2026 has seen its fair share of major market changes with the rental space especially shaken up. As more potential first-time buyers are choosing single-family rentals over pricier starter homes, the shift for real estate professionals is clear: you aren’t just filling vacancies, you’re building long-term relationships with tenants and landlords alike.
To help you communicate effectively, track each step, and stay competitive in today’s real estate landscape, here’s a list of tips and tools to live “rent-free” in your head:
RentSpree & RentEdge
Securing tenants can be just as daunting as moving into a new home (with almost as many boxes to check). Luckily, we offer two solutions that simplify the process from lead to lease.
RentSpree is a one-stop digital hub designed to support agents at every rental stage. To benefit you and all related parties, the platform automates time-consuming administrative tasks, such as tenant screening, document management, and rent collection. It also features ApplyLink, a unique, shareable link that enables applicants to submit their information instantly, helping you identify the right renter without delay.
RentEdge, a separate but related product from RentSpree, is a new modular suite of tools designed to help you stay organized and keep up with modern demand. Unlike RentSpree, RentEdge is built into the MLS for a streamlined, scalable workflow. Use it to easily access data-rich market analysis, educational resources, and screen tenants directly from your listings. With more modules coming soon, RentEdge is your shortcut to becoming a rental expert and expanding your business.
Both RentSpree and RentEdge are available to CRMLS users at no additional cost. Want to unpack more information? Check out our guides for RentSpree’s Online Screening Field and getting started with RentEdge.
Global Referral Connect
A growing rental market means new opportunities to generate leads and expand your network. Global Referral Connect, a LinkedIn-style networking platform, connects you with relevant professionals nationwide and provides valuable market insights. While not specifically a rental tool, Global Referral Connect leverages predictive analysis from over 100,000 referral records to help you find vetted property management partners and exchange quality rental leads. No-cost features include direct messaging, live events, and access to over 100 specialized groups with premium access boasting referral tracking and real-time alerts.
To learn more about Global Referral Connect (formerly MLS Match) and what it now has to offer, watch this short video.
Pass(word) It On
While all the products above are designed to safeguard sensitive information, maintaining strong cybersecurity habits across your business is still essential. That’s why we’re highlighting a May “holiday” that might not be on your radar: World Password Day. This day takes place on the first Thursday of the month, which falls this year on May 7. Rentals involve a lot of accounts with money moving around, so a safeguarded workflow is vital to ensure you don’t let any weak passwords compromise you or your clients.
Pro Tip: To protect yourself from ongoing cybersecurity risks, make sure your passwords are long, unique, and not just reused or slightly modified versions of older ones. While changing passwords from time to time can help, relying on small tweaks, such as adding a lone 1 to your existing password, can make them easier to guess.
Reminder: CRMLS now employs multifactor authentication (MFA) to make logins more secure. For more details, check out our introductory MFA guide and FAQs.
Providing Disaster Relief to Clients
At CRMLS, we know firsthand how critical it is for displaced residents to find last-minute temporary housing and how often they turn to real estate professionals for guidance. That’s why, following last year’s wildfires, we added a new property type across all MLS systems: the Disaster Relief Rental.
To learn how to add or search for an emergency rental listing and better support your communities, explore the Disaster Relief Guide in our Knowledgebase.
And that’s it for this month! May you have the best of luck in securing new lease agreements with this advice. See you in June!
