[Melbourne-pm] Geek accomodation

[Kirrily Robert]

I have a technique for finding rental accommodation that worked well
for me and has worked well for others I've recommended it to, often
extremely rapidly after a long dry spell.

For each place you check out:

1) Find out the real estate agent
2) Go to the website of that agency
3) Find "forms" or similar, and look for a rental application form.
Print it out.  (I did not find any inner Melbourne real estate agents
that didn't have these forms online.)
4) Fill in the form in its entirety, including stuff like references etc
5) Attach written documentation (rental/employment references) if possible
6) Put all your pre-filled-in applications in a clipboard or folder
when you go house hunting, with a map of the location of each on top
of hte application form.  Order them chronologically by inspection
times.
7) Show up at inspections on time or, ideally, a few minutes early.
Get in the door ASAP.
8) Take a *really quick* look around.  If you like the place -- and
I'm talking about general overall impressions here -- hand the agent
your pre-filled form.  This should happen within, like, 3 minutes of
you walking in the door.  This will put you at the front of the queue.
 Just to be sure, say to the agent, "Hey, I really like this place,
and I've already filled out my form. Look, everything's here,
including some attached references.  This puts me at the front of the
queue, right?"  They'll probably say "Yes, you're at the front,
assuming your application is acceptable."
9) Proceed to look around the place in more detail.  In the unlikely
event that you notice something that's a deal-breaker, *and* they
offer you the place, just say make your excuses and turn down the
offer. No harm no foul.

One other thing: at step 8, if you see a place you utterly *love* and
must have, offer $10/week over the rent amount, or whatever you're
prepared to offer.  Eg. if you have a budget of $250/week and you see
a place you love for $220, you might offer $240.  Just know what your
budget is.

Of the three people I've known who've done this (including myself),
they've got a decent place within 2 weeks, and none of them have
actually had to offer the extra money.  I think the agents are
impressed by the professionalism of you walking in with the forms all
done already, and look positively on the application because of it.
That's my only theory as to why this works.  Also, it probably falls
into the "easy" category someone mentioned earlier; as long as your
application is acceptable, it's a no-brainer for them.

K.

-- 
Kirrily Robert
skud at infotrope.net
http://infotrope.net