Searching for a DC apartment can be challenging and frustrating. Luckily, you can enlist the help of a real estate agent to navigate through the process. We asked a few of our agents to share with us the advice they give the renters they work with.
Rental prices can change daily in managed apartment buildings. The pricing is based on the vacancy rate and is often automatically adjusted with rent optimizer algorithms. Just because you saw something on a website last week at one price doesn’t mean that same price is available now.
Most rental agents won’t show you a dozen units. Just as your time is valuable, so is theirs. If they’ve shown you four units within your criteria, you’re in pretty good shape. At that point, you should make a decision on the area and building you like best, as many DC apartments look similar and offer similar features. Seeing 10 more of the same category of apartments likely won’t make your decision any easier — in fact, it may make you more frustrated and confused.
Agents can’t tell you everything. The Fair Housing Act prohibits agents from giving you specifics about demographics of a neighborhood or building. So they can’t answer questions like, “Are there young professionals in this building?” Don’t hold that against them, as they’re just trying to keep the playing field fair for all.
Give them all the details. If you’re going to need a co-signer for your apartment, let the agent know. Not all properties will accept co-signers. You don’t want them to waste your time showing you a unit if it isn’t going to work for you. If you have a dog, be sure to mention that in the first conversation. Many properties don’t allow pets or the landlord charges a fee or pet rent. The agent will need to factor that in when selecting units for you. If you need to be close to the Metro, let them know and let them know what close means to you. Every person is different. Tell them a little about yourself, what you enjoy doing, what type of food you like and where you work. Every little bit of information helps them find you a great apartment.
