Advocacy in Action: Rent to Own Advocate APRO is the Industry Voice

Who we are

APRO was founded in 1980 as a non-profit trade association. Our goal is to represent the rent to own industry and advocate for consumers and businesses alike. We regularly appear before Congress, IRS, state legislatures and courts, media, and the public at large in support of rent to own advocacy.

Industry Advocacy

Being a leading rent to own advocate involves many roles. APRO assists both dealers and vendors with:

• ongoing educational programs
• annual meeting and seminars
• networking and growing your business
• award-winning publications

Researching Trends

APRO is committed to meeting the changing needs of the rent to own industry. Not only is APRO a news authority, but also we regularly collect hard industry-specific data. One example of this it the APRO-commissioned survey conducted by America's Research Group.

This survey delved further into current industry trends, which were, in turn, passed onto APRO members and other industry partners. Some interesting findings from the study revealed:

• the majority of rent to own customers— between eighty-eight percent and ninety-five percent—indicated that the primary reasons for renting were being able to return the item, avoiding credit hassles, and getting the item immediately;
• fewer than sixteen percent of those surveyed received government assistance; and
• seventy-four percent were white, and twenty-two percent were black.

APRO: A Rent to own News Authority

Rent to own is a niche market in many ways. When compared to other businesses that offer similar merchandise, the main distinguishing factor of the rent to own industry is the fact that rent to own does not involve an extension of credit, subsequently assisting consumers obtains basic household essentials that might otherwise go without.

While the aforementioned is common knowledge for rent to own business owners, it is often difficult to find relevant rent to own news. Both Progressive Rentals and RTOHQ: The Magazine offer in-depth articles and other rent to own-related news.

In addition to regular publications, the APRO website gives members to be their own rent to own advocate, some highlights include:

• up-to-date legislative activity
• a virtual university
• online trainings
• media tips and strategies
• social networking: Twitter and Facebook presence

With regular web updates, staying connected to the latest industry news has never been easier.