Searching for an online marketplace where you can find the best investment properties for sale?
While there are many real estate marketplaces out there, not all online marketplaces are created the same. As a real estate investor in 2021, you need access to the most up-to-date, accurate data at your fingertips. You also need tools to help you calculate whether or not a property will be worth your time and money, without spending countless hours crunching numbers.
The most successful real estate investors out there today have more than just any property marketplace in their back pocket. They have real estate investment software that does the heavy lifting for them. Why? Because they realize two things:
- The best properties go fast, and they need to be ready to make moves faster than other savvy investors.
- Their time is better spent making money by optimizing the performance of their rental properties and growing their investment portfolio than on getting lost in real estate investment analysis spreadsheets.
Read on to learn more about the 5 things to look for in your next online marketplace, and how Mashvisor can help you scale your real estate business.
Related: How to Start a Real Estate Business in 2021: 8 Steps
#1. Variety of Real Estate Listings
The first thing to look at when choosing an online marketplace is whether or not it provides a variety of real estate listings. Too often, newbies to the real estate investment space will opt for free real estate websites, not realizing that they are only scraping the surface of what is truly available.
Ever hears the old adage, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is”? It applies to any online marketplace you purchase (or don’t purchase). The truth is, no one would give away their best real estate property data for free. That being said, when you search only through free real estate companies and resources, you’re not going to turn up the best data possible.
Investors often turn to large, brand name realtor websites for their information. While these sites may be generally helpful to consumers, many of the best properties for sale for investors are not available there. When looking for an online marketplace, make sure the data isn’t just the same as every other free website out there.
#2. Reliable Real Estate Data
Another thing to think about is where an online marketplace gets its data from. The top online marketplaces will get access to the most important and robust source of rental property data: MLS listings.
Most beginner real estate investors work with a realtor to gather MLS information, but even then, they are reliant on what their real estate agent shows them. They are also dependent on the rate at which the agent can get that information to them. In 2021 fast real estate investors are successful real estate investors. Having reliable data at your fingertips is going to make a world of difference in your ability to jump on the right properties quickly.
Related: How to Get Access to the MLS Database Without a License
On the other hand, using information gathered from an investment property search conducted on low-quality real estate marketplace apps carries the potential of making inaccurate estimates. Overestimating return on investment could mean huge losses, just like underestimating rate of return could mean passing up a profitable income property.
That’s exactly what makes Mashvisor the best real estate website for real estate investors. When conducting a property search, you can rest assured that all of our data comes from the most reputable sources, such as the MLS, foreclosure websites, and Airbnb.
Types of property data Mashvisor provides include:
- Listing price
- Property characteristics
- Rental comps
- Rental income
- Rental expenses
- Cash flow
- Cap rate
- Cash on cash return
- Airbnb occupancy rate
- Optimal rental strategy
- Off market data
- Property owner data
Related: Mashvisor: The Best Real Estate Data Source for 2021
#3. Access to Off Market Properties
Not only do you want an online marketplace that can get you a variety of reliable property data, but the best house hunting apps will also give you direct access to off market properties. Instead of seeing the same properties that are being shown to every investor by their real estate agent via the MLS, you can find hidden gems that would otherwise go overlooked.
The best properties in the real estate market are sometimes off the market. And the best online marketplaces for buying investment properties will serve your need to find these types of deals. Off market properties are perfect for investors because they are often discounted. Examples include foreclosures, banked owned homes, and distressed properties. These types of listings offer the opportunity to grab a great property at a wholesale price.
Related: 15 Best Ways to Find Off Market Properties
The Mashvisor platform hosts what we call the Property Marketplace, designed with this exact need in mind. Real estate investors are able to create a home search for properties they would not be able to find anywhere else, all within minutes. Our tool also provides property owner data, so you can make connections with the right contacts fast and easy.
#4. Neighborhood Analysis Tools
In 2021 real estate market analysis is essential for successfully choosing a property to invest in. For this reason, an online property marketplace should offer more than just search features. You also need software that can help you analyze the investment properties for sale that you find.
One critical area of real estate analysis most investors overlook is neighborhood analysis. It’s common sense to analyze states and cities for trends in return on investment, such as cash on cash return. But it’s equally important to continue this analysis on the neighborhood level. This is because city-wide data is an average, and it does not indicate the profitability of individual neighborhoods within the same market.
Mashvisor’s heat map is a tool designed to instantly calculate the profitability of specific neighborhoods, color-coding areas with an easy, visual-first format. With our heat map, investors can quickly determine the average:
- Listing price
- Cash on cash return
- Rental income
- Optimal rental strategy
You no longer have to guess whether a more specific location within a high-performing city is still profitable, and you’ll never have to worry about accidentally investing on the wrong side of town.
#5. Built-In Investment Property Analysis
The last criteria any good online marketplace should meet is an ability to provide built-in investment property analysis. Just like neighborhood analysis is important, it’s crucial for real estate investors to analyze individual properties for profitability. Similar to how underperforming neighborhoods can live within thriving cities, less than desirable investments can rest within profitable areas.
Instead of spending hours in spreadsheets making manual calculations, you should seek an online marketplace that comes equipped with an investment property calculator. This tool will instantly measure a property’s return on investment as well as other analytics that you need in order to make an informed and profitable real estate investing decision.
Related: Mashvisor: The #1 Investment Property Calculator for 2021
Mashvisor’s rental property calculator automatically calculates the following metrics for all of the properties in our online marketplace:
- Rental income
- Rental expenses
- Occupancy rate
- Cash flow
- Return on investment
- Optimal rental strategy
- Rental comps
- Investment payback balance
The Bottom Line
Mashvisor is hands down the #1 best online marketplace for finding investment properties in 2021, because it contains all of the features listed in this article. Our platform:
- Provides a variety of different listings and is much more comprehensive than many free databases out there.
- Is reliable in that the data comes from only the most reputable sources.
- Grants access to off market opportunities.
- Determines the profitability of given neighborhoods.
- Calculates the return on investment for individual properties.
So, what are you waiting for? Do you have questions about Mashvisor? Read our FAQs and learn about our tools. To learn more about how Mashvisor can help you find profitable investment properties, schedule a demo.
If you’d like to test our platform for yourself, sign up for a 7-day free trial followed by a 15% discount for life.