How to Find Apartments in New York City

Brooklyn is the fastest-growing of New York’s boroughs. It’s already the most populous, and that’s unlikely to change. The influx of young artists and professionals has made it a hot destination for those who want to enjoy New York life without overpaying.

Brooklyn’s growth, history, and remarkable diversity have resulted in a grouping of distinct neighborhoods. From the Kosher delights of Borough Park to Dyker Heights’ pizzerias, each Brooklyn neighborhood has its own unique virtues.

But there’s more than just cuisine at stake. The right neighborhood, with its vibe and tempo, can fit your own lifestyle in a way that makes you feel at home on the street. Rapid Realty’s website has a helpful map of the major neighborhoods and, below, you’ll see video guides to two of them (keep checking the site for more videos to come).

RAPID READ: Being in the right neighborhood can make the difference between a good apartment and a great one.

In customer service, everybody ends up playing the expectations game. Customers go in expecting one thing or another, based on recommendations from friends or the promises of advertising. If the experience is less than they imagined, they’re displeased and very vocal in their displeasure. If they are pleasantly surprised, it enhances the whole experience.

This is why it’s important for businesses to clearly define themselves to customers. Rapid Realty’s website helpfully outlines all their services and fees, and anything you can’t find on the site can be discussed with an agent.

When apartment hunters decide to use Rapid Realty as their broker, they don’t pay a dime. And if Rapid finds them a rental and gets them approved, if the apartment is a no-fee apartment, it still costs the renter nothing, except for the small credit check fee.

Brokers are essentially middlemen, matching the right tenant with the right landlord. Customers who understand this relationship value the broker’s speed and thoroughness in finding the right apartment. The broker then gets out of the way and moves on to the next client.

Rapid Realty finds people great apartments, and they do it quickly. That’s what they promise and that’s what they deliver. How many services are that straightforward?
RAPID READ: Know what you’re getting when you use a broker.

Is there a more misunderstood person than the landlord? Just like the innocent taxman, the landlord is at the receiving end of endless criticism. A recent New York transplant named Alex submitted this anecdote:

I live in an old creaky steam-heated apartment that is either freezing or, when they turn on the heater, boiling hot. There is no middle ground. So when I asked the landlord how to turn down the heater because it was roasting my head when it came on at 2am, he walked over to the window, opened it and said, “Here’s how you toin it down, alright?”

It doesn’t have to be this way. Numerous websites have sprung up, promising a system of rating landlords in various cities. But the best way to find a good landlord is to go with a good broker.

Brokers like Rapid Realty have relationships with landlords all over the city. Rapid’s extensive knowledge of New York apartments includes knowledge of the best and most reliable landlords. Rapid agents spend a lot of time talking to landlords, and they know which ones are trustworthy and care about their properties.

Brokers act as a go-between to connect eager renters with eager owners. And the whole thing goes a lot more smoothly when all sides are doing what’s right and what works for everyone. Rapid’s experience of service to landlords has made for good connections over the years.

So tenants, say something nice to your landlord today. And landlords, do the same to your loyal renters. It’s a mutually beneficial relationship, and there’s no reason it can’t be friendly, even when the heater is way too hot.

RAPID READ: Landlords and tenants are in it together, and cooperation brings the best results.

If a certain fast food giant hadn’t already snatched it up, “Have It Your Way” would be a great slogan for a real estate broker. So many people go out apartment hunting in New York without a clear idea of what they’re looking for. People who wander into a crowded marketplace without a shopping list are open to suggestion by slick sales pitches.

If you don’t know what kind of apartment you want, you’re not going to get it. Choices are infamously limited when it comes to New York apartments, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have some preferences in mind. There is lots of advice out there, but ultimately, it’s your decision.

The graph below lists a few main features of any apartment. For each one, check how important that feature is to you. Remember, something can seem important, but it might not be important enough to be a dealbreaker on any one apartment. Think about what really matters to you personally.

Making your priorities clear won’t just be helpful to you, it can be helpful to your broker, too. Your Rapid Realty agent won’t just show you the first apartment that comes along, rather, all the rentals that match your needs.

Some of the items on the list may require some research on your part (like “Neighborhood“). If you’re not sure about something, ask your Rapid agent. Remember, they don’t get paid unless they find you an apartment you love, so they want you to be happy with what they find. Having it your way never tasted better.

