No lone star: RentSpree signs seventh Texas MLS

1 week ago 5

The relationship will place RentSpree’s software within CTXMLS’s listing module, empowering agents who work with landlords, investors and renters to easily opt-in to displaying the screening interface.

Whether it’s refining your business model, mastering new technologies, or discovering strategies to capitalize on the next market surge, Inman Connect New York will prepare you to take bold steps forward. The Next Chapter is about to begin. Be part of it. Join us and thousands of real estate leaders Jan. 22-24, 2025.

RentSpree has extended its reach into the Lone Star State with an agreement it signed with Central Texas MLS (CTXMLS), Inman has learned from an exclusive announcement.

The multiple listing service’s 7,700 members puts RentSpree’s count of agents who can use its ApplyLink tenant screening solution to just under 100,000, the company stated. In total, RentSpree has forged partnerships with seven Texas MLSs.

The relationship will place RentSpree’s software within CTXMLS’s listing module, empowering agents who work with landlords, investors and renters to easily opt into displaying the screening interface. RentSpree encourages residential sales agents to consider the future buying power of renters, reminding them today’s renters can be tomorrow’s buyers.

“The new functionality, provided at no cost to CTXMLS subscribers, aims to simplify rental management by reducing unnecessary and time-consuming back-and-forth,” RentSpree said.

RentSpree provides automation solutions for all stakeholders of the rental industry, including residential sales agents, which it delivers largely through partnerships with multiple listing services. It processes payments, flattens tenant screening, empowers marketing and automates the application process, among other features.

Other Texas MLSs with which RentSpree’s products have found a home include San Antonio Board of Realtors (SABOR), Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), Unlock MLS (formerly ABoR), the Greater McAllen Association of Realtors, (GMAR), the Corpus Christi Association of Realtors and The Bryan-College Station Regional Association of Realtors.

In August, RentSpree rolled out a partnership with a Mastercard company, Finicity, to expedite the verification of tenant income. The system allows a connection to the individual’s bank account to record transactions over the last 12 to 24 months to pull data directly from the source, a practice that’s been manual, paper-based and dependent on credit agencies since its inception. Applicants often scan or provide actual copies of paystubs and rely on reference phone calls to employers.

“We continue to grow our partnerships in the important Texas rental market, making our innovative rental solutions available to even more agents in the region,” said Michael Lucarelli, CEO and co-founder of RentSpree, in the announcement. “Our integration streamlines the entire process, making rentals very easy to work with.”

Texas continues to be one of the nation’s most popular relocation destinations.

USA Today reported in August that “Texas saw the second-highest net migration (behind Florida) of 174,261 people in 2022. Over 668,000 people migrated to Texas — including 102,442 Californians — and just over 494,000 moved out. The Lone Star State also had the lowest out-migration rate (11.7 percent) in 2022, with 42,279 residents moving to California and 38,207 moving to Florida, according to 2022 U.S. Census Bureau data.”

That number tends to translate into new lease applications, as the nation’s housing supply remains depleted after a decade of slow building exacerbated by more than two years of rising interest rates.

“The Central Texas housing market remains healthy,” said Beckie Whittier, CEO of CTXMLS, in the RentSpree release. “It’s important for our members to be equipped not only to navigate the sought-after for-sale segment but also to seamlessly integrate rentals into their business. By supporting them with the right tools and resources, we can help agents better serve their clients while opening up new opportunities for themselves.”

RentSpree has partnered with more than 300 MLSs, real estate associations and brokerages nationwide, reaching two million users. RentSpree is ranked on Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing private companies in 2022, 2023 and 2024.

Email Craig Rowe

Read Entire Article