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Ever moved to a new city and tried to find an apartment before you got there?  Well, that's what I've been doing this afternoon from the other side of the world.  Yes, there are plenty of online databases where you can enter your search criteria and get a list of apartments, but unless you're on the ground, how are you supposed to nab one?  And one that will welcome pets, while we're at it?

Ah ha!, I thought to myself, I'll just find myself an apartment locator to do the legwork for me!  So off I went to Alta Vista, typed in "apartment locators +Los Angeles" and what did I get? The same databases I'd already found on my own.  Same problem with "relocation consultants", "apartment finders" and any of the half dozen or so other search terms I entered.

Where, oh where, are the personal apartment locators who will take my criteria, pound the pavements and find me an apartment? Here I was, ready to pay someone to do the job but where are they to be found?  After a good two hours of searching, beats me!  Surely it's a major market ... thousands of people move from one side of the country to the other every year.

I'm sure there are many people out there like me who would just like to give someone a set of criteria and pay them to go find them an apartment!  So why not meet the need by starting your own home-based apartment locating service?

All you would need is a car to start.  There is any number of online searchable rental databases so getting apartment listings is easy enough.  You would just have to physically inspect the apartment to see whether it fits with your client's criteria and secure it for them.

It would be a good idea to be set up to take photos of the apartment and surrounds, scan them and email them to your client for approval.  But once you have the go-ahead from the client, you could then negotiate and sign the lease as your client's agent and you're done.  From the landlord's point of view, you would obviously have to be in a position to facilitate credit checks and provide references also.

This is an ideal internet business, as well.  Often you will be dealing with clients from other parts of the country or, with clients like me, from other parts of the world.  These people are naturally going to start their search for you on the internet so allow yourself to be found.

Of course, logical extension of an apartment locating service would be a furnishing service as well.  I'm sure you can see the possibilities for yourself.

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USEFUL RESOURCES:

Website:

Virtual Relocation

This site has links to many online searchable rental databases.