Buildium no longer syndicating (with out fees)?
Paul DeSilvaPro Member
Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2017 · 148 posts · 252 votesBuildium no longer syndicating (with out fees)?
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Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
5y@Paul DeSilva this is happening with all the software providers. I use Propertyware and ShowMojo, both of which syndicate to dozens of websites. They no longer syndicate to Zillow but it's not their fault. Zillow is getting too big for their britches and needs to increase income, so they now charge $10 per listing per week to advertise on their website.
I stopped syndicating to Zillow and guess what happened? My leads came in from other sources! I haven't slowed down a bit and I'm at 400 units with somewhere around 15 rentals marketed at any given time. When Zillow shuts down, others pick up the slack.
As for software, Buildium is decent for getting started but there are probably free/cheap options like Cozy, TenantCloud, and others. I personally know TenantCloud can handle marketing syndication, maintenance tracking, online payments, and much more. Since you're already using QB to track finances, I don't know why you can't switch to a cheap alternative like TenantCloud for $10 - $15 a month.
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- Investor · New York, NY · Member since 2017 · 148 posts · 252 votes5y
Originally posted by @Joe Splitrock:
Originally posted by @Paul DeSilva:
Originally posted by @Joe Splitrock:
@Paul DeSilva this has nothing to do with Buildium playing nice with others, but rather Zillow choosing to charge for listings. You will have the same issue with any platform if you try to syndicate to Zillow owned platforms.
I agree, it seems to be that most listing service providers are getting away from FREE listings. This is just another expense that we will have to account for. I was trying to bring light to the point of Buildium is less attractive for us now. It is an expense that may not be needed for our company right now. There are free property management software options and other possibilities that may work better for us but we are still undecided if moving companies and having the hassle of that for us and our tenants is worth while.
When I first got in the business in 2004, newspapers and yard signs where the main ways you advertised rentals. It cost $15 a week for two lines in the paper. It was just a regular business expense. In business it really comes down to value more than expense. I see people spent $100 of time to save $5. It is tripping over dollars to catch pennies. Buildium should be doing far more for your business than syndicating listings. You could switch to a free platform, but keep in mind most free software is usually headed towards monetization in the future. Free is usually just a way to attract users. There are three ways for software to make money:
1. Pay to use it
2. Advertise on the platform
3. Pay services within the platform
My point is that nothing is free. Any business needs to make money, whether today or in the future.
Agreed nothing is free.
We find a ton more value in Buildium than just the syndication. Its tenant portal is great, online payments, tenant screening, tenant files.....That being said there seem to be very comparable platforms for a fraction of the price. My original post was trying to make a point of monthly subscriptions seem to be the new norm, which I understand that companies need to monetize their services. Also that Buildium keeps increasing in price. I like to know where all of our dollars go and how hard they are working for us when they get there. We are looking for the best value.
Also I still use yard signs at one of our properties that is located on a busy road with an average of 8000 cars passing per day.
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