Two marketplace-led workflows
Apartments.com
CoStar Group · Est. 1992
Independent landlords using self-service tools; professional managers buying rental advertising
Zillow Rental Manager
Zillow Group · Est. 2004
Independent residential landlords; multifamily advertisers under separate programs
Discovery and landlord tools, with scope
| Platform | Discovery | Landlord tools | Base cost & caveat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartments.com | Consumer rental marketplace with property search and landlord inquiries | Rental listings; applicant screening; electronic leasing; rent collection; maintenance requests; expense tracking Sources S008 | $0 baseFree basic landlord tools; optional paid advertising and transaction services Sources S008, S011, S012 |
| Zillow Rental Manager | Zillow rental search and Zillow/Trulia/HotPads distribution | Listing distribution; applications; tenant screening; digital leasing; rent collection; tour coordination; move-in and property-lifecycle tools Sources S027 | $0 baseFree basic landlord tools with optional premium listings and applicant-paid screening Sources S028, S029 |
Keep discovery separate from management scale
The Apartments.com advertising-property figure is not a verified count of buildings managed through Rental Manager. Zillow’s active rental listings are inventory offered for rent, not occupied units or individual tenants. Their parent-company values also describe broader corporate groups, not standalone rental products.
A marketplace can complement a professional accounting system. Identify where the final agreement, current resident balance, and maintenance record live before enabling overlapping tools. The marketplace-versus-management guide explains the handoff, while the small landlord guide compares free tools and paid suites.
Compare Apartments.com and Zillow Rental Manager side by side, or explore professional management platforms when the portfolio needs more structured operations.