Emma Bee's Profile

Display Name:	Emma Bee
Member Since:	8/17/12

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My experiences with these open houses is that the roommates do a lot of initial weeding out based on the emails you sent them. So if you're getting invited to the open house, you've already passed the first test. The open house is a time for them to put a face to the name, and to let them see that you're not crazy and/or unwashed. So when you meet in person, shake their hand and mention something from your email, "Hi, I'm Jane. I emailed you Friday...I work at Etsy?"

Other than that, dress well and show up ready to hand them a month's rent immediately. Compliment the apartment, talk about how much you love the neighborhood, etc. After you leave, send a short follow-up email talking about how nice it was to meet them, how lovely the apartment is, etc. Nothing too over-the-top (i.e. "We will be such great friends!" unless they've said something that suggests they want a close relationship), just something to prove that you're serious, responsible, and legitimately interested in living with them.

And don't get discouraged! This kind of thing gets very competitive.

How To Stand Out At Dreaded Roomate Open Houses? Good Questions

9/12/12 11:44 AM

NYC-specific - It's true that you can find a place in a larger building with its own management office (most of the new waterfront rentals, StuyTown, etc.) Asking doormen (and tipping if they help!) is also apparently a good way to find vacancies, if you are looking for a doorman building. But if you dislike/can't afford those kinds of buildings, no-fee apartments are hard to find and incredibly competitive--much more so than broker fee apartments. I've been to open houses for mediocre, market-priced apartments that were crawling with people, even when the landlord had already weeded a bunch of interested people out. If you're going to live in an apartment for more than a year, suck it up and use a broker.

(Caveat - sometimes you can find a sublet on Craigslist from a person who's moving out early. Landlords like continuity, so if you sublet until the end of that person's lease, they'll sometimes let you stay on. But I also know a few people who have counted on this happening, only to find the landlord showing the apartment to other people and thus ultimately having to use a broker anyway.)

Apartment Brokerage Fees: A Do or a Don't?

8/17/12 10:50 AM