Many real estate agents will gladly represent a renter searching for his or her next place to lease – Are you working with a rental real estate agent who’s familiar with rentals in your target area. That’s how we found our first rental house. The agent showed us the rental, we learned the price, made an offer, and the agent presented the offer to the owner. We loved the house and lived there for four years.
Are You Working with a Rental Real Estate Agent?
Brokers know the local real estate market and have their pulse on new listings. Real estate agents are useful when renting from small investors. Large apartment complexes are easy to find and tend to have fixed policies.
Renters can often save hundreds of dollars per month by renting from an individual landlord rather than a large leasing corporation, but they might need a well-connected agent to find these properties. In many ways, searching for small rental properties is more like looking for a home to buy.
Finding the right area is not the same as finding the right apartment complex. At an apartment complex, the management will always tell you which units are available now and which ones will be available soon. When renting from individuals, one often needs a rental real estate agent to help find a rental property.
Advantages of using a Renter Real Estate Agent
A real estate agent can be a powerful asset when negotiating terms with future landlords. When individual landlords are renting real estate, agents can sometimes convince them to allow pets for an additional fee or make changes in the lease.
Agents can also reduce up-front security deposits. Alternatively, they might get a prospective landlord to accept a larger security deposit if a renter does not have good credit. Agents might even be able to set up an arrangement for continuing to rent month to month at the end of a one-year lease.
Finding Rental Real Estate Agents
The easiest way to find a real estate agent who works with renters is to check local rental listings online or in your community newspaper. Keep an eye out for listings posted by real estate firms
Once you find a real estate agent who has posted a listing that appeals to you, get in touch by phone or email. Then, ask about the listing and if they know about similar listings. From there, you can have your agent set up showings for you.
As Realtor.com said recently, “Whether you’re buying, renting, or selling a home, you could benefit from working with an agent simply because the agent has market knowledge the average person lacks. An agent is particularly valuable if you’re moving to an unfamiliar neighborhood and need help finding communities where you might enjoy living.
Jane Perillo
2700 Kirkwood Highway
Newark, DE 19711
(302) 995-2535
(302) 995-2550 fax
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