Overview
Executive Overview
Avail (part of the Realtor.com network) is a comprehensive property management software platform designed specifically for independent, "DIY" landlords and their tenants. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Chicago, Avail was established to bridge the gap between manual property management and expensive, enterprise-level software. The company serves over 200,000 landlords and millions of tenants across the United States.
The platform provides a suite of digital tools that cover every stage of the rental process. This includes syndicating rental listings to high-traffic sites (such as Zillow, Trulia, and HotPads), conducting thorough tenant screening, generating state-specific lease agreements, and facilitating online rent collection. Additionally, Avail offers robust maintenance tracking and financial reporting features that simplify tax preparation for property owners.
Following its acquisition by Realtor.com in 2020, Avail has strengthened its market presence by integrating more deeply with the broader real estate ecosystem. This partnership allows Avail to leverage massive data sets to provide landlords with localized market insights and rent price analysis. Their target audience remains the independent owner who manages anywhere from one to thirty units—a segment that has historically been underserved by traditional property management systems. Avail’s focus is on streamlining operations, ensuring legal compliance, and fostering positive relationships between landlords and renters through a transparent, digital-first experience.
Company Differentiation
Avail differentiates itself through a "community-first" business model and a philosophy of radical transparency within the property management ecosystem. Unlike legacy software providers that often prioritize enterprise-level features at the expense of accessibility, Avail is built on the belief that DIY landlords are the backbone of the housing market and deserve professional-grade tools.
Their company culture is centered on education and empowerment; they don't just provide a platform, they provide the legal and financial literacy necessary to manage rental properties successfully. This is evidenced by their extensive library of state-specific legal templates and educational resources. Furthermore, Avail’s approach to customer success is deeply integrated into the product experience, offering a "human-in-the-loop" support system that assists both landlords and tenants equally. By treating the tenant as a primary stakeholder—offering features like CreditLink to help renters build credit—Avail fosters a more collaborative and less adversarial landlord-tenant relationship, which is a significant departure from traditional management software philosophies.
Company Demographics
Product Offerings
Avail is offered in three primary tiers, designed to grow with your data needs:
- Avail Professional:
Best for:* Mid-sized teams (up to 50 users).
Features:* Standard API connectors, core visualization library, and scheduled email reports.
- Avail Enterprise:
Best for:* Large organizations requiring cross-departmental visibility.
Features:* Unlimited users, custom API connectors, Advanced RBAC, SSO integration, and dedicated Customer Success Manager.
- Avail Embedded (OEM):
Best for:* Software vendors who want to use Avail’s analytics engine as the reporting layer inside their own product.
Features:* White-labeling capabilities, multi-tenant architecture, and developer-centric SDKs.
Product Differentiation
The primary technical advantage of Avail is its end-to-end automation of the rental lifecycle, specifically tailored for the non-professional landlord. Key differentiators include:
* **State-Specific Lease Customization:** Unlike generic document generators, Avail provides lawyer-reviewed lease templates that are automatically updated to comply with local and state-level ordinances, significantly reducing legal risk for independent owners.
* **Integrated Tenant Screening:** The platform offers a seamless screening process that includes comprehensive credit, eviction, and criminal background checks, with the unique ability for tenants to initiate the process to protect their sensitive data.
* **Automated Rent Collection and "FastPay":** Avail’s financial engine handles recurring payments, late fees, and direct deposits. The "FastPay" feature allows landlords to receive funds faster than the industry standard ACH timelines.
* **Tenant Credit Reporting:** A major product innovation is the ability for tenants to report their on-time rent payments to credit bureaus. This feature incentivizes timely payments and attracts higher-quality applicants.
* **Maintenance Coordination:** The platform includes a centralized portal for maintenance requests, allowing for photo uploads, contractor communication, and expense tracking that integrates directly into the landlord’s tax reporting dashboard.
By consolidating these disparate functions into a single, mobile-responsive interface, Avail eliminates the "app fatigue" associated with using separate tools for listings, payments, and communication.
