Apartment Finders Offer The Best Apartment Finding Website Experience

So you're looking to move? If you've been in the apartment market recently you know that the variety of options for finding an apartment can be very daunting. Us modern renters are faced with a myriad of websites, apps, social media accounts, and advertising all vying for our attention. We sat down with one of the country's longest running and best apartment finders, Apartment Experts in Austin, TX, to see what makes a good apartment finding website.

We interviewed Chip Parker, Regional Manager for Apartment Experts, who oversees 6 offices and more than 150 apartment finders in the Austin area. According to Chip, Apartment Experts’ apartment finders frequently encounter renters that are confused, frustrated and overwhelmed by the choices in front of them. He claims it's because '"many of what people consider the 'best' apartment finding websites and apps, like Zillow, Hotpads, Rentals.com and Zumper, really provide on a small amount of information on the property and require A LOT of time invested by the renter in performing their apartment search."

Surprised? Us, too. Browsing those apartment finding websites brings you to millions of apartments in thousands of cities across the country, BUT, do they really contain all the information you personally need to make a decision on the best possible apartment for you? Most Apartment Finders would say the answer is a resounding 'No!’ Here’s why...

While listing-based sites provide images, location and rent; of these, even the very best apartment finding websites are still limited in the amount of data they have per property. For example:

-Rent specials are almost never listed on these types of sites even though they are frequently available.

-Pet Policies including breed, weight and count restrictions, pet rent and pet deposits, are rarely available on the best apartment finding websites even though a full 72% of renters own pets according to the Humane Society.*

-Important property and unit features like yards, attached garages, storage and elevators are not searchable on most apartment finding websites or apps.

-Special needs items like first floor units, ADA compliant apartments, and more, are frequently not searchable either.

-Qualification criteria like income requirements, credit requirements, and criminal background requirements are almost never shown on listing-based apartment finding websites even though they are critical to be approved.

According to Apartment Experts, most renters end up with an apartment finder after having invested days searching on one or more apartment finding websites. While these websites and apps give renters a basic idea of what apartments are available in their price range and in the locations they want, they fail to answer the many nuisance questions that are important to your rental decision. They also require a substantial amount of work for you as the renter to not only search for apartments, but also to reach out to all the apartments that interest you to see if:

- you qualify,

- if the apartment will take your pets,

- if they have a unit available for your move-date, 

-if they have a unit that meets all your specific needs, etc...

Most importantly, you as the renter also have to confirm:

-Pricing

-Availability

-Specials

Chip says these last three are critical in that they change daily, especially in high-demand apartment markets like Austin.

In contrast, Apartment Finder websites like apartmentexperts.com, only require you to fill out one form, usually taking about 30 seconds, and the apartment finder takes over from there. On these types of apartment finding websites you can list absolutely everything and anything you need or want in the form. Apartment Finders have access to a much more sophisticated rental database than even the best apartment finding websites available to the public. They can quickly find all the appropriate rental options for even the most complex renter requirements.

Savvy renters have learned this, too. In rental markets like Austin they are using apartment finders in record numbers. Compared with 2019, Apartment Experts reported increases of up to 21% in their apartment search requests month over month despite pandemic-related constraints.

If you're concerned about needing to meet with an apartment finder in person, you need not worry. For everyone’s safety, right now the best apartment finders are offering fully virtual appointments and online apartment tours, as well as one-on-one appointments. In many markets the cost is also not a concern. The majority of apartment finders across the US offer their service free to renters, and can often save you money on your apartment through rent specials or other incentives. According to Chip, “All reputable apartment finders in Au

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Created on Nov 17th 2020 13:36. Viewed 538 times.

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