Using A Realtor® to Find an Apartment Will Change Your Life

The greater Houston area is huge, and with all the annexations, the sprawl is overwhelming. The whole city is a whopping 627 square miles, for crying out loud! This amounts to thousands of apartment communities, not to mention the selection of homes, townhouses, condos and other privately owned rental options. Whether you are a local or new to the area, using a Realtor® to find an apartment will change your life.

Our job is to get to know you and what is important in your home search to narrow down those thousands of choices to a short list of communities for you to tour and choose from. A Realtor® does all the research and phone calls for you; so, your time is left open for you to do whatever it is you do during the day: Hulu, Facebook, YouTube, or…for a few of you, work:) Even though, we save you a boat load of time, the service is also free! Yep, that’s right! In Texas, Realtor® fees are paid by the seller or owner in a transaction, not the buyer or tenant. 

So, you’re probably wondering, how does this all work? How do I get started? What do I need to do? Well, I love organization, outlines and steps; so, here are my 5 steps to finding an apartment in Houston with a Realtor®.

1. Find a Realtor® that you trust!

You want to make sure to select a Realtor®, not a real estate agent, apartment finder or apartment locator. A Realtor® is a member of HAR, TAR and NAR and has access to the MLS in the event you decide that a home or condo is more your speed. A Realtor® is a full service, one-stop-shop kind of agent. The others will have to refer you out if you need help with anything more than an apartment.

2. Set a time to chat.

Your Realtor® is going to be much better at matching you with great apartments if you find time to talk to them about yourself and your needs. We want to know what makes you tick! We need to know what you do for fun, how far away your office is, how many furbabies are in your household and if you prefer to binge eat fried chicken or run a marathon. We also need to know what you need in your home. Some people absolutely have to have a washer and dryer in the unit, but others can sacrifice that for a stunning skyline view. We know you are busy; so, we don’t have to meet in person. We can set up a time to chat on the phone or if you’re really, really busy, you can just draft up a lengthy email. The longer, the better!

3. Narrow down the initial list.

Your Realtor® will put together a list of communities that initially seem to fit your needs based on the information that you have provided. This list will vary in size depending on how specific or general your needs are. It’s up to you to review the photos and details provided to rule out any that just don’t seem to appeal to you, and make a short list of your favorites. Once you have a short list, your Realtor will arrange appointments for you to tour each community.

4. Tour communities.

This is the only part we probably shouldn’t do for you! I mean, we could, but do you really want to miss out on the fun part?:) Your Realtor has registered you with the communities on your short list and scheduled appointments for a day of touring. It’s beneficial to tour as many as you can in one day as Houston uses dynamic pricing and changes daily. If you tour everything in one day, you have the evening to build your pro/con list and make a decision before the rates change. You simply have to show up at your appointments, ask for the on-site agent, and let them know you were sent by your Realtor®. They should already be familiar with your needs and be ready to show you their community. If your schedules line up, your Realtor® can join you on the tours. They’ll point out their favorite attributes of the communities, places to check out in the neighborhood, and you’ll make a friend! If you’re out of town and leasing site-unseen, I will tour on your behalf!

5. Submit your application.

Once you’ve reviewed all your notes after you finish touring, it’s time for you to submit your application. For most communities, this can be done online. In addition to the application form, you’ll also need to provide proof of income and pay your fees (application, administrative and deposit.) Also, this is the part where you thank your Realtor® for all their hard work by listing their name on your application as your referral source. As long as you do this little thing, the owner of the property compensates them for providing them a qualified tenant. 

CONGRATULATIONS! You have a new home and you hardly had to do any work! At this point in time, all you need to do is hire movers, turn on your utilities and move into your new home. If you need recommendations for any of these services or hot spots in your new neighborhood, your Realtor® can help with that too! I told you, we’re full service agents ready to assist in any way that we can:)

For all your housing needs, to rent, buy or sell, reach out to me any time, day or night at 832-513-9931!