Are You the Designated Apartment Finder in Your Group? 6 Tips to Win.

Moving to a new apartment in the Greater Boston Area can be a stressful situation. That unsettling feeling can often be multiplied with the prospect of moving in with a fresh crew of several different roommates. It often gets even more intense for the main person designated as the lead “apartment finder” in the group. We all know that when finding an apartment with several roommates, there most likely will be the “natural leader” and organizer, one that takes the reigns and pushes forward to apartment glory. While most renters come to realize that having a designated apartment finder will lead to the most efficient way to get the task completed, it can also lead to significant confusion and tensions if not managed effectively. Here are our top five tips to make things run smoothly.

Tip 1: Respect the role of the designated “Apartment Finder”.

It is common for people to want to have as many options as possible before arriving to a decision. However, if multiple roommates are searching at the exact same time and contacting different realtors and sending multiple online requests forms, you will probably end up creating a great deal of confusion with landlords, property managers and real estate agents. There is also a great chance that your roommates will start realizing it is creating a giant time suck and possible loss of the best apartments to view in a quicker and easier process. So, if your groups starts sending multiple requests, you may end up with multiple agents showing you the same properties, which is not only confusing but also a waste of time for you and the agents.

You will get better results if you let the designated apartment finder in your group to do the initial research, outreach and follow up with the real estate community. In order to find apartments that your friends will be jealous of, you have to let the designated apartment finder do their job. Let the apartment finder dig in and seek out the best apartments over a wide search. Let them scour the internet and see which websites have the freshest data and best apartment pricing. Many apartment finders often seek the help of the best real estate agents and that is most often based on inventory. The role of the real estate agent is to find a place based on your requirements. You´re probably going to want your designated apartment finder in Boston to set up the most showings in the shortest period of time so that everything is fresh in your mind so you can make a solid and quick decision.

You don´t want to go to endless small apartment leasing shops or larger national brands that focus on residential sales but don’t really understand apartment leasing. Nearly all national real estate brands are not focused on effective apartment leasing in Massachusetts so the inventory is often limited and stale. You are going to want to seek out companies that can provide solid information on real time availability and vacancy rates in neighborhoods that you are interested in so that you know you are getting a good deal.

Tip 2: Know What to Look for in a Real Estate Agent

You want to find an agent that has the deepest and most updated real time apartment database and is not afraid to call and line up as many properties as possible in one showing. You want a real estate agent that can also work with you to schedule your group in the most efficient manner possible. Don’t be afraid to tell the agent that you need help keeping your group organized and showing up on time. You don’t want to miss that one showing where the apartment was a perfect 10! It’s also important that the designated apartment finder seeks real estate agents that follow up in a timely manner. Perhaps there was a price reduction on an apartment that you liked- you should know right away! Make sure the real estate company that you are working with can provide you with both real time texts and emails when prices are reduced or new apartments come to the market. It is important that you check out their technology stack and ask them how many landlords do they have in their database in each neighborhood you are seeking an apartment. Details matter!

If you find yourself chasing an agent for information, it might be time to call other agents. Never fall for the bait and switch that can be found on some outdated websites or national often un-curated portals. If an agent keeps telling you – “oh that just rented but I have another one for 100 dollars per month more” – run run run! You should start watching their posting habits. If you notice that they put up a lot of ads but then suddenly they come down very quickly only to pop up again – that gut instinct that something doesn’t seem right is telling you something. Or, if after some time the agent fails to find you a good option, then look for a different real estate company altogether.

Did the agent set you up with a professional drip campaign that instantly texts you if there is a price reduction? What if they don’t have that type of technology? If you notice that that agent or company you are working with has poor online visibility, then how can you expect them to find you a great place? Landlords always seek out the best websites that have the highest search rank to give their listings to – this is a common practice for decades. A great looking website with strong search engine optimization and tons of real time data will always attract the most landlords to list their apartments with them. Many landlords do not like to give their apartment listings to companies that specialize in sales because a rental commission is smaller so it often goes overlooked. Most residential sales agents simply do not understand apartment leasing cycles nor how to properly price an apartment rental. When it comes to rentals – nearly all residential sales companies do not have accurate days on market for specific neighborhoods. Be leery of national real estate franchises, as nearly all of them focus on residential sales and don’t put much effort or budget into aggregating landlords for apartment rental listings. Look for the company with a strongest online apartment presence, great reviews, and the most listings to show you.

Tip 3: Agree on a budget range.

One of the key questions every real estate agent will ask the designated apartment finder is “How much are you looking to spend?”. You and your roommates must discuss this far ahead of time before you ever start reaching out to the real estate community. You must come up with a realistic and relatively narrow range (i.e. $4,400 – $4,800 per month), but don’t dismiss potential properties that may include certain amenities that might be save you money in other areas of your budget such as in-unit laundry, gym, or parking.

