According to unofficial statistics, rent a living space inthe capital can be an average of 4 days, and in fact the search for a rented apartment that would meet all the requirements takes weeks and sometimes months. Many do not have such time and turn to agencies that promise to find the perfect apartment almost the same day. How to avoid mistakes, choose a reliable company that can actually fulfill a promise, and not fall for the bait of black brokers and dishonest owners - in our material.
Photo: a frame from the film “What to expect when you expect a child”
Search in the right places
Самое простое и, пожалуй, надежное – снять an apartment from relatives, acquaintances or people whose decent reputation can be confirmed by one of your friends. Therefore, first of all, inquire whether your loved ones rent out an apartment. If your circle does not have free living space that they plan to rent out, then try another option. For example, post on social networks - virtual "word of mouth" works even faster and more effectively than offline, and you do not care that the owner of your potential apartment is also your best friend. Even if a random acquaintance from an exhibition last month recommends a realtor to you, this will already give some guarantees. Free sites - ad aggregators can also help in the search, but be careful. Well-known sites receive money for each ad, do not control the appearance of duplicates of the same apartments and can, without knowing it, post content from scammers. If you decide to contact an agency, remember that most of them work "on behalf of the owner", that is, they have a database of owners who rent out their apartments. When you ask to find a place to live, you will most likely be offered an apartment that is currently empty and only roughly meets your requirements. And since agencies also receive a percentage of the cost of the apartment, they will try to find you the most expensive option. In order not to overpay, you can find a company that takes a fixed amount when signing a contract.
Rate agent by phone
Dishonest realtors are very inventive,therefore, when communicating with agencies, be extremely careful. In the very first telephone conversation, ask all clarifying questions. For example, how many minutes to walk from the apartment to the metro. If the words of the interlocutor differ greatly from the data on the online map, be wary. If the person on the other end of the line does not know such details, then perhaps he has never been to that apartment or posted a fake ad to get your personal data and then resell it.
Arrange a confrontation
Having agreed to meet with the agent in person,the owner of the apartment or both at once, pay attention to all the details, including the appearance and adequacy of the interlocutors. For example, tattoos on the hands can indicate not only that their owner likes to visit tattoo parlors, but also less attractive pages in the biography. Assess the degree of interest of the interlocutors, as well as their readiness for dialogue and compromise.
