A broker is a licensed professional that works for people looking for a home, whether renting or buying.
Housing transactions can be quite complex and leave people legally susceptible to harm, so brokers can step in to use their experience to avoid any of that.
A broker is not required to rent an apartment. In fact, most rental transactions take place without a middleman. You might be asking then, "Why do rental brokers even exist?"
There are some specialized cases where rental brokers are very important. Brokers are mainly utilized for rentals in markets where the demand for apartments is very competitive and where it can be hard to find the right apartment. Usually, these markets are large cities like New York City or Los Angeles.
There are some pros and cons to working with a broker to find your perfect rental.
If you decide to work with a broker, it's important that you know how to find one. The first step to finding a broker to is to ask for recommendations from friends, family members or coworkers.
If that fails, you can always do a quick internet search for rental brokers in your city.
Timothy Harris is a freelance writer based in Albuquerque. He brings a professional background in event marketing, residential real estate and journalism to the table to provide useful and relevant content for the modern renter. Timothy has previously written content for Karsten & Associates in New Mexico and Up 'til Dawn, a philanthropic fundraiser that benefits St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.