 minute walk from train station, high floor with great view, etc.). Ad Description: List all the important details - The number of bedrooms, the amount of floor space (in sq feet), heating and cooling fixtures, cooking facilities and whether pets are allowed. Include a description of your rental property's neighborhood as well, giving special attention to nearby amenities and attractions - town centers, malls, train stations, eating places, beaches, parks and schools. Be Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 1 sure to mention the traveling times to these amenities - e.g. three minute walk to the park or five minute drive to XXX shopping center. Make it easy for any interested renter to contact you - Include a disposable mobile number and email address in your ad. Don't use your primary email address because spam bots are likely to pick it up and fill your inbox with junk mail. Whenever possible, avoid short forms (e.g. E.I.K, W/D) in your description. You're finding tenants for rental properties, not real estate professionals. The only exception I would consider are well-known abbreviations in the ad title if you're out of character space (e.g. BR for Bedroom or APT for apartments). A Picture: You wouldn’t believe what a difference this makes. Many people will not call an ad if it does not include a picture. Granted, newspaper ads do not necessitate pictures, but for online rental ads and even ads placed on bulletin boards, clear pictures highlighting the best parts of your property are a necessity. Color photos are more appealing than black and white photos. Basic Specs of the Apartment You will want to include the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and approximate square feet of the property. Monthly Rent Make sure you include the monthly rent in your rental ad. You can include an exact price or a range if you are a little flexible on the price. Amount of Security Deposit Required You must also include how much of a security deposit you require. Again, you can put an exact number or you can say something like “one and a half month’s rent.” Date Available Include the date the unit will be available for move-in. Type of Lease State how long of a lease a prospective tenant must sign. A month to month is recommended, or you may use a one year lease maximum. You may want to call it a “12 month lease” because, psychologically, it seems less constricting to people. Make it clear that they will owe the 12 month’s rent if they move out early, unless you can rent it out before the 12 months is up. Property Location For online ads, you will want to include the city and state where the property is located. You can leave out the state in local newspaper or bulletin board ads. Deciding to include the actual street address is a personal decision. You may only want to give this information out to people you have prescreened over the phone. Another option is to include the street name in the ad, but not the actual house number of the property for rent. Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 2 If Utilities are Included You do not necessarily have to say "utilities are not included" or "you must pay your own utilities." People do not like to hear what they’re not getting in an apartment. Rather, if any utilities are included in the monthly rent, you can state that. You can say something like "H/HW (heat/hot water) included." Your Pet Policy Make it clear what animals you will allow in your property. No pets? Only cats? Only dogs under 20 pounds? Both? Only dogs not on the dangerous dog breed list? Make it clear what pets are allowed up front to prevent misunderstandings or conflict in the future. Learn Where to Find Tenants for Your Rental Property Knowing where to find tenants is one of the trickiest parts of getting your property rented. The truth is, in order to find a tenant for your property, he or she has to be able to find you! Potential tenants need to know that you have a vacancy available. Since people look for rentals in all different places, it’s important that you advertise your property in a variety of locations as well. Here are some ways to advertise your rental property to ensure the greatest number of people have the opportunity to see it. Advertise on Rental Websites Since so many people use the internet, it is a great way to reach the masses. Sites such as Craigslist allow you to list your rental property based on location, making it easily searchable. In addition, there are many state specific Web sites where you can advertise your property. Postlets is a website that will allow you to post your ad on Zillow, Hot Pads, Craigslist, Yahoo Homes, and many more. HousingsearchNW.com is another one. EBay Classifieds - Another online classifieds website that is highly popular with landlords and tenants. For this website, you can advertise rental property online under "Apartments for rent" or "Homes for rent". Backpage - If you're a regular Craigslist user, you will find this website familiar and simple to use. Just like Craigslist, it has a minimalist layout that stresses function over form. What makes this website stand out is that it