Top 7 Platforms to Buy Rental Properties for Investment in 2025

This guide reviews seven top U.S. platforms for buying rental properties in 2025, comparing their models, fees, target investors, and suitability for building a rental portfolio.

MartelTurnkey: Streamlined Turnkey Rental Properties with Guaranteed Leases

MartelTurnkey specializes in turnkey rental homes—fully renovated, tenant-occupied properties sold as ready-to-cash-flow investments with management included and guaranteed Section 8 or market-rate leases in place. The platform provides standardized renovation specs, detailed financial projections, expedited deal-matching, discounted closing costs, and property management, making it well suited for out-of-state or passive investors targeting undervalued metro markets. MartelTurnkey also offers personalized consultations and packaged financials to align purchases with investor goals.

Roofstock: Marketplace for Tenant-Occupied Single-Family Rentals

Roofstock is a nationwide marketplace for tenant-occupied single-family rentals, offering extensive due diligence packages (inspections, title, current lease info) for each listing. Transaction fees are a $500 flat fee or 0.5% of contract price (whichever is greater). Investors can buy properties that produce immediate cash flow but must review variable existing lease terms, complete their own verification, and arrange ongoing management.

Mashvisor: Data-Driven Analytics and Market Discovery Tool

Mashvisor aggregates property, rental market, and neighborhood data to model projected returns and enable side-by-side comparisons across strategies and locations. Subscription plans start at $49.99/month (Lite); higher tiers unlock expanded features and markets. The tool is ideal for preliminary market research and property screening—helping assess cash flow, appreciation, and rental strategy—but investors must pursue acquisition and management separately.

Fundrise: Accessible Real Estate Crowdfunding for Beginners

Fundrise offers crowdfunding access to diversified real estate portfolios (REITs and eFunds) for accredited and non-accredited investors with minimums as low as $10. The platform charges roughly 1% in fees, handles property management and administration, and pays quarterly distributions based on portfolio performance. Fundrise provides easy diversification and passive exposure but limits investor control over specific asset selection.

RealtyMogul: Crowdfunding Platform with Commercial REIT Access

RealtyMogul focuses on commercial REITs and professionally managed portfolios, accepting accredited and non-accredited investors with minimums typically starting at $5,000 and management fees around 1–1.25% annually. Its REITs concentrate on office, retail, and multifamily properties and aim to deliver steady distributions and inflation-hedging appreciation. As with crowdfunding, investors cede hands‑on control to the platform’s management team.

CrowdStreet: Institutional Commercial Real Estate Investments

CrowdStreet targets experienced, accredited investors seeking institutional-grade commercial projects with typical minimums around $25,000 and hold periods of 2.5–10 years. The platform concentrates on large office, industrial, and multifamily developments and reports historically strong returns (CrowdStreet cites average profit rates above 18% in its data). High minimums and accredited‑only rules make CrowdStreet suitable for well-capitalized investors comfortable with longer holds.

Zillow Rental Manager: Comprehensive Property Listing and Management

Zillow Rental Manager is a property management platform for hands-on landlords, integrating Zillow’s listing reach with tools for online applications, tenant screening, automated rent collection, tenant messaging, and maintenance coordination. It’s best for investors who want direct control over operations and are prepared to manage tenant relations themselves rather than use a full-service turnkey provider.

RentCast: Simple Rental Market Data and Vacancy Insights

RentCast provides fast rental-market estimates—rent prices, vacancy rates, and trend snapshots—by address for quick investment screening. Its simplicity and speed make it useful for initial market checks before deeper due diligence, but investors must rely on other services for acquisition, financing, and property management.

Frequently Asked Questions

What types of rental properties can I invest in through these platforms?

Platforms vary: Roofstock and MartelTurnkey emphasize single-family rentals; Fundrise and RealtyMogul offer diversified REITs that include multifamily and commercial assets; some platforms also enable fractional ownership of larger projects.

How do fees and pricing structures vary among rental property platforms?

Fees differ by model: marketplace transaction fees (Roofstock) are typically a flat fee or ~0.5% of price; analytics tools like Mashvisor use monthly subscriptions; crowdfunding platforms usually charge annual management fees around 1–1.25%; turnkey providers bundle management into their service pricing.

Are these platforms suitable for first-time or out-of-state real estate investors?

Yes—turnkey services like MartelTurnkey and low‑minimum crowdfunding options like Fundrise are tailored to first-time and out-of-state investors, while marketplace and DIY tools require more hands-on involvement and local oversight.

How accurate and reliable are the investment analytics provided?

Analytics quality varies by platform and market; specialist tools like Mashvisor offer deeper modeling, while marketplaces include vetting documents. Always supplement platform data with independent research and local market expertise.

Can I complete the entire rental property purchase process online?

Many platforms support end-to-end digital transactions (document signing, online funding, remote closings), particularly turnkey sellers, marketplaces, and crowdfunding services, though some investors still prefer in-person inspections for larger purchases.