Whether you’re moving your business into a new city or changing apartments because your workplace has transferred you to another city, one thing is certain: you have to get a new place.
Usually, we don't always have much information about this new city. We either rely on what we find on the internet or what our friends tell us. This makes rental hunting really difficult. In most cases, we find ourselves relying on third-party rental agents or real estate apps. But from an economic standpoint, these are not always the best of options.
If you’ve ever been or think you'll ever be in this situation, then you need this guide more than anyone. Read on to find out what you can do to secure the best rental deal when shopping in a new city.
How to find rental properties anywhere in the world
1. Use the Nearindex platform
Our first advice is the
Nearindex search platform. As you well know, we live in a digital age where everything happens over the internet.
As far as your house hunting goes, nearindex is the fastest way to connect with
real estate agents near me. Irrespective of where you are in the world – USA, Canada, or Europe – this platform connects you with various rental businesses.
All you have to do is visit their website and enter your desired location. The platform will show you various rental opportunities that are open to you in that area. You’ll also see reviews from people who have worked with each realtor before. With that, you will have an idea of what to expect from a real estate agent.
2. Consult with friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family
As much as nearindex strives to help individuals and businesses looking for
commercial rental spaces, some areas are just too uncivilized for over-the-internet communications or transactions.
If you happen to be relocating to these areas, nearindex might be unable to help you. In that case, you'll need to rely on word-of-mouth recommendations.
The way to go is to speak with a friend, colleague, or neighbor who may know someone who knows someone residing in the area you’re headed. Usually, when you spread your wings far and wide like this, you’ll most likely find someone who has an answer to your problem.
Just don’t limit yourself. Ask as many people as possible. You never know who might have friends or ex-colleagues where you’re headed.
3. Speak with a local real estate agent
You’ll be surprised to know that a realtor working in the UK might have strong leads in the US, Canada, and other American countries.
Usually, real estate agents work with clients and colleagues from various parts of the world. As a result, many of them have a pretty solid network of leads.
When you're looking to rent a place in a foreign land, you should consider speaking with a local realtor in your immediate area. Chances are, they might have someone to connect you with. And if not, they might know someone who knows someone.
4. Use social media
Gone are the days when social media was left to fashion and lifestyle businesses only. Nowadays, even real estate businesses are leveraging social media to push their products into the faces of their audience.
If you’re looking for an apartment or an office space in a new area, all you have to do is join a relevant rental group on Facebook. If Facebook doesn’t feel like your thing, enter LinkedIn or Twitter and network with realtors. Even Instagram is crawling with realtors these days.
On Facebook, finding a property anywhere is as simple as making a post on a rental group and asking for leads. Of course, you’ll need to beware of scammers asking for pre-inspection payments of any sort. Alternatively, you can search the Facebook Marketplace for opportunities. Once in the Marketplace, click the ‘Categories’ tab to enter the ‘Rentals’ category and search for property offers.
5. Scour newspapers
I know a lot of us now rely on blogs, Twitter, and other digital publications as our news sources. But newspapers are still a thing. In fact,
according to recent studies, the estimated total daily newspaper circulation (print and digital combined) in 2020 was 24.3 million per weekday. That’s telling you that people still read newspapers or at least visit newspaper/media outlet websites.
As a result of that, many real estate agents, property owners, and listing platforms leverage newspapers to advertise their collections. Often, you'll find homes available for sale or properties available for rent in some of the biggest newspaper outlets in the country. Talk about New York Times, The Daily Press, The Guardian and Metro (in the UK), Forbes, and so on.
The point here is that scouring popular newspapers and magazines may not be a bad idea if you're looking for a rental property in a new city. Even if you don’t find the type of property you’re looking for, you may find a lead that points you in the right direction.
6. Take a short neighborhood tour
Nothing is stopping you from getting into your car and driving to the new city to check out rental opportunities. I know a lot of us prefer to do everything from the comfort of our homes. But this time, you may need to step out of your comfort zone a bit.
Moreover, since it’s an area you’ll be residing very soon, going out to check out the environment wouldn’t be a bad idea, would it?
When you drive around the new town, chances are you will find ‘House for Rent’ signs hanging somewhere. Besides those, you may also find real estate shops or offices somewhere down the road.
7. Talk to folks living in the area
While taking a tour around the neighborhood, make a stop at bars, restaurants, or any hotspot around. Once in, grab a bottle of drink and engage the waiter or anyone you feel might be interested in speaking with you.
The idea is to speak with them about the nature of the real estate industry in that area. Usually, someone who's living or working in an area will know about available spaces for rent in that area. And if they don't, they will know the best (and reputed) real estate agent to connect you with.