You might also want to factor how close the apartment is to various shops or convenience stores if you are going to uber a lot to different locations. In other words, consider your overall budget and expenses before ruling out a unit simply because it’s slightly over budget.

Tip 4: Designate two or three search areas.

A common mistake apartment finders make is either having a single area or neighborhood to search, or– on the flip side – not having any specific search area. In the first case, you would be severely limiting the inventory that your agent can search from in order to present you with suitable options. In the latter, you may be overlooking the day-to-day realities of living and commuting from one area over another. By having one main search area, and two additional or adjacent search areas, you can not only maximize the number of options, but you can take into consideration issues such as proximity to public transportation, commuting time, nearby shops, restaurants, etc. and will probably end up finding the best value for your money.

It is ok to say to your real estate leasing professional – “Hey our number one choice is Beacon Hill, but we are OK with Back Bay as our second choice; and if we really had to as our third choice – we would look at the Fenway.” You want to give quality input upfront so your real estate agent hones in on your requests and starts pounding the phones and lining up options for you.

Tip 5: Write Down “Must-haves”, “Deal-breakers”, and What You’re Willing to be Flexible On.

For instance, is close proximity to public transportation a must have for you and your roommates? Or do most of you work remotely or have a car? Are you and your roommates okay with a couple of flights of stairs to your unit, or is that a deal-breaker because at least one of you needs an elevator? Is in-unit laundry a must-have? Or, would you be fine with having a laundry in your building, or a nearby laundromat in your neighborhood? By writing these down, you will be able to, as the designated apartment finder, narrow down your choices, save time, and guide your agent and roommates into a more efficient search and decision.

Tip 6: Take advantage of virtual tours.

Before heading out to see an apartment in person, ask if there’s a virtual tour or walk-through video available. While it is often difficult to get videos or virtual tours of occupied apartments with a vacancy rate as low as it is in Greater Boston – it never hurts to ask. A detailed video tour can give you a clear sense of the space, layout, and flow of the apartment—sometimes enough to make you confident about applying right away. Hopefully, a good real estate platform focused on apartment leasing in MA should have a few options to share, including links you can send to roommates so everyone can weigh in. As the designated apartment finder, you’ll find virtual tours invaluable for saving time, narrowing down your list, and helping your group reach a decision. If you’re busy and the property meets your requirements, you may even want to consider renting it based on the virtual showing—as long as you’re working with a long standing reputable agency with an impeccable track record and hundreds of great reviews. At Boston Pads, we have a large dedicated virtual tour and video team continually expanding our collection of digital media to make your search easier.

Whatever your rental needs, work with a professional

Lastly, make sure that you work with a licensed real estate professional in the state of Massachusetts. Be extremely cautious of “apartment showing assistants” that can’t provide you with their real estate license number. You will often find that small basement shop fly by night operations will have “assistants.” Ask them how many apartments they have rented in their respective area – ask them why they don’t have a license. Be suspect when an agent says they rent properties from a residential home address. True real estate companies have a formal real estate address with a main office line that you can call to make sure that the agent works under a broker of record. It is ok to be skeptical.

When you work with quality real estate companies – you get the best results. You don’t have to worry about online scams or the bait and switch. This will be the most efficient way for you as a designated apartment finder to be able to see and evaluate the most properties within your search criteria in the shortest period of time with a high degree of confidence. Professional real estate agents working at reputable real estate companies have access to more listings that what you as an individual can find on a web search. Be hesitant to work with real estate companies that do not focus on apartment rentals as their core competency. Run when someone tells you they mostly focus on residential real estate sales and not rentals. You want to work with companies and agents that are dedicated their focus to finding apartments for their customers.

You also want to find the freshest and most updated data possible. Many online listings found on national real estate portals are not updated, and might not be actually available; while some others may not be even real. It’s important you check the validity of the listings. If someone is requesting money upfront before a showing – that might be a signal you are getting scammed. Ask for their real estate license – check to see if they have active social media accounts with great reviews.

We are here for you

A professional licensed agent can help you avoid these apartment leasing pitfalls while also giving you valuable feedback on the current state of the rental market. Ask the agent if they know the real time vacancy rate of each neighborhood they are showing you. Ask them if they know how many apartments are active in each respective neighborhood. Don’t be shy to ask them the total number of units in your bedroom count size for the area you are looking to rent. There is always a big difference in price and move in cost incentives when a real time apartment vacancy or availability rate for certain neighborhoods goes above 3-6%. If the agent doesn’t know what you are talking about – Run. You want to know you are working with well-educated real estate agents that are true apartment finders themselves.

Our agents at Boston Pads have access to over 19,000 landlords which comprises the most extensive database of real time apartment listings in the Massachusetts area. In fact, the Boston Pads network has the most exclusive listings – which no other agency can compete with. Boston Pad’s dedicated virtual tour team also allows us to boast of having the most virtual tours available relative to any other company in the area. Want us to prove it? Reach out to us today!