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​​Please note that this is not the only source that's available that I use to search for apartments for my clients.   If you're not finding what you want, contact me write away, and we can go for the deeper dive!

​How to get the best search results using the RLS IDX

RLS search engines put a powerful tool that professionally licensed real estate agents use to search for homes directly in your hands, while leaving assistance never more than a click away.

You can use it by clicking START SEARCHING <- here. 

After that, make sure you're on RENTALS and if the option is available filter search lowest to highest in terms of price. 

Next,  look at the map.     You'll see a bunch of bubbles.    Pros start by analyzing the market.  

The bubbles list the number of units that are currently on market through that database in each particular area, then if you hover over them you can get the basic market data, meaning the median rental price for that area then the highest and going units on the market.    (Do not be surprised if the lowest are gone before you even click them.   The further below the median you go, the quicker the apartments fill.)    

Be sure to experiment and note what happens as you click the circles, hover over them, zoom in and out or move your cursor around the map(!)

This will give you lot's of market information.

Pre-qualification
Next, I highly suggest pre-qualifying yourself:   To do this, multiply your household monthly income by 12 then divide it by 40.  This will let you know what kind of apartment you'd likely qualify for.  Note that you can search as much above or below this amount as you want, but if you do, you'll be more likely to need a guarantor or a third party guarantor service.   (To be clear,  this is not a hard set in stone rule, but it is helpful to be aware that many landlords will be looking to see that your household income is 40x rent.)

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"Property Not Available" hits likely mean that the unit was so popular it just went off the market; however, the search engine picked it up before it had time to fully refresh.   Note that properties under $2000 a month will go extremely quickly. 

Round 1 Search:  Start with size, budget and essentials only!
Now, when searching try this trick...    It is a funnel approach.   Start with the widest search criteria possible and narrow things down little by little.   

This method saves you money, because If you start off with all the boxes checked, you'll find much less and have to keep raising the price of your search criteria to find what you want....  for example, you might accidentally rule out an apartment that pretty much has everything you want and is very affordable and has an amenity worth skipping because the deal is that good!  (In my own case, our current kitchen didn't have the built-in stainless steel microwave we wanted, but the kitchen was so big we didn't really need it.  We just bought our own for $200, but saved thousands on rent in the long term.  
So I suggest starting by only entering your maximum budget, the minimum number of rooms plus pet info (if needed.)    Save the rest of the stuff for Round 2.

Round 2:  Organize your initial hits
See what comes up.

If you see anything you like, click it, go over the listing, and if it's on track click "schedule a showing"  but leave an "I'm looking for something like this,  but..."  message in the search area.  

This will send me the listings you've looked at so I can retrieve them later if you decide to work with me.  That way I know what you've already seen and have a better idea of what you like in an apartment.  Note that just because you send me your notes doesn't mean you have to use me as your agent!    You're basically telling me, "Hey, this is what I found.  You have anything better?")

During this stage see if you can 3-5 units that meet your general criteria.  

Round 3:  Beyond The Basics
After that, go for Round 3.   Little by little, see what happens if you add in other amenities, and tweek other variables.   

As you do this, you'll likely be narrowing down what's already come up and you'll likely have to balance between changing your search criteria or raising your budget.  On the other hand, if you're lucky, you might find the right place; but remember, all units are on market on a first come / first serve basis and the better the deal, the less time you have to move in on it, so if you find something you like, I suggest arranging a showing ASAP. 
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💡A competitively priced unit will rarely stay on the market for more than a few days, so have your paperwork ready and move on good deals as quickly as possible. 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Manhattan_neighborhoods.png

Final Step:  Neighborhood Round Down
Note that this database already has you looking in New York City.

At this point you might want to narrow the specific areas down.  

Unless you know the names of all of the different neighborhoods, I highly recommend studying the map on the app rather than just looking to see if you recognize the name of the neighborhoods that comes up on the hits you're getting.    This is very important if cost is an issue for you

Manhattan can get a little confusing if you're not familiar with the names of over 200 neighborhoods which are sometimes lesser known or specifically narrowed down parts  of the same area.  

​Go here for my article on how agents narrow Manhattan down into 5 basic areas. 

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As a rule of thumb if you're new to NYC the more likely you are to recognize the name of the neighborhood, the more likely apartments are to be expensive there.

Whatever the case, keep exploring and hitting that "schedule a showing button" and ​sending  your notes as you narrow things down.   Use google directions, map or street view any time you encounter a neighborhood that you never heard of. 

And if all else fails...

...don't worry,   The great think about using the IDX is that free help is never more than a click away.    
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