Thursday, July 29, 2010

No Fee? No More?

The end of the no fee season is back upon us. There has been a major shift in the rental market here. With rents rising once again, owners and managements paying a month's rent towards the broker's fee are few and far between. Properties with solid location are in short supply and the demand is high. If you are looking for a "no fee" apartment in this city over the next two months, you may as well go and take the course for your real estate license. At least then, you will have access to the proper databases to search efficiently. Properly priced apartments are renting within a day of hitting the market, if they even make it to the market right now!

The one month "OP" (owner paid) commission rate is going to be a last resort for properties that are not renovated, in fringe areas or are sitting on the market for too long for various other reasons. The best priced, good quality, spacious and prime location properties will be offered and able to be secured through a broker in this market. I have seen this trend for the past five years with the rental market here. Usually this happens earlier in the year around the spring rush. The fact that it is happening so late in the rental season this year, indicates that this may be a cold winter for renters. Traditionally, this is the time of year where the "OP's" begin to appear. To see them disappearing is a sign that the "no fee" market may be crashing for a long period.

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