New York Websites Avoiding Brokers

Established earlier this year, renthop.com has joined a number of New York based websites aiming to entice apartment hunters and landlords by avoiding broker fees.

Like rent-direct.com, skipbrokers.com and nofeerentals.com, renthop.com cuts brokers out of the process of finding an apartment, allowing users to bypass their fees.

Craigslist is another no-fee option used by those hoping to find a New York apartment without the help of a broker. However, in an interview with techcrunch.com, renthop.com co-founder Lee Lin said that a Craigslist search is complicated by fake listings posted by brokers attempting to attract interest from apartment hunters.

A statement on renthop.com outlines the argument for no-fee property websites in New York:

“Unfortunately, with apartments becoming increasingly more expensive and landlords becoming increasingly more strict, we understand that many apartments hunters want a lower cost alternative to using brokers, or simply want to take more control over the apartment selection process. renthop.com offers both a free and superior way for finding and browsing listings.”

renthop.com does not charge for basic listings or user registration, but Lin told techcrunch.com that the website is now aiming to generate revenue by offering “pro” features to help larger landlords manage their listings.

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