has a dedicated "rentals" category that is very active (often its most popular section). Backpage also has a useful search filter that allows you to narrow down your search by rent amount and number of bedrooms. While this function is intended to help tenants, it's also a useful tool for landlords to compare how much rent similar rental properties are going for. Socialserve.com - If you are interested in accepting government subsidized housing, including Section-8, sites such as this can help you reach this market. Advantages of Renting to Section 8 Tenants Pros of the Housing Choice Voucher Program Some landlords are afraid of renting to Section 8 tenants. They believe these tenants are destructive and could potentially decrease the value of their property. In addition, these landlords do not want to have to deal with annual Section 8 inspections. While there certainly can be negatives when dealing with Section 8, also known as the Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 3 Housing Choice Voucher Program, there are advantages as well. Here are some reasons you should consider renting to Section 8 tenants. Consistent Rent Payment Section 8 is a government based rental assistance program which requires the tenant to pay a part (usually 30- 40 %) of their income for the rent and utilities and the Public Housing Authority pays the balance directly to the landlord. Qualified Section 8 tenant applicants are given a Section 8 Voucher which states the number of bedrooms, etc. they are qualified for. An attachment will give the rental price range. Section 8 requires the landlord to enter into a one-year lease with the tenant using a standardized HUD approved lease or the landlord’s lease with a HUD addendum. The landlord must also sign a contract known as the Housing Assistance Payments contact with the local Public Housing Administration. Tenants who meet certain requirements are granted a housing voucher from the government which allows them to look for housing within a certain price range. Once the rental unit has been approved and inspected by the local Public Housing Authority, and a lease has been signed with the tenant, the Public Housing Authority is responsible for paying the tenant’s housing voucher directly to the landlord each month. The rental unit must pass a detailed inspection by the Public Housing Administration at the beginning, then annually, or anytime the tenant believes the unit is unacceptable. Peeling paint anywhere in or outside the unit is an example of an automatic failure of the inspection. A short time period is given to resolve any problems and pass a re-inspection before stopping rent payments. In our experience the Housing Authority is very aggressive about stopping rent payments. Therefore, renting to a Section 8 tenant allows you to receive the rental payment on a consistent basis each month. The Public Housing Authority will either mail you a check or they will deposit the amount directly into your account. Most times a tenant is still responsible for a small percentage of the rent and must pay this portion directly to you. Section 8 tenants know that failure to comply with the terms of the lease agreement, including paying rent, could result in the loss of their Section 8 voucher. Therefore, they have a strong incentive to pay their portion of the rent each month. Targeted Marketing If you decide to make your property Section 8 friendly, you have some unique marketing opportunities available to you. These opportunities exists both online and in person. Online: If you choose to advertise your rental online, not only can you advertise the property on traditional sites such as Trulia and Craigslist, but Section 8 has a website that is dedicated specifically to Section 8 tenants. It is called Socialserve.com. First you must register online or by phone. Once registered, you are free to post any Section 8 friendly listing you have on the site. This is a great resource as it allows you to specifically target the Section 8 market. In addition, you should check with your local Public Housing Authority. Many local offices have their own online sites where you can also list your rental. In Person: When marketing to Section 8 tenants, you not only have the traditional marketing venues available to you, such as grocery stores and community bulletin boards, but you can also post flyers in your Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 4 local Public Housing Authority office. You can also add your property to their master list of available Section 8 units. This list can be viewed online or a hard-copy can be viewed directly at the office. This marketing method is a great way to reach those that may not have internet access and to hone in even more on your local Section 8 market. It is also free of charge. Consistent Tenant Base By allowing Section 8 tenants in your property, you are opening up to a previously untapped tenant base. Not only are you broadening your tenant base, but you are also opening your property to a consistent tenant base. There is high demand for Section 8 vouchers. Many areas of the country have wait lists thousands of people long to be on the program. Therefore, you do not have to worry that there will be a shortage of Section 8 tenants. Pre-Screened Tenants In order to qualify for Section 8 housing, tenants must meet certain requirements. The Section 8 housing office focuses their screening on the tenant’s income level. However, they often uncover other issues while conducting this income screening, such as a criminal history. Public Housing Authorities will not provide Housing Choice Vouchers to those who have been evicted due to non-payment of rent or drug related activities. The Public Housing Authority is required to provide the landlord with the following information: 1. The type of screening they have conducted on the tenant. 