Essentially, Fair Housing aims to provide equal access to housing for all groups of people and safeguard from discrimination. But even with the good it does, it can be frustrating for prospective homebuyers who get tight-lipped answers from agents.
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Category Archives: What is a Leasing Agent
What Can an Agent Discuss With You Legally?
Your real estate agent and/or leasing agent can’t talk demographics, schools or crime, but there are ways to voice your needs and wants in ways that don’t violate fair housing laws.
Many people like to ask, “Is this a good neighborhood?” But don’t expect a straight answer.
Certain details about a neighborhood or community can violate the Fair Housing Act, which was enacted in 1968 to eliminate housing discrimination. The law protects against discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability or family status. In particular, it prohibits any real estate professional from steering prospective homebuyers or renters toward or away from a community based on any of the classes under federal protection.
Voicing an opinion about a neighborhood, even done unconsciously, can violate the law. For example, an agent might say, “This neighborhood is great for young families.” The comment implies the neighborhood demographic consists of parents and kids. Unmarried individuals or older couples may be inclined to pass on a house because they feel the neighborhood doesn’t cater to their lifestyle. If that was the case, the agent would be violating fair housing laws.
I encourage clients to use sites like Walk Score or Crime Reports to find certain types of information. The internet holds a wealth of knowledge and date – but you have to sift through it and determine how it best serves you and your needs.
Parts of this article came from Real Estate.US News
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At SPACES Real Estate we have the biggest inventory in the city! More than 100 different landlords and property managers and about 2000 apartments! I can show you almost any apartment on the market. Just give me an address of anything you find, and I will coordinate a showing for you! You do not need to call different agents to see different apartments. You need one good agent; ME!
I am a “leasing consultant/renter’s agent”. I work for YOU.
My job: It is my job to find you the best apartment in the city that fits your criteria! I am paid commission by the landlord (a portion of your first months rent) so there is no cost accrued by you!
Some people like playing the field—at least when it comes to real estate agents. These folks believe you’ll cover far more ground if multiple agents are looking for your next home. Not true. If you work with more than one leasing agent, chances are none of them will put forth much effort because you may rent through another agent. This job is 100% commission. An agent will work harder for you when they know they will eventually get paid for their efforts.
I will invest several hours of my time helping you, free of charge, doing research and scanning databases, selecting properties, making phone calls and arranging the showings, gathering the keys, taking you out and showing you several apartments.
Exclusivity. Give me 1 week. I ask that you do not work with any other agents. Trust me, exclusivity is in YOUR best interest. You do not need to call 5 agents to see apartments. 5 different agents showing you 1-2 apartments each, are not doing their best job for you. Would you hire 5 people to cut your hair? 5 different people to paint your apartment? ‘Exclusivity means I will put in the time to do thorough work for you, but you must trust in my process.
Michael Love / SPACES Real Estate
Let’s find YOU a Space you LOVE!
Call Michael “LOVE” Snell
773-206-8359
Apartment Leasing Specialist / Renter’s Agent
Spaces Real Estate
3223 N Sheffield, Suite C, Chicago 60657
What Does An Apartment Leasing Agent Do?
AND HOW CAN AN APARTMENT LEASING AGENT HELP YOU
Do I need an Apartment Leasing Agent to help me find my perfect space? Absolutely.
Apartment Leasing agents work with property owners to find good tenants for their buildings. Apartment Leasing Agents match apartments and people after determining their specific, individual wants and needs for the property and their desired location. It’s like a matchmaker!
It’s my job as an Apartment Leasing Agent to help you find the perfect apartment to call home. Using my knowledge of available apartment inventories, markets and neighborhood locations, I help match prospective tenants with available units. It’s FREE expert advice and service to the renter.
Believe it or not, there are plenty of people who love to go out and compare apartments and have no desire to rent an apartment. They just want to go look and see what’s out there. These people should call the building or call the landlord directly to see a property. No one likes to work for FREE. We do not get paid anything to show apartments.
I love to travel. Someone called me recently asking for advice about traveling from the US to Budapest. While I have been there once, I am certainly no expert. Right away, I told them to call my travel agent. The caller was shocked. He asked, “You don’t book your own trips online?” – “Absolutely not! I said! My agent knows how to find me deals and saves me money!” I replied.
Many people think booking their own trips can save them money. Possibly. But probably not. Also if you are visiting a place for the first time, wouldn’t you want some advice and guidance? The same can be true for apartment hunting.
