It's the beginning of the rental season!

It seems to me that it was just January and already Memorial Day weekend is over. This is the beginning of the rental season in New York City. It means lots of requests for helping people find apartments. It means a lot of people who've never rented before like newly graduated folks hoping to find a 2 bedroom apartment in Manhattan for $2,000/mo. Yes. It means a lot of insane and unrealistic expectations. All of which I have to field carefully. 

A woman I was helping via AptStar just signed her new lease last Thursday. She spent the weekend packing. It's unusual to accept a client mid-month and have them ready with their paperwork and out to see apartments. In her case there was only one apartment that seemed perfect. And it was. Renting it with my AptStar saved her $4,300 in broker fees. 

People who call about AptStar ask me the same question all the time "How many apartments will you send me?" I always chuckle because it really only takes one. Apartment hunters have been hypnotized to believe the way to apartment hunting is paved with bad apartments and bad brokers with bad manners. And it is. But that's not the way I do things and so when I reply and say "You're only going to get 3 or 4 apartments and maybe you'll only get one -- they're usually stymied. 

"How can you do that, send me only four apartments at best?" 

And really what they don't know is fine. They don't know that I comb through all appropriate listings with a fine tooth comb. Meticulously. So when I choose from the long list of apartments they don't have to bother seeing because these apartments are flawed in some way -- either the apartment is in a horrible building with multiple issues or its owned by a known slumlord -- and I give them the 3 or 4 the morning of their 'go see' day -- these are the absolute best apartments in the city at the time of any specific search. 

What appears to all of my clients is that it's easy. It's not. The CEO of Levitz Furniture (a while ago) received one apartment. It met all his criteria. He went to see it. Applied for it. Got accepted on the spot. After he signed the lease (the next day) he says to me "You should charge me half. It was only one apartment." To which I replied "I should charge you twice, it was only one apartment, it's perfect, and I saved you $7,250 in broker fees." 

Sometimes, even now, what some people say still surprises me. 

But that's the nature of being human. It doesn't matter that I have been at this for close to 12 years. There are always a handful of clients who say things that stun me. At least momentarily. 

Like that CEO or the girl who just signed her lease this past Thursday. After the lease signing she declares "Oh so now I need a roommate." 

It's not that she wants to pay more for my service -- my time is money -- and my time is what I sell -- along with years and years of experience. She now wants more. 

For free. 

It's a little draining at times. 

But it is understandable. I don't think I'd do the same thing. Want more constantly. 

Any time something like this happens at some point I find myself thinking "Oh, I get it, this person sees the value of my expertise and of course they want more." 

I've got to figure out a way to either add an 'opt in' for more services after AptStar ends or charge more for AptStar. 

But anyway folks, beginning Memorial Day weekend, rental season officially moves into high gear, and I'm ready! 

Love, 

Kirby