2. The tenant's current and previous addresses. 3. The name and addresses of the tenant's current and previous landlords. Section 8 does conduct this basic screening for you, but by no means should you rely solely on their screening. You should conduct thorough tenant screenings on all of your tenants, including Section 8 tenants. Disadvantages of Renting to Section 8 Tenants Some landlords prefer to rent to Section 8 tenants, while others steer clear of them. While there are advantages to this housing voucher program, there are also issues that landlords will encounter. Here are some disadvantages of renting to Section 8 tenants. Frequent Inspections One major aspect of the Section 8 program is that they conduct frequent property inspections. These inspections are performed by your local Public Housing Authority (PHA). A Section 8 inspector will come to your property once a year to carry out the inspection. Even if there has been no tenant turnover, you will still be required to have this inspection. The PHA inspector is making sure your unit is up to HUD’s Housing Quality Standards. There are 13 areas the inspector will look at to determine if the unit meets HUD’s safety and health standards. The areas of consideration include sanitary system, lead-based paint, water supply, electrical and smoke/carbon monoxide detectors. Each of the 13 areas must meet certain requirements. For example, the “sanitary facility” must be located in a private area of the home and must only be for the use of the occupants of the home. Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 5 It is not uncommon to fail a Section 8 inspection. An example of a hazard that could cause you to fail a Section 8 inspection would be a hot water leak in the bathroom. This leak could cause potential burns to the tenant. If you do fail the inspection, you will be provided with a list of items that need to be fixed. Once you fix all items on the list, you can schedule a re-inspection with the Section 8 office. They will once again send the inspector to determine if all items have been remedied. Section 8 Does Not Pay Security Deposits Section 8 provides housing vouchers that help pay the tenant’s monthly rent. These vouchers do not include an amount for the security deposit. If a landlord wishes to collect a security deposit, he or she has to obtain this deposit directly from the tenant. This could be an issue as the tenant has already shown to have income problems by being approved for a Section 8 voucher in the first place. If they are not able to pay out of pocket, Section 8 tenants are often able to appeal to other agencies that will provide them with the money for the security deposit. As with any other tenant, you should never allow a Section 8 tenant to move in without first collecting a security deposit from them. Wear and Tear Concerns/Harder on Property Whether it is accurate or not, there is a stigma that Section 8 tenants are very destructive. There have been horror stories about floors being destroyed, cabinets being pulled off the walls, toilets being cracked, garbage and filth everywhere and many more people living in the unit than are listed on the lease. Certainly, this can happen. However, these problems can happen with any tenant you rent to. There are good Section 8 tenants and there are bad Section 8 tenants. This is why it is so important to screen all applicants, including Section 8 applicants, properly. May Discourage Non-Section 8 Tenants From Living in the Building Tenants who do not collect rental assistance may be turned off by the fact that you allow Section 8 tenants in your property. They may believe that you are a “slumlord,” that the property will be dirty or that the tenants will be disrespectful and noisy. In these situations, the only thing you can do is make sure you place quality tenants in your property and that you keep up with property maintenance. If non-Section 8 tenants see that your property is quiet and in pristine condition, they may change their pre-conceived notions about Section 8. Maximum Amount Section 8 Will Pay The final disadvantage of renting to Section 8 tenants is that there is a maximum amount that Section 8 will pay. Each year, HUD compiles their list of Fair Market Rents for over 2,500 areas of the country. The amount that you will receive from Section 8 will be calculated using the Fair Market Rent for your area for the number of bedrooms you