Finding your home in a new city

It's not easy to find a place to live when you relocate for work.

Tough markets

Your search to find a place to live will be one the hardest things you’ll do during your relocation. The cities we tend to move to and that we find employment in usually have the most competitive housing markets, and the home finding process can already pose challenges. Either way, it takes time to become an expert in a local housing market and time is a currency you don’t have when you’re busy juggling a new place of work and life in a new city.

Bad choices about housing can leave you unhappy and can cost a small fortune. Problems with housing at the start of your relocation can waste your time and leave you missing out on your job when you should be enjoying getting started. Pitfalls are everywhere. Different cities have very different housing markets. There are different local customs and regulations regarding real estate. One city’s pricing is not always comparable to another. There are differences in the types and categories of rental properties. Knowing about all the factors makes a huge difference in a tenant’s ultimate happiness.

Rental realtors

Rental realtors are not always a solution to these issues. They are available to help tenants find housing in some cities, but a realtor’s job is primarily to offer listings and show properties on behalf of landlords, not to protect the interests of prospective tenants. In competitive cities, the role is primarily transactional and comes down to being there for viewings, processing applicants, and handling leases. You might have trouble getting a rental realtor in some cities to even answer the phone or send you any listings at all.

Rental realtors usually represent the landlord in the equation and are often contractually bound to the landlord’s interests. Relying solely on a realtor’s advice is like relying on a car salesman to best guide you on your purchase. You may hope they occasionally give you fair insight into which car on their lot might fit your wallet and your needs, but you should not expect them to advise you to go across the street to the lot next door for a better deal.

How we can help

A dedicated relocation consultant working with you in your new city can be a great help when it comes to assessing your rental options, even when you have a realtor involved. We already know what realtors know, and we help with the home search from start to finish. We attend viewings, review search criteria, point out red flags, make comparisons, help judge potential properties, navigate the application process, and review leases. We are here to help you make the right decisions in ways that realtors are not, and we also understand all the other aspects of your relocation.

At Destiny Services, we pride ourselves on our attention to detail and our expertise at home finding. Our consultants are the people we ourselves turn to when we relocate, because no one individual has all the answers for every rental market. Want to ensure you save money and time before you sign your next lease? Contact us today.