RAPID READ: Ask yourself what’s really important in an apartment.

Most people avoid paying for things if they can. Consider the popularity of totallyfreestuff.com, or Craigslist’s “Free Stuff” section. Goods or services we don’t have to pay for have a gravitational pull on us capitalists. It’s only natural to want to find the best deal.

This is why the phrase “no fee apartment” has become ubiquitous in the world of New York rentals. It’s enticing, the idea of not paying a fee. Certainly better than the alternative, most assume. They’re often right. But this often leads to a misunderstanding of exactly what a no fee apartment is.

If you use a broker to find an apartment, there will always be a fee. A “no fee” apartment is a rental where the landlord pays the fee for the tenant. Landlords are willing to pay the fee because they realize that tenants would much rather not pay it, and the apartment will rent more quickly.

Sometimes landlords choose not to pay the fee. They know that in the urban jungle, space is at a premium, and their vacancies will often be filled anyway. A renter might fall in love with what’s called a “low fee apartment”, where the fee is only a month’s rent, and decide it is more than worth it.

Using a broker like Rapid Realty gives the renter options. Rapid’s database features only no fee and low fee apartments. Many renters decide that the apartment of their dreams is in fact worth a small fee upfront. Some find a no fee apartment they are thrilled with, and the lack of a fee is icing on the cake.

Landlords also have a choice: charge a fee and potentially scare away some more frugal renters, or pay the fee to the broker and start collecting rent from a new tenant sooner. Working with a widely-used broker like Rapid Realty provides that option.

RAPID READ: “No-fee apartments” save tenants money and save landlords a hassle.

New York apartment hunting. If the phrase doesn’t send an arctic chill down your backbone, you’re much stronger than the rest of us. Finding an apartment in New York City is a notorious hassle; a frenzied needle-in-a-haystack misadventure so wearying you might actually hear yourself utter phrases like, “Well, I guess I don’t really need a sink…”

You do. Even in the face of this potential frustration, there’s no need to settle for less than you really want. Renters looking for a silver lining in our wobbling economy need only look to New York’s apartment vacancy rate. Historically sky-high, it has taken a dip in the last year. Bottom line, there are more apartments up for grabs than in years past.

(Granted, the number of vacant New York apartments decreased slightly at summer’s end, though this is a common seasonal occurrence. Generally, if you are looking to rent an apartment in New York, now is a good time.)

But there is the matter of the actual searching. Most people don’t have the kind of connections that can get them into an apartment anywhere they want at any price, so they have to be more proactive. This initiative takes many forms, but one popular route is to contact a broker.

Rapid Realty, the fastest-growing New York brokerage firm, has an extensive database with the best selection of no fee apartments you’ll find. Using it is one way you can simplify the process for yourself. Its simplicity is its greatest virtue: you tell Rapid what you want, and they do the legwork. They’ll show you all the apartments that match your specifications, and if for some reason the perfect rental can’t be found, Rapid doesn’t get paid.

So it’s fair to say that a good broker’s objective is the same as every renter’s: find the best apartment, find it fast, and get the tenant approved.

Don’t let the apartment hunt be a drag. Think of it as a chance to start over and reconsider what’s important to you.. And don’t think you have to do it alone.

RAPID READ: Using a broker like Rapid Realty saves time and money if you’re looking for an apartment.

Information is power, and the Internet has the potential to arm every one of us with the tools we need to navigate a complex world. It’s striking to realize just how integral it’s become to our everyday lives. There’s an online solution for any conundrum. Where to eat? Where to work? What do they call that little indent above your upper lip?

Some problems are more tricky than others. But nothing tops the pull-out-your-hair, exasperating complexity of finding a place to live in New York City.

You’d think such a basic human need would be easier to fill. But the trouble with living in Greatest City in the World is that everybody knows it’s the Greatest City in the World. And you’re competing with them in this crowded real estate market. So many hats, so few hangers.

Rapid Realty is here to help you find an apartment in New York. We cut the stress from an often stressful process. Our selection of no fee apartments and low fee apartments is unmatched, as is our dedication to getting you into the rental that best suits your needs and desires. This blog is a source for information on New York apartments, rental trends, moving to New York, and what to do once you get here.

We’re new to blogging, but not to New York apartment hunting. Stick around to see what Rapid Realty can do for you.

RAPID READ: Rapid Realty blog is the best way to find news on New York rentals.