How to Find a Real Estate Agent for Renting a House Near You
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When people think of hiring a real estate agent they usually associate that with buying or selling a house. But can realtors help you find rentals?
Yes! Real estate agents aren’t just for property owners. Realtors can also help you find rentals. Some real estate agents assist with renting properties such as houses, townhouses, condos, and commercial properties.
Real estate professionals, including brokers, play a key role in the business of real estate, which covers buying, selling, and renting properties.
Here we’ll cover how to find a realtor for a rental property and what you can expect to pay for this service. We’ll talk about renting houses, condos, townhomes, or even commercial properties. Both real estate agents and brokers can assist with rentals. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
Introduction to Rental Process
Navigating the rental process can feel overwhelming, whether you’re a property owner looking to lease your space or a prospective tenant searching for your next home. With so many rental listings and different neighborhoods to consider, it’s easy to get lost in the details. That’s where hiring a real estate agent or broker can make all the difference. Real estate professionals bring a wealth of knowledge about current market dynamics, helping both property owners and tenants understand the best strategies for success. By working with an experienced agent, you gain access to valuable insights about available properties, local market trends, and the steps involved in securing a rental. This guidance ensures that every stage of the rental process—from browsing listings to signing the lease—is handled efficiently and with confidence.
Benefits of Hiring a Professional
Choosing to work with a professional real estate agent or broker during your rental journey comes with a host of advantages. For prospective tenants, agents can open doors to exclusive listings that may not be available on public rental platforms, giving you a competitive edge in busy markets. They’re skilled at negotiating favorable lease terms, ensuring you get the best deal possible while staying within your budget. Real estate agents also streamline the search process, matching you with properties that fit your specific needs and preferences, saving you time and effort.
Property owners benefit as well—agents can help attract qualified tenants, market your rental property effectively, and secure optimal rent rates. Their expertise in the rental process means smoother communication between landlords and tenants, fewer headaches, and a higher likelihood of finding the right match quickly. By leveraging the resources and negotiation skills of a real estate professional, both tenants and property owners can enjoy a more efficient, less stressful rental experience.
Where Can I Find a Real Estate Agent for Renting?
Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or rent a home, the easiest way to find rental agents is through online real estate directories. Online real estate directories are hubs for collecting real estate agent data based on location, number of transactions, credentials, certifications, and client reviews. In many markets, it can be challenging to find agents who prioritize rentals, making these directories especially useful. They are also a convenient way to get matched with a realtor for rental units that fits your criteria. When choosing an agent, it’s helpful to ask a few questions about their experience with rentals and their knowledge of the local market.
>>MORE: Finding a realtor is easy with FastExpert!
If you’re looking for a real estate agent that specializes in finding homes for rent, you don’t want to waste your time with someone trying to convince you to buy a house. In addition, if you have a property, you may want to search for an agent to rent my home.
When you search for a real estate agent through FastExpert, one of the most popular and trustworthy online real estate directories on the internet, you get access to the most experienced and trustworthy agents in your area. This includes agents specialized in connecting their clients with their dream rental properties. You can browse through agent profiles and see their credentials, certifications, years of experience, number of sales, and even client reviews! Be sure to read reviews from past clients to assess the agent’s credibility and suitability for your rental search.
FastExpert’s service is completely free for the client. So there’s no risk to you for connecting with a realtor for rental units through FastExpert. It’s a win-win! Market realtors often have access to exclusive rental listings and a broad network of landlords and property managers, giving you an advantage in your search.
What to Search for When Browsing for a Rental Agent
So now that you know where you can find a real estate agent for renting a home, you need to know what qualifications and credentials to check for on an agent’s profile.
A good rental agent offers a range of services, including marketing your property, conducting viewings, and handling negotiations to ensure a smooth rental experience. Their expertise is especially valuable in competitive markets, where high demand and limited inventory make it challenging to secure the best rental opportunities.
When evaluating an agent, look for someone with strong knowledge of current market conditions, as this helps them secure the best deals and navigate pricing and availability. A knowledgeable agent can also guide renters through the complex leasing process, ensuring all legal requirements are met and documentation is handled correctly.
Both property owners and renters benefit from working with a professional agent, as their guidance can streamline the rental process and provide access to exclusive listings and expert advice.
1. Average Listing Time and Number of Listings
Look for this agent’s number of listings they’ve represented. Check for the overall duration of these listings (it should be short). The amount of time will tell you a lot about their negotiation skills and ability to get homes sold or bought fast. An experienced real estate agent has a small gap of time between the original date the listing was posted and when the sale was closed. Look for patterns, see if their client’s listings have relatively short lives or if they’re all over the place. This will help you narrow down your choices.
