When renting in big cities like Chicago, you inevitably experience the task of sifting through thousands of listings, most of which connect you to unresponsive landlords or are no longer available. If you’re lucky, you’ll stumble upon a random, well-priced gem, but that doesn’t tick all your boxes. Or, maybe you’ll meet a broker by random chance. They will probably rush you through a few properties and then pressures you to make a quick decision. (This behavior is one of the main reasons to avoid Chicago rental brokers).
And, once another year passes, you’ll find yourself in the same position again. This time, debating the lesser of two evils. Commit to another year in your sub-par apartment, or start the dreadful process over again. You might also find yourself thinking: “There has to be a better way!”
AptAmigo CEO, Dan Willenborg, faced this dilemma himself as a renter in Chicago. After wasting countless hours on listing sites, he sought guidance from a Chicago rental broker. But, rather than discovering his best living option, he discovered a majorly flawed system. Instead of stressing out, Willenborg acted on his newfound determination to create a solution the rental industry desperately needed. Fortunately, what manifested from this experience, an apartment review website that evolved into the apartment locating company AptAmigo, eliminates the vicious cycle of the renter’s struggle.
Building a Better Way to Apartment Hunt
There are plenty of reasons to avoid listing websites like Zillow or Craigslist. They take way too much time to search through. They look cluttered and provide unreliable results. They lack detailed information. And, although Chicago rental brokers do provide an alternative to these options, they offer an unsatisfactory answer to the problem.
Working with a team of locators at AptAmigo solves the major problems that plague the apartment hunting process. With access to an entire team, renters get more support than ever before. Whether they need advice on where to live or where to find two months of free rent, renters get one-on-one support from local apartment experts when choosing this route.
That said, here are the top 6 reasons to avoid Chicago rental brokers and instead work with a locator team:
1. Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
Conventional brokerages hire numerous agents, and each agent is solely responsible for their own clients. Consequently, a lot can fall through the cracks.
At AptAmigo, the saying “teamwork makes the dream work” rings true. In lieu of employing a group of individually operating jack-of-all-trade agents, we work as a team. Our division of labor provides the client with diversely specialized professionals, all contributing their best skill sets. Through collaboration, everyone on the team can focus on their role, hold each other accountable, and ensure no incomplete tasks slip through.
These contrasting business models highlight the difference between brokers and locators. The former labors in a cutthroat environment for personal gain, and the latter works in a community-oriented environment with a common goal. Locators will even tour a place for you virtually if you need to relocate to a new city and will provide you with personalized videos and information for each apartment building you consider.
Next: Read our tips for relocating in 7 days.
2. Access to Exclusive Technology
We weren’t happy with the other apartment websites, so we built our own from scratch. Our software revolutionizes rental real estate because the industry has used the same database (the Multiple Listing System or MLS) for decades. Only real estate agents can access the MLS, and the original appeal of using a broker came from their access to that database. But, with the internet now at people’s fingertips 24/7, websites like Zillow make accessing the MLS nonessential. Landlords can now bypass the MLS and list their own properties. Similarly, Chicago rental brokers use these websites as a third-party marketing tool to advertise properties in the MLS.
Sites along the line of Zillow, Hotpads, and ApartmentList took a great step toward a revolution, but come with their own drawback. In a space where anyone can post, there remains no way to verify a listing’s authenticity.
To combat this misinformation, we created a website that would deliver accurate information directly to renters. We accomplish this goal by downloading availability data directly from apartment communities and building personal relationships with leasing offices to keep concessions and rent deals up-to-date. Finally, and most importantly, our website provides a portal for clients to interact with apartment experts who care — truly pioneering the industry.
3. Transparency, Honesty, and Accurate Availability
Since the beginning, transparency has ranked at the top of our list of core values. We prioritize this value by posting exact pricing on specific units, which we update every few hours, leaving little room for confusion and eliminating one of the major headaches of traditional apartment search sites. This practice separates us from traditional Chicago rental brokers, who often do not have a reliable way to present information to clients. As result, Brokers leave room for important details to become lost in translation or even intentionally withheld. AptAmigo’s service allows clients to sign a lease out of confidence and satisfaction, rather than deceit.
4. Happy Clients Are the #1 Goal
Because traditional brokers foot their own expenses and balance both client-facing and admin tasks, they often spread themselves too thin. So, even if a broker is not inherently ill-willed, they work in a poor system that does not allow them to cater to their client first. Their top priority is ultimately to make a sale rather than find a good apartment match for their client.
The team-based system at AptAmigo enables our agents to prioritize client satisfaction above all else. This process removes any roadblocks as clients collaborate with their representative to hand pick buildings that fit their needs perfectly. Then, the hand-picked list is sent to the operations team, who coordinates with the buildings to schedule all of the tours. The client’s agent accompanies them to each property like a buy-sell real estate agent would, and the entire service is free for clients. By directing the focus to the client instead of the sale, everyone involved can collaborate and work honestly on the client’s search.
5. Support for Leasing Staff
AptAmigo’s model creates a space for building genuine relationships with each property’s leasing team. Because our locators spend so much time getting to know each client’s needs, we bring only interested and qualified clients to each community. This system provides relief for busy leasing staff, who no longer have to sort through hundreds of unqualified and uninterested leads. In turn, a mutually beneficial relationship develops where both teams schedule tours together and communicate on how to best serve clients.
Traditional brokers can’t establish strong B2B relationships that benefit clients because they lack the time and resources and, consequently, end up wasting a leasing agent’s time with less serious prospective renters. Thus, understanding the role that the leasing staff plays in creating happy clients not only on tours, but also for their whole lease term, improves the experience for everyone.
6. Rental Market Expertise
Ultimately, AptAmigo’s team possesses an unparalleled expertise over what one individual broker can attain. Clients receive a shared wealth of knowledge from our employees’ teamwork combined with an extensive up-to-date website. There simply is not enough time in one day for a single person to provide what a whole team can. So, contrary to what an individual, work-alone broker provides, we maintain an expansive understanding of the market in order to relay it back to clients. As a result, even other real estate professionals turn to AptAmigo for help finding their apartments.
Work with an AptAmigo Locator
Now you know what sets AptAmigo apart from Chicago rental brokers. Our team is committed to transparency, efficiency, and empathy, so let us take care of finding your next apartment.
