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    • New York City Listings Page (Rentals)
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    • Can the landlord raise my rent?
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    • QUESTIONS ABOUT RENTING APARTMENTS IN NYC
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      • Affordable Deals in the Financial District
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      • Midtown Manhattan Rentals
      • Specials in Soho
      • CHELSEA awaits you
      • Astoria is Hot and Cooking!
      • Best of the Village
      • Washington / Inwood: The Very Best of Upper Manhattan
      • Upper West Side Living
      • Best Deals in Harlem
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      • Gross Rent Calculator
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      • Rent Burden Calculator
      • Cheaper to Buy or Rent?
    • Lease Assignment
    • Monthly Budget Sheet
    • NYC Real Estate Market Reports
    • Tenant Rights and Disputes
  • FAIR HOUSING NOTICE
EDDIE LANDSBERG
  • FRONT PAGE
    • New York City Listings Page (Rentals)
  • BIO
    • BIO as Real Estate Agent
    • BIO as Musican
    • Let's Search Together!
  • BROKER LINK
  • RENTER EDUCATION
    • Apartment Hunting On A Budget
    • Filling Out A Rental Application
    • How Guarantors Work
    • Proving Income if you are Self Employed >
      • Apartment Hunting for Actors, Artists and Musicians
    • Can international students rent apartments in NYC?
    • Can the landlord raise my rent?
    • Can foreign nationals rent apartments in New York City?
    • QUESTIONS ABOUT RENTING APARTMENTS IN NYC
  • SELLING/BUYING
    • Super Deals! (under $300k)
    • Condos & Co-ops / under 700k
    • Condos & Co-ops / Over $700k
    • Houses / Multi-family / Townhouses
    • All Properties (over 1.5M)
    • Eddie on City Snap
    • What's my house worth?
  • Featured Listings
    • RentHop
    • StreetEasy
  • LANDLORDS
  • 日本語
    • ニューヨーク市の賃貸物件
    • プロフィール
  • RENTALS BY BEDS
    • 0-1 BEDS by PRICE
    • 0-1 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 2 BEDS by PRICE
    • 2 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 3 BEDS by PRICE
    • 3 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 4 or more BEDS by PRICE
    • 4 or more BEDS by RECENCY
  • Pet Friendly Apartments
    • most recent
    • by price
  • Amenities
    • Search by Amenities
    • Elevator Only
    • Laundry In Building
    • Laundry in Unit / Dishwasher
    • Rentals with Swimming Pool
    • FURNISHED APARTMENTS >
      • most recent
      • by price
      • Roommate and Room Share Friendly
  • RENTALS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
    • Moving to New York City
    • MAP VIEW
    • DRAWING TOOL
    • Search by Neighborhood & Zip (Manhattan)
    • Popular Neighborhoods in NYC >
      • Long Island City (QUEENS)
      • Unbeatable Deals: Blocks from Central Park
      • Affordable Deals in the Financial District
      • Upper East Side Bargains and Deals
      • Latest on Market in Bushwick
      • Midtown Manhattan Rentals
      • Specials in Soho
      • CHELSEA awaits you
      • Astoria is Hot and Cooking!
      • Best of the Village
      • Washington / Inwood: The Very Best of Upper Manhattan
      • Upper West Side Living
      • Best Deals in Harlem
  • Search by Budget
  • Resources / Documents
    • 3D Viewings and Virtual Tours
    • How to DocuSign
    • Rent Calculators >
      • Gross Rent Calculator
      • Rent Pre-Qualification Calculator
      • Money Due at Lease Signing Estimator
      • Rent Increase Calculator
      • Rent Burden Calculator
      • Cheaper to Buy or Rent?
    • Lease Assignment
    • Monthly Budget Sheet
    • NYC Real Estate Market Reports
    • Tenant Rights and Disputes
  • FAIR HOUSING NOTICE
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Screening a NYC Rentals Real Estate Agent: How to Ensure They're Legitimate

Unfortunately, real estate transactions occur in such rapid time it is hard to build trust before signing key documents.  As a result, people can make bad decisions.  Fortunately, there are resources in place to help protect the consumer... if only consumers fully knew them.  

