Your well-kept, affordable, beautiful, and insured property lying vacant does not generate income. As a landlord, finding tenants quickly is crucial to mitigating losses. However, it can be daunting to find potential renters if you are not using a marketing tool.
With the diverse number of listing platforms, it can be hard to navigate the growing world of property listing agencies. But finding the right site that gives your property a wider audience and connects you to qualified tenants makes all the difference. This blog is to help you reach more potential renters by reviewing the ten best places to list rental properties.
Best Places to List Rental Property
Rental advertising has evolved as customers use online marketing tools to find rental properties. You are missing out if you are still stuck with traditional marketing tools like newspaper ads and real estate signage. With more people online, leveraging online marketing strategies to list your property is best.
According to statistics, in 2021, many Americans used the internet to search for homes, with 55% of those going to view the homes. Nevertheless, with almost 20% of tenants in the USA defaulting on their rent, it’s imperative that you find a listing site that will link you to great renters.
Below is an in-depth review of the best places to list your rental property to help you make an informed decision.
Zillow
Zillow has been around for years and is among the most popular list sites, with 60 million monthly visits, according to Statista. If you want to reach a wide breadth of prospective renters, Zillow is among the best places to list your rental property, as it has high traffic.
Zillow has a user-friendly system that you can use to update the information at any time. During publishing, Zillow enables you to highlight amenities that appear through search filters. You get free first publishing but pay $9.99 for subsequent listings. In addition, Zillow runs background checks on applicants.
Pros
- Allows easy access through a mobile app
- It is a high-traffic site for property owners, buyers, and renters
- Has a user-friendly interface
- Allows you to update information about your property
- Has price suggestions that smooth the process
Cons
- Only the first listing is free
- It’s expensive for the paid listing
Airbnb
If you want to advertise temporary accommodations, Airbnb is your ideal platform. Airbnb was founded in 2007 and will link your property with individuals seeking short-term accommodations. Airbnb has high traffic, with millions visiting the site daily.
To use Airbnb, you must upload great photos of the property you are listing and the charges. One of the perks of using Airbnb is that it allows you to customize a listing according to your specific requirements. Moreover, the site helps set competitive prices to benefit your listing. Although the listing is free, the site charges a service charge of 3% for every reservation.
Pros
- It’s easy to use
- Free listing
- You can adjust your prices
- Has high traffic
Cons
- You need to monitor market prices
Read more: Rental Management Tools and Other Landlord Resources
Craigslist
Craigslist is a well-known platform for finding rentals and easy for landlords to freely list rental property. It is free, user-friendly, and effective in giving your property exposure. However, unlike other platforms, Craigslist does not offer screening, management, or rent collection tools. Craigslist also has many fraudulent users that can re-upload your property images, posing as their own.
Pros
- Has high traffic
- The platform is free to use for both renters and landlord
- It’s popular and has a wider audience
- Easy to post and edit listings
Cons
- Limited features and no screening tools, unlike other platforms
- Prone to spam or scams listings as it is unregulated
- The listings are not in real-time
Realtor.com
Using Realtor.com widens your listing’s audience, as it is popular with over 40 million monthly visits. It’s easy for tenants to search properties with listings in real-time. Additionally, as a landlord, you benefit from the software that helps you engage leads. The site also has links to financial calculators, which tenants and landlords can use.
However, Realtor.com only allows licensed agents and no sale-by-owner listings, reducing competition.
Pros
- It’s available in a mobile app for easier engagement
- It’s free
- Has software to help engage leads
- The site has a wide range of browsing options from the listing database available
- Reduced competition
- Wider audience reach
Cons
- No option for ‘sale by owner.’
Apartments.com
Apartments.com is a reputable list site that features other types of properties, such as townhomes, condos, duplexes, etc., despite its name. With this site, you are more likely to find serious applicants, as the site charges them to apply. It is also free to list, but a premium plan option exists.
The site partners with seven other sites, with whom they syndicate your listing to drive traffic. Apartments.com runs free, comprehensive credit reports and background checks to help you find the most suitable tenants. Although your applicant’s reports are free, the site charges the applicant.
