Quote from @Chris Lo: Which platforms/websites do landlords use to find the rent rate, how long the rental properties have been on the market, and all the details about other rental properties?

Listing on multiple platforms does affect ranking by platforms but not as much as you think.  

What if something changes with how that platform works?

I agree that is will be a gamble as to how well it will do.Also, ask the owner if they will entertain partial owner financing to keep from dragging family and friends into this risky business venture.Maybe even rent from owner for a year with right to sublease to see how it goes before committing to a purchase.

Purchase price: $690,000 Cash invested: $172,500 Took a gamble on a larger single family home in an up and coming master planned community.

These platforms include RentRedi, Stessa, Avail, Innago, Apartments.com (formerly Cozy), and TenantCloud.Pretty much every platform mentioned contains the features you are going to need.

There is a gamble there that the second appraisal comes in at or below the first.

I've been pretty vocal on this platform against bad syndication practices out there. 

I continue to see new platforms promise ease of use, lightning-fast approvals, and streamlined processes.

Paid platforms often offer additional features like market analytics, off-market property leads, and filters for investor-specific criteria, giving them a leg up over free options.Exactly, most platforms have to offset cost somewhere because of how expensive it is to keep the data up to date.