Most people assume that if they want to buy a home, they should contact a real estate agent. If they want to rent a home, they should browse ads themselves. This is not untrue. Thousands upon thousands of people rent apartments on their own each year. However, you certainly can call up a real estate agent and ask them to help you find a rental. And in many cases, doing so is a very good idea! Here are some ways a real estate agent can help you through the process of finding a rental and signing a lease.

Recommending a neighborhood.

This is especially helpful if you are moving to a new town. You might not know what neighborhoods offer, what you are looking for, or which ones offer rentals within your price range. A real estate agent can help you with that. Tell them your budget and the top things you're looking for in a neighborhood, and they'll send you a list of neighborhoods that meet your desires. This will help you focus your apartment hunt.

Scheduling showings.

If you have ever rented an apartment without the help of an agent in the past, then you know how time-consuming it can be to call landlords and schedule apartment showings. Half the apartments have already been rented by the time you call. Then there are the landlords that don't get back to you. A real estate agent can make all of those scheduling calls for you. Often, they will ask you to give them a day that you're available, and then they will set up a whole list of showings for that same day so you can just hop from apartment to apartment in a time-efficient manner.

Assessing rental fees.

Especially if you are moving to a new town, you may not have much of an idea of what rentals are going for in the area. It can be tough to know if you're over-paying and should ask for lower rent, or if a unit is a great value. Your real estate agent can offer some advice in this realm. They'll tell you whether your rent budget is realistic, and as you look at individual apartments, they will tell you whether what the landlord is asking for is reasonable. This could potentially save you hundreds of dollars each month.

Whether you're short on time or you just want to get the best deal, hiring a real estate agent to help you find an apartment is a smart idea. Contact a company that offers real estate services to learn more.