Using Apartment Finders/Brokers (Chicago: rental, house, neighborhood)

[Genghis]

I've used these apartment finding companies a couple of times. I never actually ended out renting an apartment this way. In terms of honesty level I saw both extremes. One guy really seemed to want to help me find a good place and didn't lie to me in any way I could tell... and in the other extreme one told me "you need to rent now... someone else just applied and maybe if you apply now you'll be picked!" And of course that apartment was still available a week later.

The biggest issue I had with them is simply that the apartments they had available were not very high quality. Since they get one months rent as a tenant finders fee, landlords will use them typically only on apartments they have trouble renting themselves. I saw one which had cigarette stains all over the rug and another which was in the process of some kind of renovations. In addition the same unit will often be showed by a bunch of these companies and they won't necessarily know if it's available. Hence the issues with leaving a deposit and discovering you can't get the unit. One I looked at not only was no longer available but someone new had already moved in when we stopped by. And there are also a few notorious landlords that Chicagoans tend to avoid and they will be amongst the ones that have their apartments hawked by several different apartment finder companies.

For someone new to Chicago they can be useful as you can get to see different neighborhoods. When I first moved here I did find that to be the case. But I never saw a unit that came close to being one that I wanted.

[Chicago Carol]

Just look for a place yourself. Check out the listings on craigslist and The Reader.

[Drover]

Old thread and all, but here goes anyway:

Originally Posted by Chicago Carol

Just look for a place yourself. Check out the listings on craigslist and The Reader.

1) Some people don't have time to look themselves, especially people moving from out of town who have maybe a weekend or two to line up an apartment, so having an agent line up a bunch of showings is the best way to make use of limited time;

2) The "big player" agencies in town have access to a vast inventory of units that you probably don't even know are available;

3) craigslist is rife with bogus listings, and many of the "legit" listings (and probably quite a few of the bogus ones) are posted by leasing agents anyway so you might as well just work with them from the get-go;

4) Does the Reader even have apartment listings any more?

[treemoni]

Originally Posted by Drover

2) The "big player" agencies in town have access to a vast inventory of units that you probably don't even know are available;

No, you don't know they're available, because you're too lazy to peruse the neighborhood yourself.

Your whole post is transplant thinking. Chicago is not New York. You can find a good place, sometimes below market, by doing things the "old fashioned" way. There are gems to be had via craigslist. You just have to do the *gasp* work. Using a realtor in Chicago is flushing money down the toilet. There's plenty of housing here.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by treemoni

No, you don't know they're available, because you're too lazy to peruse the neighborhood yourself.

Either that or I was working nearly 50 hours a week and didn't have time to peruse various neighborhoods at my own leisure. And there are a tons of units listed with leasing agencies that have no signs posted on their properties indicating there are units for rent.

Originally Posted by treemoni

Your whole post is transplant thinking.

Who do you think comes to this site looking for advice?

Originally Posted by treemoni

Chicago is not New York. You can find a good place, sometimes below market, by doing things the "old fashioned" way. There are gems to be had via craigslist. You just have to do the *gasp* work. Using a realtor in Chicago is flushing money down the toilet. There's plenty of housing here.

Uhm... leasing agency services are free to the tenant. Why do the *gasp* work when someone will do it for me without a dime out of my pocket?

[treemoni]

Leasing agents work for free?

[Drover]

Originally Posted by treemoni

Leasing agents work for free?

Reading is key. What I said is they're free to the tenant.

[treemoni]

I can't believe a service is being provided in the tenant is not absorbing some of the cost via higher rent. Just doesn't make any sense.

all I'm saying is that apartment finders are unnecessary in Chicago. you can find very reasonable places on your own. And it's a great way to get to know the city and neighborhoods.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by treemoni

I can't believe a service is being provided in the tenant is not absorbing some of the cost via higher rent. Just doesn't make any sense.

What cost? Landlords have turnover costs regardless: prospecting/advertising, time spent lining up and showing apartments, screening/background checks, vacancy time if they don't find the right tenant soon, etc. Or they can pay an agency fee and have pre-selected, pre-screened tenants lined up ready to view the place and ready to move in the day after the current lease expires.

Originally Posted by treemoni

all I'm saying is that apartment finders are unnecessary in Chicago. you can find very reasonable places on your own. And it's a great way to get to know the city and neighborhoods.

No, you said more than that. You said people use leasing agencies because they're lazy when there are plenty of other reasons to use them.

Even if people do use 'em out of laziness, what's it to you? If you think finding one on your own somehow makes you a better or more hard-working person or whatever, go for it.

[treemoni]

I'm mentioning it because I don't believe in giving people misinformation. And in my opinion, You are doing a new person a disservice by steering them towards leasing agent because they are not necessary in this city. there is no housing shortage in Chicago. This is not New York.