2. Market Knowledge
The real estate market is ever-changing, and isn’t something you can study up on once and completely understand it. A real estate agent should have a range of properties they’ve worked with.
A real estate agent that specializes in rentals should also be proficient in selling homes and getting their clients to buy homes. They should know everything there is to know about renting houses, condos, and townhomes. With the agent’s access to the multiple listing service, they should have strong knowledge of the housing market and average rentals rates. You want to choose rental agents that will be your advocate when finding a rental property.
If you’re looking to rent one of these, you don’t necessarily need an agent proficient in renting commercial spaces, but it can’t hurt. On the flip side, don’t go with an agent that only specializes in renting commercial properties and not homes since they are not one and the same.
The real estate agent you choose should be knowledgeable in all kinds of real estate, the current market, and how to negotiate a deal.
3. Client Reviews
This may come across as an obvious one, but be sure to read through real estate agent reviews. Take it from the people who worked with these agents directly and weigh out the good and the bad.
I recommend checking out 2-star and 3-star reviews and comparing them with the agent’s 5-star reviews rather than sifting through any bad 1-star reviews. While a 1-star review could be very telling, I find that these reviews are typically unhelpful and written from a place of frustration rather than honesty.
Client reviews are incredibly helpful when narrowing down a rental agent to choose from but proceed with caution.
What to Expect from an Agent
When you partner with a real estate agent for your rental needs, you can expect a tailored and attentive approach from start to finish. Your agent will begin by getting to know your priorities—whether it’s your ideal location, monthly rent budget, or must-have amenities. With this information, they’ll curate a list of relevant rental listings and arrange property viewings that fit your schedule.
Throughout the rental process, your agent will act as your advocate, facilitating communication with landlords, assisting with paperwork, and guiding you through negotiations. They’ll keep you informed at every step, so you always know where you stand in the application process. By providing expert advice and access to up-to-date market information, your real estate agent helps you make confident decisions and ensures a smooth transition into your new rental home.
Rental Property Search
The search for the right rental property is a crucial part of the rental process, and having a clear strategy can make all the difference. With countless listings for apartments, houses, and even commercial properties, it’s important to focus on what matters most—location, amenities, and monthly rent. Prospective tenants should consider their budget, preferred neighborhoods, and any special requirements when evaluating available properties.
A knowledgeable real estate agent can be an invaluable resource during your rental search. They’ll help you navigate rental platforms, filter through listings, and identify properties that align with your needs. Agents often have access to high quality photos, detailed descriptions, and even exclusive listings that aren’t widely advertised. By working closely with your agent, you can streamline the search process, avoid time-consuming dead ends, and find rentals that truly fit your lifestyle and budget. Whether you’re looking for a cozy apartment, a spacious house, or a unique commercial space, a well-planned rental property search sets the stage for a successful leasing experience.
How Are Real Estate Agents Paid for Rentals?
When buying or selling a property, the real estate agent is paid a commission, which is a percentage of the purchase price of the home. However, with a rental unit, there is no commission. Instead, the agent’s fee for rental services is often structured as one month’s rent, though this fee can vary depending on market conditions and the complexity of the services provided. In some cases, the landlord pays the agent’s fee, either in full or in part. Real estate brokers are typically involved in dividing the commission, and brokers play a key role in facilitating the transaction. It is important to negotiate terms, including fees and lease agreements, to ensure both parties are satisfied. All lease agreements must be complete and properly signed to finalize the rental process.
Another option for payment is for the agent to receive between 5% and 15% of the yearly rent. The way a rental agent is paid for the transaction of a rental property is based on competitive rates and the climate of the industry at the time, as well as current market conditions.
How Does A Rental Agent Choose How They are Paid?
A real estate agent’s commission for a rental is sometimes a percentage of the rent for the year. If the property owner uses an agent to rent the home, the commission is split between the two agents.
On the other hand, a rental agent can receive payment by charging the amount of a single month’s rent. If the rental agent finds a new tenant, then they can charge the first month’s rent as payment.
In this case, The Brokerage working with the agent then divides the commission from the first month’s rent charge. The landlord is then paid for their respective fees such as a security deposit.
In Most Cases The New Tenant will Pay the First Month’s Rent to the Agent
Depending on the city and state the rental transaction occurs, the prospective tenants usually ends up paying their real estate agent the amount of the first month’s rent on the property.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, if you’re planning on renting, you’re going to need a real estate agent, specifically a rental agent. And it’s easy to find a realtor in the USA via online real estate agent directories.
The best and most trustworthy online real estate agent directory today is FastExpert. FastExpert.com matches you with experienced, trustworthy agents that specialize in rental properties in your city!
It’s completely free, easy to use, and proven successful. Fill in your zip code, browse through agents in your area, and see the reviews for yourself!
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