How Apartment Locators Get Paid (and Why It’s FREE for You)
Updated: Jul 17
If you’ve ever used an apartment locator, you most likely have thought:“Hold up… if they’re doing all this work for me, how are they making money?” or “It’s a free service, they must only work with a few apartments who pay them.” The truth is that it’s NOT too good to be true, but it is a Win/Win/Win for you, the apartments and us. Let’s get into it.
Who Pays Us (Spoiler: Not You)
Apartment locators are like your apartment BFFs with a real estate license. We do the searching, calling, confirming, and scheduling for you all for $0 out of your pocket. We also are the first to know about rare unit availability and special discounts that aren’t advertised to the public.
So how do we make money?
Apartment locators are results-based marketing for the apartments. The properties spend tens of thousands of dollars on billboards, coozies, and other methods with no guaranteed results. They only pay us when we bring a tenant who actually signs a lease. Because of this, we are able to be unbiased and focus on recommending the best apartments based on what you want, we can pay our bills, and the apartments get a happy tenant. Think of it like a finder’s fee:
The property fills an empty unit
You get a place you love
We get paid by the property
Everybody wins.
How Much Are We Talking?
It depends on the property, but usually it’s either:
Flat Fee:
a set amount (think $300–$500 per lease)
Percentage of Rent:
50%–100% of one month’s rent
Example: If your rent is $1,500 and the property pays 100% commission, we get $1,500.
ALSO, your rent stays the same whether you used us or not.
Why It’s Always Free for You
Because the property pays us, your rent doesn’t magically go up. Your monthly rent stays exactly the same as if you found the apartment on your own.
The only thing is you just saved hours of searching and calling by letting a licensed expert deliver the options for you! Hello, Netflix binge watching.
;-)
What You Do Have to Do
The only ask is that you namedrop your locator (Dwellinc Locating) when they ask “how did you hear about us?”. That’s how the property knows who sent you and how we get credit for helping out!
Why You Should Absolutely Use a Locator
Saves you from getting catfished by apartments.com
You’re the first to know about move-in specials
Pairs you with neighborhoods that match your vibe (think about getting a free consultant instead of a cookie cutter experience
Costs you literally $0
Bottom Line
Apartment locators aren’t some scam, we’re literally professionals who want to make your life easier.
Why do the apartment search struggle alone when you can work with a pro matchmaker for free?
Ready to skip the stress and let us do the hunting? Hit us up!
We’ll send you a personalized list of apartments that actually match what you’re looking for, confirm pricing, and get you touring ASAP.
