Zillow Rental Manager vs RentRedi: The Pros and Cons for Property Managers

Let's compare Zillow Rental Manager and RentRedi, two tools that are reshaping how landlords handle their day-to-day tasks. These platforms are like having a trusty assistant who's always ready to help you manage your properties (and who wouldn't want that?), from ensuring the rent is paid on time to keeping track of all your tenants' needs.

Think of rental property management software as your go-to gadget that simplifies being a landlord. And just like gadgets, there are a TON of software options available.

Landlord Studio, Appfolio, Rentec Direct, Buildium, and Yardi just to name a few. OH, and, of course right here at TenantCloud. So, it's understandable that one might be a little confused as to which one might be the best solution for your rental portfolio. 

In our digital toolbox today, we have Zillow Rental Manager vs RentRedi, each promising to make the landlord’s job easier.

But do they really?

Let’s walk through how these tools are designed to tackle the essentials of property management, making sure that every landlord can have peace of mind and more free time to enjoy life's simple pleasures, shall we?

Cost and Pricing Structure

First and foremost, you're probably dying to learn more about the prices, amiright? Ok—here's the breakdown in cost between Zillow Rent Manager vs RentRedi.

Zillow Rental Manager Pricing

First up, Zillow Rental Manager. Think of it as the à la carte menu of property management: you pay for what you order. With a free first listing to welcome you in, it’s like that first coffee of the day on the house. 

But for every active listing after that, there’s a weekly fee—$9.99 per property per week. It adds up, like those daily lattes. 

This pricing could be just the ticket for the solo rental property, but—Yikes!— if you're looking to grow into a real estate mogul (or just adding a few more rentals to your portfolio), those costs could scale as quickly as you scale your rental business.

RentRedi Pricing

Now, let's peek at RentRedi’s counteroffer. Picture a fixed-price buffet with one fee, and you get the whole spread—from rent collection and tenant screening to leasing logistics, all covered under one monthly rate. 

Sounds pretty nice, yeah?

Their pricing stands firm at $12 per month when you opt for the annual plan. For the price-savvy landlord who values predictable costs and a full suite of services, RentRedi’s approach might just be the special of the day, every day.

Category Winner

Due to the lower cost of getting started and scaling up, RentRedi is the big winner here.

Listing and Marketing Capabilities

Your rental is vacant (ugh, again?!), and you need to find new renters STAT. That means you need to advertise it. Unless you're doing things the way they were done in 2010, chances are, you're not going to be logging into every single rental marketing platform.

No—you're smart, so you're going to want to list it on as many rental platforms as possible with minimal effort, right? Good! Because these two platforms can do that—kind of… I'll explain how each of them handles listing management.

Zillow Rental Manager

Enter Zillow Rental Manager. It's about the equivalent of a digital megaphone. With Zillow, your property doesn't just whisper; it speaks loudly across the Zillow network, which includes hot spots like Trulia and HotPads. 

When a potential tenant is scrolling on their phone or diving deep on their desktop for a new rental home, chances are, your listing pops up because there's a pretty solid chance that they're searching on Zillow… or HotPads… or Trulia.

RentRedi

Now, let's flip over to RentRedi. They're more like a Swiss army knife for rental marketing. It doesn't just broadcast your listing to a single audience, it places it on multiple sites like Realtor.com AND Zillow (and Trulia… and HotPads), plus one or two more listing sites.

They even throw in a free marketing page for you to share just about anywhere you can post a link.

Remember posting hundreds of rental ad links on Craigslist back in the mid-2000s? Or logging into a dozen different listing sites and creating individual listings on each one? 

Ah—memories… or nightmares. Take your pick.

But here's the cherry on top: RentRedi lets tenants prequalify themselves. That means by the time you’re reading their application; they’ve already jumped through a few hoops to show they're serious—streamlining your tenant hunt so you can fill that vacancy in a flash.