are renting out, such as a one bedroom or a two bedroom. The amount of the housing voucher will be between 90 percent and 110 percent of the Fair Market Rent. Depending on the condition of your property and the Fair Market Rent HUD has calculated for your area, you may be able to rent your property for a higher amount to a non-Section 8 tenant. For the Tri-Cities, the fair market rent usually results in a fairly high amount of rent that can be charged. Use Social Media to Find Tenants Millions and millions of people use social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. If you have a company, you should create a Facebook page and a Twitter account for it. If not, you can use your personal Facebook or Twitter Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 6 account to let people know you have a property for rent. You can list your property on Facebook.com’s marketplace, post a status update on your account, or send out a tweet to your followers via Twitter. For Twitter, set up an account just for a listing. Twitter's account name limitations may keep you from using the entire address for the Twitter ID, but you can be creative. If 12543 Appaloosa Trail won't work, and it won't, then try a feature or location related ID, maybe something like "coolhorseprop." Or, just use the MLS # in the ID. Now, develop a nice design and a background made up of a great image of the property. We have the look, so next we develop our marketing and service approach. At this point, we either succumb to the old and worn out tactics of slamming a bunch of stuff into Tweets on this account that a follower can find much more easily, and in more detail, on many real estate search sites. Or, we can use this account in a way that takes advantage of the immediacy and follower notifications of Twitter. Here's what you do: The first tweet gives address & MLS #, and the basics, # BR, # BA, list price. The second tweet, the one that will be on top for a while, tells the visitor to follow to receive price and other property and neighborhood updates. Place a link to this account, whether image or text, in EVERY listing display that you can on the Web. It says something like "Follow this listing on Twitter for listing & neighborhood alerts." Then, tweet price changes, and "interesting" or "related" information about that subdivision or neighborhood. Now we're using Twitter in a way that takes advantage of the service's best features, immediacy and opt-in following. The goal here isn't to build 1000 followers, unless there are really 1000 people out there truly interested in this home, and not "naked pictures." If you only have five followers, but they're actually watching for a price drop to act, that's when you'll benefit. Or maybe they had an interest, putting it aside while they shopped around or just delayed their purchase of a home anywhere. But, when you send out a neighborhood update tweet a month later, or a price drop, someone who had an interest will be reminded. And, in those tweets, place a link to your site's listing display for the home, bringing them right to you for more information. Advertise in the Newspaper Many people look for rental properties in the newspaper. Aim to advertise on the weekend, and in particular, on Sunday because this is when newspapers see the most traffic. You will only have a few lines to make your property stand out, so make them count. Use abbreviations for words like bedroom (BR) and washer/dryer (W/D) to save space. Placing an ad in the newspaper will cost money, but it is another way to increase exposure for your property. Ads Seven days a week the classified section of your local newspaper is full of For Rent ads. If you look at them regularly, you'll notice that the Sunday paper seems to have more listings than any other day. One reason there are more ads in the Sunday classified section of your newspaper is that landlords and other advertisers realize circulation goes up on Sundays, simply because people have more time to spend reading the newspaper. As you read through the ads, you'll also notice that some landlords list their property for one day only, others run the ad three times, and occasionally you'll see an ad for a full week. You'll notice ads of different lengths, some more specific than others. Obviously there are choices to make when placing an ad. Consider the following points to come up with a newspaper ad that will attract the tenants you want. Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 7 Cost Is a Factor A major decision is how much you will spend. Classified ads are a profit zone for newspapers. So when someone — like you — has something to sell, the charges can mount up quickly. Cost will be affected by how many times you want the ad to run and how many words you will use. At one newspaper in a medium-sized city, if you ran your ad for only one weekday, you would pay $21; that same ad on Sunday would cost $24. However, discounts are applied if your ad runs for more than one day in the newspaper. Thus a basic ad in some cities — fifteen words and three lines — would cost about $100 for a full week of insertions. (If you rent the unit before the end of the week, you can cancel the ad, but you probably won't get a refund.) You might want to call the classified department before you place an ad. Ask about their rates. Is it more expensive to run the ad in the Sunday paper? If it is, how much? It's likely to be only a couple of dollars higher, and it has the potential to reach more readers. Once you have the pricing information you need, thank the customer service rep and hang up. Then figure out exactly what you want to say and what you can leave out to reduce the cost of placing the ad. Which Paper? In addition to the major daily newspaper in your area, you may have a weekly newspaper in your community. If the weekly is distributed in a wide circulation area, consider advertising there. Generally the rates for classified ads in a weekly newspaper are lower than what the daily newspaper charges, although it may be a mere couple of dollars' difference. How about using the Giant Nickel? Other newspapers to consider are the alternative publications in your community, student newspapers at nearby colleges and universities, and shoppers. (Shoppers are the tabloid newspapers dropped off each week on your doorstep. Unless you're looking for a used car or furniture, or an apartment to rent, you may not even glance at the paper before you throw it out.) Running ads in any of these publications is likely to be less expensive than the daily, but there's no guarantee how many will actually see it. Look through the classified listings before you write your first advertisement. It will give you ideas for what to say about your property and how to say it, including common abbreviations for amenities. How Specific Should You Be? The less you say in your newspaper ad, the more people are likely to call asking about it. But then you may be inundated with calls. Do you want the phone to ring off the hook, day and night, only to have them hang up once you've told them what the rent is, where the apartment is located, how many bedrooms it has, or whether utilities are included? Do you want to take these calls and weed out unqualified buyers yourself? Do you know what to say to the callers? On the other hand, if you say too much in the ad, will that eliminate prospects who have decided not to spend that much on rent? Some landlords believe that if the callers actually see and like a higher-priced apartment, they are willing to pay more. These landlords want a chance to sell the apartment on the phone, then show it to prospects who have been hooked. Basic information in an ad that is not too wordy should include: Location (especially important in larger cities) Number of bedrooms Rental cost Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 8 Deposit required (if any) Utilities included Unique features or amenities Your phone number Some landlords believe you should not be too specific about the location. When you give a specific address, they think you run the risk of having people ringing your doorbell without calling first for an appointment. Instead they'll describe the area in general terms, such as Downtown, near Northside, Southeast, or the name of the suburb or rural area. Others believe prospective tenants want to drive by before committing themselves to an appointment and always include an address. With a few select adjectives and nouns you can convey a lot of information, even in short ads. Here are some samples of brief classified ads: Northeast — Clean, quiet area, 2 bdrm, laundry, porches, yard. $795/mo., plus utilities. (111) 222-1313. Northwest — East Street, Very nice 3 bdrm, $600/mo., plus gas, electric. (111) 222-1313. Southwest — 3 bdrm upper, $575; 24-hr. recorded message (111) 222-1313. Here are some sample ads that give slightly more information: Southeast — Nice 1 bdrm, air, disposal, laundry, free heat, cats ok, $475, (111) 222-1313 or (111) 222-1315. North — lower, large 2-bdrm, remodeled, off-street parking, washer/dryer hookup, large backyard, $575 plus utilities, cats welcome. $400 deposit. Call (111) 222-1313. Southeast — Carter City, near CC elementary, high school, 3 bdrm, full bath, backyard with deck, appliances, washer/dryer. Most pets ok. $1150 plus utilities/deposit, (111) 222-1313. Advertise on Local Bulletin Boards Put up flyers in the community where your property is located. This can include bulletin boards at grocery stores, churches, Laundromats, and bus stops. Since people will be passing by the flyer quickly, use a bold headline and large, color photographs to draw interest to the flyer. On the bottom of the flyer, include tear-offs for people to take. These tear-offs should include the property address, the number of bedrooms, and your contact information. List Your Property with a Property Management Company in Your Area For their services, Property Management Companies (PMC) typically charge a commission of about one month’s rent, sometimes more. You may want to interview two or more PMC’s to find the one you are most comfortable listing your rental with. While this may be the most expensive way to advertise your property, it can save you a lot of the hassle and headache of dealing with potential tenants. Find Tenants through Word of Mouth Don’t underestimate the power of the spoken word. If you have current tenants, let them know you have a vacancy. They may have a sister, cousin, or brother who is looking for a new place to live. Also, tell your brother, sister, hairdresser, boss, and mechanic that you have a property for rent. Always have flyers with you so you can hand them out when needed. You can offer a referral fee to give a greater incentive. Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 9 Having neighbors to get the word out is one of the most overlooked methods of advertising your rental property for free. Most landlords are surprised to learn that up to 15% of tenants are found by word-of-mouth. Other than its notable results, word-of-mouth marketing is free and it takes very little effort on your part. You're basically getting the other people to do the work for you. Of course, it works better if you let them know in advance - It usually takes up to 2 weeks for word-of-mouth marketing to reap any results. If you are the landlord of a multiplex and one of units will be available for rent soon, let the other tenants living in your property know. Since they have a vested interest in who their future neighbors will be, they will be more proactive in promoting your rental property to their own circle of friends and contacts. While your family and friends are usually a weaker source of tenant recommendations, it never hurts to let them know that you have a property up for rent. To multiply the effectiveness of this method, you can also offer a small finder's fee. This will give everyone a much stronger incentive to advertise rental property for you Place a “For Rent” Sign in the Window While you won’t reach the masses by placing a “For Rent” sign in the window, there is no harm in doing it either. A passerby may be interested or may know someone who is looking to rent in the area. Make sure a phone number is clearly legible from street level. Advertise Your Rental Property to People Passing Putting up a "For Rent" sign is a proven and time-tested method to advertise your property to passers-by. Recent studies in U.S. and the U.K. have shown that the humble "For Rent" sign accounts for almost 50% of all tenants found offline. Because it is so cheap and effective, this method of advertising rental properties is one that you simply cannot afford to pass up. Some landlords refuse to put up these signs because they feel that doing so will attract burglars and vandals. However the chance of crooks invading your property is rare unless it has been left vacant for a long period. When you are using these signs, make sure that they are displayed in a highly visible location. If you're lucky enough to own real estate where there is heavy human or vehicle traffic, you can simply leave your sign in front of the property. If your property lacks passer-by traffic, you can put up the signs (with your unit number) along main roads in the neighborhood. The look and feel of your signs also matters. Sloppy signs give potential tenants a bad first impression before they even set foot onto your property. When it comes to signs for finding renters, always make sure that they are short and highly readable. To make this happen, you should stick to the classic white text on red background and use standard fonts such as Arial, Helvetica, Courier or Times New Roman. Since some people will be driving past your signs, they will only have a few seconds to steal a quick glance at your sign. Try to limit your sign to 6 words or less. Popular words to advertise rental property include, "For Rent" and "Available Soon". Make 120% sure that your contact number is clearly printed on the sign. Attaching a flyer box Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 10 with description of the house and keeping it full of flyers is very effective. A manila envelope filled with these sheets and attached to the rental property works well. Find Tenants by Offering Incentives People like the idea of getting a deal or a discount. You can offer a free TV or a discounted rent if a tenant moves in by a certain date. A $250 television may seem expensive, but if you’re charging $950 in rent, and the TV gets someone to move in a month earlier, you are actually saving yourself $700, and the television will be a tax write-off for the rental property. Answer the Phone/Email Promptly and Be Ready to Show the Apartment Don’t wait a week to respond to a potential tenant. If you don’t call or email a tenant back promptly, another landlord or realtor will. If you do not want to give out your personal phone number, you can set up a free Google Voice account which will assign you a new phone number that can be set to ring to your existing phone lines. For a small monthly fee, you can even set up a toll free number, including voicemail, for your rentals using websites such as Kall8.com. Similar options exist for email. The point is, if you want to find a tenant and get your property rented, you have to make yourself, and your property, available. Chapter 4 – Advertising Your Rental Property Page 11