Apartments.com allows for precise tracking of expenses, which you can then export to your accountant for tax preparation.
Pros
- Features apartments, condos, and townhouses
- Landlords get serious applicants who pay to apply
- The site organizes applicant screening, online tours, lease signing and rent collection
- Has a mobile app for easy use
Cons
- Tenants pay to apply and for reports
Avail
Avail is an effective place to advertise your property, as the site allows you to create your listings and then distribute them to other rental platforms. Moreover, Avail allows you to share the listing on social media and engage applicants as you organize showings.
All that is free, whereas a premium plan costs $5.00 per monthly unit. However, when you opt for the free plan, your tenants are charged $2.50 for bank transfers. To help avoid surprises with your tenants, Avail provides background history checks that cover eviction, criminal, and credit history for $30 each.
Avail offers credit history and nationwide criminal background and eviction checks.
Pros
- Has a free plan
- You can reach more prospects as it syndicates listing to other platforms
- It has more screening tools compared to other sites
- It has tools to streamline property management
Cons
- It’s not available on the mobile app
- Tenants are charged when you are on a free plan
Trulia
Trulia is one of the Zillow Group’s largest and most useful listing platforms. It has advanced search filters that help renters navigate the site and narrow their search. The site enables real-time listings and has more than 20 million monthly visits. Trulia has a mobile app to help with easy sales and rentals.
Pros
- A large audience of renters
- Offers comprehensive listing options, including free and paid
- Search filters help streamline searching for renters
- Provides tools for landlords to manage listings and applications
Cons
- Paid listing is expensive
Read more: How Much Can I Rent My House For?
Apartment List
Apartment List is ideal for busy renters who prefer a convenient approach to searching for an apartment. Users answer a few questions about the size and type of apartment they prefer, and the platform’s algorithm generates a list of the top matches. The answers narrow down the list of apartments, making finding one easier. The platform’s unique approach generates qualified leads, making it an excellent choice for landlords and property managers.
Pros
- Has mobile app
- Free to list
- Tenants can customize searches
Cons
- It’s costly to list after finding a tenant
Zumper
Founded in 2012, Zumper is an effective listing option that makes the rental process flawless. It is an easy-to-use system that makes finding apartments easy. Zumper allows you to publish for free, screen tenants’ credit scores and eviction histories, and collect rent online. Moreover, the listing is automatically added to another site to reach more potential renters. Zumper’s simplified rental process matches tenants with property owners and landlords.
Pros
- Offers renters real-time listing
- The landlord-to-renter matching makes the process easy
- Offers online screening and rent collection
- Offers free listing
Cons
- Does not offer financial and maintenance tracking, unlike other sites
- Has a smaller audience compared to other listing platforms
Read more: How Much Does Landlord Insurance Cost in Each State?
Hemlane
With one click, Hemlane will list your rental to most of the rental websites to get 99% of tenant eyeballs on your advertisement. You can also share the listing to Craigslist and FB Marketplace through a link, since those two websites don’t allow for syndication. The best part is, their rental advertising to 8+ rental listing websites is 100% free for you. Once the tenant inquiries come in, Hemlane will automatically respond with texts and emails to get the prospective tenants scheduled for a showing.
You can also opt into their services and connect to a leasing agent or use their self guided tour technology. With their comprehensive applications and tenant screening (background, income, credit and eviction reports), you will receive everything needed to make a decision on whether a tenant is objectively qualified for your rental. Hemlane makes finding and placing a tenant a breeze.
Pros
- Starts with a free plan
- Email and text notifications in app to tenants
- Advertises to more listing websites than others
- Add on: self guided tours and/or connection to leasing agents
Cons
- Does not automatically list to Craigslist
- Leases are part of their paid plan
Bottom Line: Listing Is Just Step One—Protect Your Investment Too
Using the right platform helps you fill vacancies faster, but being a successful landlord takes more than just finding tenants. Protect your rental property—and your finances—with the right landlord insurance. Whether you’re listing on Zillow, Airbnb, or Apartments.com, make sure you’re covered before you hand over the keys.
Get a quote from Steadily in just minutes.
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