Here are some of the key concepts you need to be aware of to make your home hunt safe and successful...
  • Be aware that if someone other than the landlord is collecting money from you on behalf of a real estate transaction, they likely need to be licensed by the State (DOL) and have to state their affiliated brokerage and license status on all literature (business cards, advertisement, website, etc.)   There should be no question who the person you're dealing with is, how to check their license status and who their sponsoring brokerage is.
  • Real Estate agents are supposed to provide you with a disclosure form that informs you who they represent (for example, you or the landlord.)   These should be given to you at "first substantial contact."  This is important, because it effects the way they are required to deal with you.   For example, which interest come first:  filling up the landlord's unoccupied apartment or matching you up with the best unoccupied apartment relative to your needs. 
  • Some real estate agents are affiliated with brokerages that are affiliated with local or national real estate boards, and some are members.   This adds an extra layer of dispute resolution.   In my case, I'm a member of a brokerage affiliated with REBNY (The Real Estate Board of New York) and am a dues paying member.   I must adhere to their code of ethics at the expense of fines or losing my membership.  (Note that Real Estate Agents in NYC are not "realtors".  A Realtor is a person who's a member of the National Association of Realtors.  Our real estate board, REBNY, withdrew from NAR, hence the NYC equivalent of a REALTOR would be a NYS licensed real estate professional who is a member of the Real Estate Board of NY.
  • Aside from the DOL and REBNY, there are multiple State and Federal Agents which field consumer fraud complaints.   (One is the Attorney General of the State of NYC.)  Be aware of alerts and advisories on their websites.   For example, NO REAL ESTATE AGENT should ask you to wire money directly.  Money always goes through the brokerage.   And be wary of broker's trying to scam you into writing checks in a variety of ways.  If you can't look up the agent's brokerage and license and the person is calling themselves a broker or "realator", it's likely a scam.
  • Not all brokerages are the same.  Try your best to get a "vibe" as to what you're dealing with and do your research.



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Need help?  I'm here... ​just message me!  Helping people is the most important part of my job and I don't mind answering questions.  

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Fair Housing Notice
​Fair Housing Notice
Keller Williams NYC
​Edward Paul Landsberg
License # 10401370067​
licensed Real Estate Salesperson​

​
 Krieger Real Estate
146 Sullivan Street #23
New York, NY 10012
(484) 460-2668

This site is copyrighted eddielandsberg.com 2001-2023 and beyond.

This website is owned and operated by Edward Landsberg doing business as Eddie Landsberg.   I am a Licensed Real Estate Sales Person affiliated with Krieger Real Estate.   The website is a third party website. I am fully responsible for its content.  
​
The information on this site is presented as general information and for marketing purposes only and does not constitute  personal or professional advice.  Please refer to DISCLAIMER and Terms of Service.

​


LEGAL DISCLAIMER / Terms of Service


  • FRONT PAGE
    • New York City Listings Page (Rentals)
  • BIO
    • BIO as Real Estate Agent
    • BIO as Musican
    • Let's Search Together!
  • BROKER LINK
  • RENTER EDUCATION
    • Apartment Hunting On A Budget
    • Filling Out A Rental Application
    • How Guarantors Work
    • Proving Income if you are Self Employed >
      • Apartment Hunting for Actors, Artists and Musicians
    • Can international students rent apartments in NYC?
    • Can the landlord raise my rent?
    • Can foreign nationals rent apartments in New York City?
    • QUESTIONS ABOUT RENTING APARTMENTS IN NYC
  • SELLING/BUYING
    • Super Deals! (under $300k)
    • Condos & Co-ops / under 700k
    • Condos & Co-ops / Over $700k
    • Houses / Multi-family / Townhouses
    • All Properties (over 1.5M)
    • Eddie on City Snap
    • What's my house worth?
  • Featured Listings
    • RentHop
    • StreetEasy
  • LANDLORDS
  • 日本語
    • ニューヨーク市の賃貸物件
    • プロフィール
  • RENTALS BY BEDS
    • 0-1 BEDS by PRICE
    • 0-1 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 2 BEDS by PRICE
    • 2 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 3 BEDS by PRICE
    • 3 BEDS by RECENCY
    • 4 or more BEDS by PRICE
    • 4 or more BEDS by RECENCY
  • Pet Friendly Apartments
    • most recent
    • by price
  • Amenities
    • Search by Amenities
    • Elevator Only
    • Laundry In Building
    • Laundry in Unit / Dishwasher
    • Rentals with Swimming Pool
    • FURNISHED APARTMENTS >
      • most recent
      • by price
      • Roommate and Room Share Friendly
  • RENTALS BY NEIGHBORHOOD
    • Moving to New York City
    • MAP VIEW
    • DRAWING TOOL
    • Search by Neighborhood & Zip (Manhattan)
    • Popular Neighborhoods in NYC >
      • Long Island City (QUEENS)
      • Unbeatable Deals: Blocks from Central Park
      • Affordable Deals in the Financial District
      • Upper East Side Bargains and Deals
      • Latest on Market in Bushwick
      • Midtown Manhattan Rentals
      • Specials in Soho
      • CHELSEA awaits you
      • Astoria is Hot and Cooking!
      • Best of the Village
      • Washington / Inwood: The Very Best of Upper Manhattan
      • Upper West Side Living
      • Best Deals in Harlem
  • Search by Budget
  • Resources / Documents
    • 3D Viewings and Virtual Tours
    • How to DocuSign
    • Rent Calculators >
      • Gross Rent Calculator
      • Rent Pre-Qualification Calculator
      • Money Due at Lease Signing Estimator
      • Rent Increase Calculator
      • Rent Burden Calculator
      • Cheaper to Buy or Rent?
    • Lease Assignment
    • Monthly Budget Sheet
    • NYC Real Estate Market Reports
    • Tenant Rights and Disputes
  • FAIR HOUSING NOTICE