Union vs AI leasing tools
Your AI takes messages. Union books tours.
The difference is architecture. Union is the CRM, so the AI sees live availability and acts on the record instead of a copy of it. Mark-Taylor improved lead-to-tour conversion 148%.
Compare Union in 20 minutes
Operators running on Union
Check us against your shortlist
Every claim here is about architecture. Verify any of it in a vendor’s own documentation or on a technical call.
| AI leasing overlaysExamples: EliseAI, Funnel | PMS-owned leasing CRMExamples: Knock CRM (RealPage), Entrata |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI layer on top of your PMS and CRM | Leasing CRM inside a PMS suite | One system. The CRM and the AI are the same product |
| What the AI can see | A synced copy of what the PMS exposes | Modules built separately, integrated later | The live record. Everything the CRM sees |
| Handoff to a human | Conversation transfers. Context depends on the integration | Varies by module | Warm. The AI stays on until a person greets the renter |
| Scope | Leasing and lead nurture, with modules added alongside | Leasing plus PMS functions | Marketing through renewals and resident revenue |
| How it was built | A layer on someone else’s system of record | Assembled in part by acquisition, then integrated | Engineered end to end. One roadmap, one login |
| Ancillary revenue | Not marketed | Varies | Credit Builder and Security Deposit. Net‑new income |
Feature checklists make these look alike. The difference shows up on a Saturday, when a renter asks about the unit they toured Tuesday and the AI either knows or does not.
Based on each vendor’s public documentation. Last reviewed August 17, 2026. Union is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any company named on this page. All product names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification and comparison only.
Bring this table to a 20-minute call.The same questions you asked the other vendor, answered on your portfolio with real numbers.
Proof, not promises
Published outcomes from Union’s longest-running deployment. Ask the other vendors for theirs.
“There’s no one in PropTech SaaS that prioritizes support and partnership the way Union does. Union is peerless there.”
Dustin LaceyCTO, Mark Taylor
Why architecture shows up in operations
Every vendor claims the full renter journey. Almost none of them are one system, and your team is the one that feels the difference.
The AI reads a synced copy of whatever the PMS exposes. Each tool holds its own slice of the renter.
One data model, one record. The AI acts on the live system, because there is nothing to sync.
The edge is architecture, not features. Because the CRM and the AI are the same product, the AI acts on the live record instead of a copy of it.
What that costs you in practice
Three line items that never show up in the vendor demo.
The cold handoff
The AI hands off, the history does not. The renter repeats themselves, and a qualified lead decides you are not organized.
The reconciliation tax
Four tools each hold a slice of the same renter. Someone on your team spends the week making them agree instead of leasing apartments.
The after-hours gap
Most tours are decided outside office hours. An overlay that cannot see availability can take a message. It cannot move the renter forward.
After the lease is signed
The record that leased the unit renews it, supports the resident, and earns after move-in.
Retention on the same record
Renewals run on the data model that leased the unit. That is how Mark Taylor reached 55% resident retention in a down market.
You decide how much AI
Set the AI-to-human mix by property, channel, or workflow. One in four renters still prefers a person, and Union never forces an AI-only path.
A revenue line, not a software cost
Credit Builder and Union Security Deposit add resident-funded income with no on-site lift, and first revenue in 45 to 60 days.
An embedded partner
Your team is in our Slack, and Union travels to you for kickoff and training.
What operators ask first
“We already have a PMS we are not replacing.”
Good, and you should not. Union connects to Yardi, RealPage, ResMan, and Entrata. What Union replaces is the patchwork around the PMS: the separate leasing CRM, the AI chat vendor, the AI voice vendor, and the applications and screening tools.
“We are not centralizing, so this probably is not for us.”
Union supports centralized and decentralized operations equally. It was built alongside Mark Taylor’s centralization, but it enables centralization without forcing it. Plenty of Union operators run property-level teams and have no plans to change that.
“We already started an evaluation with someone else.”
Then you have a baseline, which makes this easy. Bring the same questions to a 20-minute Union call and compare the answers on architecture, warm handoff, and what happens after the lease is signed.
“Switching CRMs sounds painful.”
Fair question, and the honest answer is that it is work. Union is onsite for kickoff and training, your team sits in our Slack, and most operators are live in 30 days. The operator quoted below was on their third CRM.
“This is our third CRM. With the last two, we were just another number and we never had a successful implementation. Union walked us through step by step.”
Melinda HowardVP of Training and Systems, PLK Communities
Get live in three steps
Book the 20 minutes
Bring your shortlist. We show Union on your portfolio, with real numbers.
Connect your PMS
Union connects to Yardi, RealPage, ResMan, and Entrata, and replaces the point solutions around them.
Go live in 30 days
Onsite for kickoff and training. Resident-funded revenue follows in 45 to 60 days.
Stop comparing checklists. Compare systems.
20 minutes. No prep required. Bring the vendors you are already evaluating.
- Twenty minutes, not a 60-minute pitchBring your shortlist. We will answer architecture questions on the call, not in a follow-up.
- You keep your PMSUnion connects to Yardi, RealPage, ResMan, and Entrata. We replace the patchwork around it, not the PMS.
- You will talk to our customersNot a reference sheet. Actual operators running Union today.
- Live in 30 daysOnsite for kickoff and training, not a webinar.
Frequently asked questions
What are the alternatives to EliseAI for multifamily?
Commonly evaluated alternatives to EliseAI include Knock CRM (RealPage), Funnel, Yardi Chat IQ, Entrata, and Union, though they are not all the same kind of product. Most are AI and leasing layers, or leasing modules owned by a property management system, that operate on data synced from that system. Union is an AI-powered CRM where the CRM and the AI are one product on a single data model, so the AI acts on the live record and also runs renewals, vacates, and resident revenue rather than leasing alone.
What is the difference between an AI leasing bot and an AI-native CRM?
An AI leasing bot is an overlay that sits on top of a property management system and works from whatever data that system exposes through the integration. An AI-native CRM is the system of record itself, so the AI reasons across marketing, leasing, and the resident lifecycle without a sync step. The practical difference shows up at handoff: with an overlay, whether the human inherits the full conversation depends on the integration, while a native system transfers full context by default.
Is Union a replacement for Knock CRM?
Union can replace a leasing CRM such as Knock CRM, and it also replaces the separate AI chat, AI voice, and application tools that typically sit alongside it. Knock was acquired by RealPage in 2022 and operates as part of that suite. Union was built end to end as one product, so leasing, renewals, vacates, and resident revenue run on a single record with one login.
Does Union replace my property management system?
No. Union integrates with Yardi, RealPage, ResMan, and Entrata, which feed occupancy and revenue data into Union. What Union replaces is the patchwork of point solutions around the PMS: the separate leasing CRM, the AI chat vendor, the AI voice vendor, and the applications and screening tools.
How long does it take to switch to Union?
Union goes live in about 30 days, and Union travels to you and is onsite for kickoff and training rather than running a webinar. Operators who also adopt the resident-funded ancillary products typically see first revenue within 45 to 60 days.
Do I have to centralize my leasing to use Union?
No. Union supports centralized and decentralized operations equally and enables centralization without requiring it. It was built alongside a centralizing operator, but property-level teams run on it without any organizational change.
What size portfolio is Union built for?
Union’s sweet spot is multi-property owner-operators and management companies running 5,000 to 15,000 units, Class A and B, and it serves portfolios from roughly 2,000 units up to 60,000.