Category Winner

Because RentRedi doesn't have as vast of an audience as Zillow does, and Zillow is already the primary platform to which RentRedi syndicates their listings… the winner here has to be Zillow.

Rent Collection and Payment Processing

When the first of the month rolls around, you want rent collection to be as painless as possible, right? Let's sift through how Zillow Rental Manager and RentRedi handle the cash flow because the smoother rent payment transactions are, the less stress everyone is under.

Zillow Rental Manager

Zillow Rental Manager makes collecting rent as easy as clicking "like" on your favorite social media post. They've got online payments down, allowing tenants to pay their rent with a few taps on their screens. 

Tenants can pay via credit card, debit card, or ACH transfer, although there are fees: 2.95% for credit cards and a flat fee for debit cards. For ACH transfers, though, it's free for both you and them. Ok, Zillow—I see you.

RentRedi

Moving on to RentRedi, where their mobile app really shines, making rent payments a breeze for everyone. Tenants can pay on-the-go, and for you, the landlord, it means you can check payments between your daily errands to keep tabs on how collections are going for the month.

RentRedi's app also lets you and your tenants set up recurring payments for rent. No more reminding or chasing down payments—they'll just flow in like your favorite playlist. Smooth, uninterrupted, and right on time. 

Most of the time, anyway.

Category Winner

Zillow's mobile app is still in its (relatively) early stages of development, and it's primarily designed with property managers in mind and less so their tenants. Given that RentRedi is farther along in its development than Zillow and has advanced tenant functionality on the mobile app, the winner for this category is RentRedi.

Tenant Screening and Lease Signing

Tenant screening and lease signing are the make-or-break stages of filling your rental property. Let’s take a quick peek at how Zillow Rental Manager and RentRedi can help you dot the i's and cross the t's when it comes to lease management.

Zillow Rental Manager

Zillow Rental Manager provides a detailed background check that includes rental history, credit scores, and even criminal records. When the tenant submits a rental application, they can also pay for a screening.

Which means Zillow is basically a little pocket-size detective. Just kidding—they actually partner with Experian to do their tenant screenings.

As for signing on the dotted line, Zillow's gone full digital. Tenants receive an email, click on a link, and e-sign their lease agreement. It's all done online, meaning you could be finalizing your lease while sipping your morning coffee or waiting in the checkout line at the grocery store.

RentRedi

With RentRedi, tenant screening is thorough and streamlined right through their app. They offer credit reports, background checks, and eviction histories, and it's all accessible from the palm of your hand. 

But where RentRedi really aims to be cool is with lease signing. Their mobile app lets tenants e-sign leases wherever they are—no need for a printer or scanner. It's a modern solution for the mobile world we live in, so you and your tenant can seal the deal with a tap on your phones, making the process as friendly as a neighborly handshake.

Category Winner

Both Zillow and RentRedi use a third-party partner to process tenant screenings. Zillow uses Experian ($35), and RentRedi uses Transunion ($39). Some landlords like the fact that Zillow allows tenants to pay for a screening one time and apply it to virtually unlimited rentals over the course of 30 days, but some landlords also won't accept those screening results.

That being said, this is a draw, as there is no clear winner here in the screening category.

Maintenance and Communication

Maintenance tracking and solid communication are the nuts and bolts of property management. They keep things running smoothly and tenants happy. Let’s take a look at what Zillow Rental Manager and RentRedi offer in the maintenance request and communication management department.

Zillow Rental Manager

Zillow Rental Manager equips you with the basics for vendor management and communication; it's more like a DIY toolkit. You have the means to contact and coordinate with your repair people and manage your maintenance tasks. 

For every leaky faucet or electrical hiccup, you’ll need to keep your own records and follow up to ensure everything’s ticked off the list. There's not much automation in the maintenance process on Zillow.

