Leasing an apartment, condo or home is traditionally far less difficult than buying one, which is why many renters choose to do it solo. So, the question must be asked: why should you use a real estate agent if you’re looking to rent?
To answer that, we will actually take the rare opportunity to flip the questions back YOUR way… (Which might be a first for this series!)
Does your location call for it?
Hey, if you’re planning to live in the heart of a major city’s downtown core, having a professional on hand would be quite helpful. And in a competitive market like the 6ix, a real estate agent is vital in helping you get appointments to tour available spaces. Simple as that.
Are you relocating to a new city?
If you’re someone admittedly unfamiliar with the layout of a city and its neighbourhoods, it’d no doubt be a big-time advantage to acquire the services of a professional who spends their days scouring about the town for available properties.
Are you too busy and unable to look yourself?
To be quite certain, enlisting the help of an agent can eradicate that time crunch you’ve been struggling with — no matter if you have a lot of important meetings, or even if you can’t make it to your next city until your move date.
Considering renting a single-family home?
Single-family home rentals can be a heck of a lot harder to schedule tours for, let alone even finding listings! Good luck going it alone. On the flip side, a real estate agent has access to MLS and will know the houses for rent. More importantly, they should be able to provide you access in a timely and efficient manner.
Been having trouble scheduling tours?
If calls or emails to a property manager go unanswered, or you make it to the leasing office just after closing, it’s a real estate agent’s job to make that connection for you. With an agent representing you, it might be possible to schedule an after-hours showing or ensure the property manager knows you’re serious about your inquiry.
Simply put, by enlisting the help of a real estate agent, you not only get all the benefits available to a homebuyer, but their professional experience and local knowledge on your side, in addition to a better understanding of your budgetary constraints.
And, oh yeah — it doesn’t cost you a nickel! The agent’s commission is paid by the landlord, not you, which is a BIG time win!
