Knowing how to find a tenant can be one of the most intimidating aspects of the rental process. As a landlord, you want to make sure to get the most tenant leads possible so you can have some agency when choosing a tenant. This is why listing a rental on popular sites that generate a significant amount of tenant leads is fundamental.
We pulled together a list of the top listing sites that, based on Avail data, generated the most tenant leads from January to March of 2021 as compared to those same months in 2020. The top four rental listing sites landlords utilized were Realtor.com, Apartments.com, Apartment List, and Zumper.
Let’s take a look into what each site includes.
What are the Best Sites for Finding a Tenant?
According to our data, these four rental listing sites are the best places to secure tenant leads in 2021:
1. Realtor.com®
Realtor.com® dove into the world of rentals in a big way by partnering with Avail as a means of allowing landlords to easily list their rental properties, find tenants, screen applicants, collect rent, and more for free. This combines Realtor.com®’s large-scale apartment building listings with the independent rentals featured on Avail.
Along with letting renters narrow their search to apartments with certain amenities, such as in-unit laundry or allowing pets, or the type of unit (i.e., studio or one-bedroom), Realtor.com® also lets users choose what community features they desire, what areas they want to be near, and filter the amount of noise that is preferred around the rental.
2. Apartments.com
Not only is the site visually appealing with location-customized imagery both on its desktop and mobile platforms, but Apartments.com also incorporates unique features such as the “Planned Commute” feature that lets renters see how far they would be from their most commonly visited locations.
Like other listing sites, Apartments.com also allows landlords to upload 3D tours and videos of a rental, a particularly interesting and useful tool for renters to have access to during the pandemic.
3. Apartment List
Along with standard listing service features such as the number of rooms, bathrooms, amenities, included utilities, and more, Apartment List also includes verified badges to let renters know that the listing posters are trustworthy.
They also offer “Rent Special” badges that can be added to rentals by the landlord or listing agent and often provide potential tenants with opportunities to save on moving costs, remove rental application fees, or have a discount on a security deposit or first month’s rent. These badges are more commonly found on listings posted during the off-season when it’s harder to find tenants, giving these listings an edge when finding renters through this platform.
4. Zumper
Unique to Zumper, the site allows both landlords and renters to create filters when searching for a rental or future tenant. While renters can limit apartment search results to, say, one-bedrooms with a deck, a landlord can also limit eligible tenants to those with a certain minimum credit score.
Zumper syndicates postings made on its platform to Padmapper (owned by Zumper) and Facebook Marketplace. This allows landlords to cast a wider net and reach more interested tenants that might not otherwise be found on “traditional” listing sites without having to make multiple listings for the same property.
Find a Tenant Using the Top Rental Listing Sites
Though finding a tenant isn’t always easy, these sites give you the best resources and tenant interest you need to find the right people for your rental. Avail allows landlords to syndicate a rental listing for free across these four fast-growing sites, plus a handful of other top rental listing platforms.
If you want to widen the reach for your property, consider posting your rental listing to these 15 best sites for advertising your rental property listing, or find out how to post your rental listing for free so you can save money while finding new renters.
Source: avail.co