Internet Listing Service ROI Calculator

ILS (Zillow, Apartments.com) subscription ROI measured by quality leads and leases.

ILS subscription / mo

Monthly leads from ILS

Lead → lease %

Avg rent

Expected tenancy (months)

Monthly ROI multiple

160.88

Monthly leases attrib

2.93

Cost per lease

$274

How the math works

Value = leads × conv × rent × tenancy. ROI = value / cost.

45 × 6.5% = 2.93 leases × $2,200 × 20 = $128,700 / $800 = 161× monthly ROI.

How to Use

Enter ILS monthly subscription.
Enter monthly leads from ILS.
Enter ILS lead → lease conversion %.
Enter avg rent.
Enter lease value multiplier.
Read ROI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Major ILS services?

Apartments.com (CoStar): dominant national, $300-1,200/property/month. Zillow Rentals (Zillow Group): second, $200-800/property/month. RentCafé, ForRent, Zumper: secondary. Rent.com: CoStar-owned. Trulia: Zillow Group. Craigslist: free but low quality. Facebook Marketplace: free, growing. Each ILS pulls 15-40% of leads at mid-large professional properties.

Subscription pricing?

Apartments.com: tiered by feature — basic ($199-399/mo), Silver ($499-799), Gold ($799-1,299), Platinum ($1,299-2,000+). Features: property listing, photo count, priority placement, video, 3D tour. Zillow Rentals Boost: $199-499/mo, basic listing free. Volume discounts for portfolio (20+ properties): 15-30% off list.

Lead quality from ILS?

ILS leads more qualified than Craigslist (tenants paying $$$ on rent site = serious). But less qualified than direct/referral (cold leads, may be comparing many properties). ILS conversion: tour 20-35%, application 40-55%, signed 50-65%. End-to-end: 5-9%. Higher for feature-rich listings (better photos, video, detailed amenities list, model unit showcase).

Optimization tactics?

(1) Professional photos (10-30 images minimum, DSLR or better). (2) Video walkthrough. (3) Floor plans with dimensions. (4) Amenity list complete. (5) Pricing accurate + updated weekly. (6) Availability dates accurate. (7) Virtual tour link. (8) Responsive property website. (9) Response time <1 hour (doubles lead → tour conversion). (10) Compelling property description (SEO, key features first). Worst performer: generic listings with 3-5 photos lose to richer listings.