When the internet exploded (1998-2001), many travelers went out on their own, searching, looking for deals and bargains, booking things themselves – I never understood that. Why would I want to spend HOURS doing all the work – when a travel professional probably knows most of the answers! TO THIS DAY, Googlers think they can do best, searching on their own.
The same holds true for apartment or house hunting. Why wouldn’t you use an expert for FREE?
I AM NOT A PUSHY SALESPERSON!
On the contrary; I am not selling anything! My job is to work with you to find you an apartment. If I do my job right, I get a commission from the landlord.
When someone calls me about an apartment for rent, they no doubt have called SEVERAL agents about several apartments. I get it. It’s the age we live in. I meet clients all the time, that are working with 3-4 or more! different agents and independent landlords! WHY? Work with ONE AGENT, who can show you everything! (or at least almost everything). Then after you have exhausted all the possible apartments with an agent and you want to switch agents or look on your own, do so.
SPACES Real Estate has a huge inventory of properties we represent. One of the BIGGEST in the city. I have access to any unit that you see advertised with the SPACES logo on it. We have 2000-3000+ units at any given moment, all over the city. If you find anything online with our SPACES logo, let me know and we can schedule an appointment to see that as well. And if it does NOT have our logo, there is a good chance I can still get us into see it!
I DO NOT GET PAID TO SHOW APARTMENTS!
Some people think we get fee’s for every unit we show them. Not true. We get paid a finders fee, a commission, when we correctly match a renter with a landlord, and they sign a lease and move in.
I am here to represent and work with YOU! I am a consultant. I am a researcher. I am a renters agent. I work for you. I am not trying to sell you anything. I am here to help. My goal is to find you an apartment that meets your needs. My process is transparent and I am honest.
Why wouldn’t I be honest? I want to make you happy – and ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS! I want you to tell EVERYONE how great I am and how great SPACES Real Estate is! It is to my benefit to make you happy, to find you the perfect SPACE, and you TELL ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS how great I am and we are! I want to exceed your expectations and find you a great space to live!
There was an awesome show called NIP/TUCK, 2003-2010 on FX. The show was about plastic surgeons in Los Angeles, and they would ask clients, “Tell me what you don’t like about yourself.”
I tell all of my clients right off the back, “tell me what you like or dislike about this place, you will not hurt my feelings!” I need to understand what you LIKE and don’t LIKE about a place we are seeing.
Ask 10 people, what is the best pizza in Chicago?
You will probably get 10 different answers!
“Best”, “Favorite” …… are very subjective and vary person to person. What one person likes, another person may not like.
It helps me to better understand a clients needs when they are open and honest about what I am showing them. So I always ask them, “tell me what you think, on a scale from 1-10…..how would you rate this apartment?” That gives me a gauge on what works for them. You are not going to hurt my feelings if you hate it. Remember, I am here to help you wade through the market and find you a great space!
SPACES REAL ESTATE is a whole package. We work FOR YOU.
We have a support staff to help get you through the process.
I am a “renter’s agent”. I do not work for the landlord or management companies.
I work for YOU! To find YOU a perfect space to call “home”.
Michael “Love” Snell – LOVE YOUR SPACE! 773-206-8359
How SPACES is Changing The Game Of Real Estate
At Spaces, we measure our performance by a single metric: service.
Fueled by our shared quest for excellence, Spaces’ team of experienced, engaged brokers work alongside top-notch real estate professionals to provide you with a full package of services and products to ensure that all of your property needs are met. Our customer-first approach is backed by the very latest in industry-leading tech, innovative marketing solutions, and data-driven, real-time metrics that provide with all of the tools and resources you’ll need to be successful in a frequently shifting real estate market.
Since 2010, our commitment to remaining locally-owned and fiercely independent to better meet our clients’ needs has been the cornerstone of our success—and with our brand new 2,300 square foot office space now open in the heart of Lakeview… we’re just getting started.
CELL: 773.206.8359 | OFFICE: 773.525.6570
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IMPORTANT INFORMATION –
The landlords we were work with are looking for tenants that have 650+ credit scores and bring in a combined gross monthly income that’s at least 3 times the rent amount for the apartment you might be considering. Do you meet those requirements? If not, will you be able to provide a co-signer? They will also run a background check on the potential renter(s). Everyone living in the unit over 18 years old needs to be on the lease. Please discuss all of this with your agent, BEFORE you begin looking at apartments.
