A Few Apt Search Tips
I know there has been a lot of chatter on the boards as to apt hunting broker vs: no broker etc.
I was looking for a 4 bedroom apt with a total rent of 5 K or less in either Murray Hill or Midtown East but pretty much on the east side from the 20's to the 50's. We were aware we were going to be in a walk up - but still that's a low budget and we wanted something really nice. Our broker was amazing and we found a great place in Gramercy (albeit a block further east than we'd hoped) for 5K, chef's kitchen, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, fireplace etc.
We used three brokers - two recommended by Urban Hostess/BCG/Goldman and one other one I found on my own. The only one that wasn't crap was the one I found on my own and she found us the apartment.
So moral(s) of the story:
1) if you're trying to find a good deal on a NICE walkup - in my opinion, use a broker. we never would have found our place otherwise, or even been allowed to see it. if you've got a higher budget and can afford a luxury, doorman esque building, save yourself the brokers fee and go directly to the leasing offices.
2) our broker was AMAZING. everyone says they can show you "Everything" and that everyone will have the same listings. that's crap. if anyone wants my brokers name - just PM me and i'll give you details.
3) if you're about to start looking - go to the real estate group new york's website (TREGNY.com) and look at their market report - it details month to month price fluctuations by neighborhood, price trends over the year (timing the mkt) and tells you where to hunt for currently undervalued apts. It's a great place to start.
Best of luck to everyone - feel free to PM w/?'s.
I've had a very similar experience, but I went the leasing office route. This was much needed good post.
Another tip I can offer through my experience: even if you use brokers, don't rely on public broker websites that show apartment listings, like Bondnewyork. I'm pretty sure that most of their listings are fake, and my experience involved a broker posting a really unbelievable apartment to draw us to the Bondnewyork agency, then when we arrived to see it, claiming someone had posted an application on it the previous day that was just accepted, even though I had spoken to the broker the previous evening to confirm our visit. The Bond broker then tried to sell us apartments that were well above our price range, and basically ignored our desired requirements.
The apartment we're looking at now is one we found through Craig's List, and it is not through a broker but the tenants themselves. I won't say never use a broker, but I will say that Craig's List is an excellent resource, and it's not a bad idea to exhaust Craig's List before going to brokers.
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