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Sidewalk.com April 26, 2024 Select another article... 09-20-99 New York Times 07-22-99 CBSMarketWatch.com 04-26-99 Sidewalk.com 03-15-99 New York magazine 10-25-98 New York Times 04-30-98 Time Out New York 12-05-97 New York Times 04-24-96 Time Out New York 07-09-95 New York Times Q: What's the deal with those online apartment listing services? Should I use one? A: Here's how it works. Listings services maintain contacts with landlords and building management companies, who inform them of upcoming vacancies. To gain access to their lists, you pay a fee (typically between $150 and $200). Then, you specify your criteria which neighborhoods you want to live in, how much rent you're willing to pay, what size apartment you want and they e-mail or fax listings to you whenever apartments meeting that profile become available. You are then responsible for arranging to see the apartment and, if you like it, applying for the lease. Why would you use an online service rather than the traditional methods? For one thing, it's convenient. Instead of having to scour the papers every day, you'll get only the listings that match your requirements. Second, it's cheap. $150 may seem like a lot to join a service, but most of the apartments listed online are no-fee. That means you'll avoid the hefty brokers' commission, which is usually 15 percent of the annual rent. The following services are all reputable, with large inventories. Here's the full breakdown: The Apartment Store (www.nyaptstore.com, 212-545-1996) A leader in the business for five years, the Apartment Store recently slashed its registration fee to $49.99, the lowest around. For that, you get access to a database that averages, on any given day, around 700 to 800 apartments in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens, all of them no-fee. The sign-up charge also buys you a credit report, which almost all landlords ask to see when you apply for a lease. Listings are sent via e-mail or fax every afternoon, Monday through Friday. Select another article... 09-20-99 New York Times 07-22-99 CBSMarketWatch.com 04-26-99 Sidewalk.com 03-15-99 New York magazine 10-25-98 New York Times 04-30-98 Time Out New York 12-05-97 New York Times 04-24-96 Time Out New York 07-09-95 New York Times TOP OF PAGE | TESTIMONIALS PAGE