A Rental Tour Experience

Securing a rental anywhere is extremely stressful. There are many components that go into finding a new home and trusting the experts in the area to lead you the right way. There are questions you need to ask, things you need to be aware of, and papers that will eventually need signed. And from my experience, that is why working with a local agent is so important in being successful.

My tour expert went above and beyond in helping me look for a rental so that it was the right place for me. She called within 12 hours of being assigned to me, to introduce herself and answered my preliminary questions about the rental market. During the week before the tour, she researched all sources to find options that met any and all of my criteria.

I was picked up the day of my tour, so she could drive while I had the chance to ask more questions. She also gave me a Journey Plan. The Journey Plan includes a map of the properties we would be visiting in order from the furthest of our starting point to the closest. The Journey Plan also includes demographics of the area and any helpful information of where the closest shopping, entertainment, restaurants and businesses are that may be of interest to me.

During the tour, the agent tries to spend no more than 10-15 minutes at each property. While I was looking at each property, my rental expert made notes of any flaws she noticed. She tracked them on a touring checklist for future reference. Anything that may be a future concern, she also noted. She used her own personal phone to take pictures. At the end of the tour, she asked me to grade the property 1-10, explaining that this would force me to prioritize what is most important to me.

Once we visited all of the properties, she helped me go back through the list and asked me what differentiated each property. For example, what was it that made one property an 8 vs a 10? She went over all the properties using the check list and pictures to help me narrow down which ones I really liked the best. Time allowed on my tour for me to visit my top choice one more time. This gave me one more time to look around to make sure that the space would fit my furniture including my bedroom bed laptop table!

She then told me what was needed to apply at the property of my choice. This included any information that I need to fill out the application and where to submit it. She also checked in with the landlord periodically to make sure they didn’t have any questions and to insure that the application process was going smoothly.

Once I was approved, she offered to go through the lease just to make sure everything is customary. She explained that she is not a legal professional, but she has been in the business long enough to see verbiage that may raise a red flag. Once she finished looking over the lease, she sent it back to me with any recommendations and let me know it’s my final decision. She encouraged me to reread the lease one more time before signing.

She even called me after I moved to make sure that everything is going well after my move and that I loved my new home! It was a great experience that truly helped me make a better, more informed decision—with peace of mind knowing I am in the right place!