RentRedi

On the other side, RentRedi serves up maintenance management with all the trimmings. If something goes wrong at your property at 2 a.m., instead of a wake-up call, RentRedi’s 24/7 maintenance coordination has it covered. Just keep in mind this is a premium add-on that will require a few more coins out of your pocket.

With their premium maintenance options, you can rest easy knowing that emergencies are handled promptly, whether you're hands-on or hands-off. 

Plus, their communication tools mean you're always just a message away from your tenants. Through the app, tenants can report issues as they arise so you can address them swiftly.

Category Winner

RentRedi is the clear winner of this category because even though it is a somewhat pricey add-on, the pure fact that they offer 24/7 maintenance concierge services is a nice touch for any busy property manager.

Customer Support and User Experience

Understatement of the year: Property management software can sometimes be very trying on one's patience.

Let's evaluate the kind of support and overall experience you can expect from Zillow Rental Manager and RentRedi for the more trying days.

Zillow Rental Manager

Imagine you're in the middle of setting up your property listings, and you hit a snag. With Zillow Rental Manager, your first move might be to pick up the phone. While they do offer “phone support,” some landlords have found that it's more like leaving a voicemail and hoping for a callback during business hours. 

The user experience is not exactly smooth, and when you need that human touch or a quick response, the experience can vary. 

Property owners have mentioned that when the support is good, it's like a gentle push on a swing—enough to keep things moving. But when it's lacking, it can feel like you're left trying to keep momentum on your own.

RentRedi

Now, if you're looking for a safety net of customer support, RentRedi is ready and waiting. They have live, human support available across multiple channels—chat, email, and phone—seven days a week. 

For landlords, this kind of support is invaluable. It's the difference between fumbling through issues alone and having a friendly guide to navigate the complexities of property management. The user-friendly design of their platform, combined with accessible support, means less time scratching your head and more time enjoying the fruits of your investment.

Category Winner

Due to the inconsistent quality of Zillow's customer support experience and the fact that RentRedi offers some level of support seven days a week, the clear winner here is RentRedi.

Conclusion

After brewing over the details and sifting through the features of both Zillow Rental Manager and RentRedi, it's clear that each platform brings its own strengths to the table. Like choosing between a robust espresso and a smooth latte, the decision largely depends on your taste—or, in this case, your specific needs as a landlord or property manager.

Zillow Rental Manager shines with its wide-reaching advertising capabilities, ensuring your properties get the visibility they deserve across a well-trodden path of potential tenants. It's a powerhouse for getting your listings out there, making it an ideal choice if exposure is your main concern. Afterall, listings were Zillows original purpose, design, and strength. However, when it comes to scaling up, Zillow has been playing with new pay-to-play models, and the costs can add up. The platform's support system might also leave some users wanting more, which is typically a no-go when you're trying to scale up your own business.

RentRedi, on the other hand, positions itself as a versatile all-rounder, offering a flat-rate pricing model that covers a broad spectrum of property management needs—from rent collection and tenant screening to lease signing and maintenance management. With its emphasis on mobile accessibility and a commendable support structure, RentRedi is particularly appealing to landlords looking for a comprehensive tool that offers both convenience and control.

Our in-house tally of category winners suggests that RentRedi has a slight edge, particularly in terms of pricing, rent collection, maintenance management, and customer support. However, Zillow Rental Manager's victory in listing and marketing capabilities highlights its undeniable prowess in attracting prospective tenants. I mean, I expect nothing less… this is Zillow we're talking about.

Ultimately, the choice between Zillow Rental Manager and RentRedi boils down to what you value most in your property management journey. If maximizing tenant reach is your top priority, Zillow Rental Manager could be your go-to. But if you're after a cost-effective, all-encompassing solution with robust support and tenant management features, RentRedi might just be the tool that makes your landlord duties a little lighter.

Remember, the goal is to find a platform that not only eases the operational aspects of managing rental properties but also aligns with your growth ambitions, whether you're nurturing a single seedling or tending to a vast garden of real estate investments.