Realtor Needed for Relocation (Tampa: short sale, renters, credit report)

[upstate44]

Hi all,

I'll be coming down next week to scope out some areas for a job relocation. I figured it would be much better to work with an agent to help setup some showings than it would be to do an internet/drive around search on my own.

I would be renting. Some of the areas I've heard/seen on this site and others are:

St Pete: focusing on downtown......Old NE specifically, and also near the water.

Tampa: south tampa....Hyde Park in particular

If anyone can recommend a specific agent or agency that would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!

[Kaybri73]

Sorry, I wasnt aware we couldnt post email links so my first post was deleted. My husband and I just moved here last week from NC. We came down 2 weeks ago to secure a rental. What was great about her was she is an independent realtor and able to show us any house regardless who it was listed with. We emailed her about 20 houses we were interested in and she narrowed it down to the ones that were still available. One afternoon we went from one house to another and looked at them all. Being we were in a hurry to get a house so we could go back to NC pack our stuff and get down here so my husband could start his new job I couldnt have asked for a better realtor. She was amazing. We were looking on the North side of Tampa so Im not sure how far out she goes but if she is available I highly recommend her. Good Luck!!

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by upstate44

Hi all,

I'll be coming down next week to scope out some areas for a job relocation. I figured it would be much better to work with an agent to help setup some showings than it would be to do an internet/drive around search on my own.

I would be renting. Some of the areas I've heard/seen on this site and others are:

St Pete: focusing on downtown......Old NE specifically, and also near the water.

Tampa: south tampa....Hyde Park in particular

If anyone can recommend a specific agent or agency that would be GREATLY appreciated!

Thanks!

Keep in mind that most agents are not able to help tenants with rentals unless they are high end rentals just because the seller is paying the listing agent and the listing agent is offering a small fee to the agent who will show it...that can be $50 or in some cases up to an average of $300 and just in a few high end properties a little bit more...

If an agent has to drive for hours then it usually means the agent has lost money on gas and not made a dime since they have to share the commission with their office and the remainder will be cut back to them...

Only agents that are new and have no clients will do that or if they know that they will be able to help with getting the client to buy a home later or helping due to the client being a friend or if the client is selling their home as a short sale and after the sale the client needs a rental.

It is not that agents don't want to do it but it comes down to what will they make in the end.

In NY for example the client who needs the rental will pay the agent...if that was over here I can assure you that many more agents will be able to help out...

I'm posting this to provide some inside what the reason behind this is and it is for sure not that they are rude or arrogant...

[Cleverbeetle98]

Don't knock the internet search...it can be more helpful than you think. What other posters have said is true - you will be hard pressed to find a realtor for rental purposes. DM if you'd like some of the websites I used.

As long as you know your budget, amenities you want, areas you want, ect you can do it. One nice thing I noticed in my search is that a lot of professionally owned complexes will do leases as few as 7 months without paying an extra premium for renting less than 12 months. Yea it would suck to move twice, but if you can find something online/driving around that you can live with for 7 months, that gives you plenty of time to actually live here and find something more permanent.

[upstate44]

Originally Posted by bentlebee

Keep in mind that most agents are not able to help tenants with rentals unless they are high end rentals just because the seller is paying the listing agent and the listing agent is offering a small fee to the agent who will show it...that can be $50 or in some cases up to an average of $300 and just in a few high end properties a little bit more...

If an agent has to drive for hours then it usually means the agent has lost money on gas and not made a dime since they have to share the commission with their office and the remainder will be cut back to them...

Only agents that are new and have no clients will do that or if they know that they will be able to help with getting the client to buy a home later or helping due to the client being a friend or if the client is selling their home as a short sale and after the sale the client needs a rental.

It is not that agents don't want to do it but it comes down to what will they make in the end.

In NY for example the client who needs the rental will pay the agent...if that was over here I can assure you that many more agents will be able to help out...

I'm posting this to provide some inside what the reason behind this is and it is for sure not that they are rude or arrogant...

No worries, thanks for the response...when you put it in those terms it makes perfect sense. I guess I was coming from my own experiences. Where I live in NY it's very popular for renters to use agents because many of the landlords/owners find they want a thorough screening process done, but don't have the time/energy to pull the credit reports, background checks, etc. So many (not all) of the good properties are all through agent listings. Also, it's the norm up here (not saying it's the law...just the norm) that the usual fee is a month's rent and is paid by the landlord. So a $1200-$1700/month rent is a pretty good fee; but it doesn't sound like that's the case in your area.

But overall, thanks for the feedback...it's appreciated!

[bentlebee]

Originally Posted by upstate44

No worries, thanks for the response...when you put it in those terms it makes perfect sense. I guess I was coming from my own experiences. Where I live in NY it's very popular for renters to use agents because many of the landlords/owners find they want a thorough screening process done, but don't have the time/energy to pull the credit reports, background checks, etc. So many (not all) of the good properties are all through agent listings. Also, it's the norm up here (not saying it's the law...just the norm) that the usual fee is a month's rent and is paid by the landlord. So a $1200-$1700/month rent is a pretty good fee; but it doesn't sound like that's the case in your area.

But overall, thanks for the feedback...it's appreciated!

Over here any reputable Landlord will have a background check performed either by the listing agent and/or property management company. We do both so we deal a lot with rentals and background checks and never had so many not qualify as the last 2 weeks and all for lying on an application about prior arrests!

We are always very clear...is a person arrested or not and it is either "yes" or "no", but if you fill out "no" and it is "yes" we don't even look futher...automatic denial.