One question we hear a lot is, “Why hasn’t Craigslist solved the apartment hunting process for Manhattan like it has for many other cities?” When we look at what’s wrong with Craigslist, there are several points to address.
A lot has been written already on the Internet about how to improve Craigslist. In fact, many new websites have attempted to “beat” Craigslist, but the site still remains as one of the most popular and widely used forums for placing low cost or free advertisements. Unfortunately, there are very specific and unique problems when hunting for an affordable apartment in Manhattan using Craigslist.
Craigslist is Not Real Estate Specific
First, Craigslist is not in the business of listing real estate or apartment availabilities, it is not a real estate-specific site. Therefore, those looking for New York City apartments will have limited options for the ways they can search, how they view information, and how they proceed with inquiring about an apartment. Craigslist serves multiple industries and provides many searches for plenty of topics, so the platform does not have the need to enhance its apartment search process.
Search Filters
While they have admirably attempted to allow a few basic search features, such as limiting the price range and specifying a general neighborhood, the filters are horribly insufficient. They sort listings by the posting date of the ads, not by relevance, and most ads do not provide real addresses or even cross streets. Instead, we at RentHop notice many apartment hunters prefer to search geographically, knowing the exact address of the building and seeing it on a map.
RentHop Streamlined Search
When looking for an apartment on RentHop, renters can select any combination of neighborhoods around the five boroughs and then set their desired bedroom size and price. Renters can select additional search criteria, like “No-Fee Apartments” or “Sublets.” Renters can also choose amenities throughout the unit and building, like in-unit laundry or a pet-friendly apartment.
Once they’ve built their search, renters will see listings ordered by their HopScore. The HopScore calculates a listing’s quality, the reputation of the person advertising the unit, and the listing’s freshness. This ensures renters find the best possible apartment promptly.
Easier to Advertise Scams
In addition, in recent years, the competition among NYC apartment brokers has grown fierce, compelling a few brokers to take desperate and extreme measures to stay in business. Although most brokers are honorable and trustworthy, a few bad apples easily spoil the bunch with unethical and underhanded tactics.
Craigslist Scam Example
Here is how a typical Craigslist scam works. A broker posts “NO FEE MANHATTAN APARTMENT” in the ad subject, placing attractive looking photos and citing an even more attractively low price. Once you call the number, the broker tells you the apartment is available but won’t last, and you must immediately meet at his or her office to schedule a viewing. Once you arrive, the apartment mysteriously has “just been rented,” but the broker knows lots of similar apartments that might interest you… only they have broker fees attached!
One good way to protect yourself from such a scam is to directly tell the broker you are only interested in that apartment and that you are not interested in seeing additional units.
RentHop Limits Scams
On RentHop, renters can safely search for apartments, knowing that all advertisers must complete a verification process. During verification, a member of the RentHop team manually reviews the advertiser’s information and will review their active listings at the time. This immediately helps weed out scammers outside of New York City who are trying to waste your time and money.
Additionally, renters can report listings at any time by reaching out to support@renthop.com, or scrolling to the bottom of a listing and clicking “Report listing.” This sends a direct message to the team, and they will take appropriate action to remove the listing and even remove the account.
Rent with RentHop
At RentHop, all of our listings come complete with the advertiser’s name and phone number. You can zoom into your favorite neighborhood and quickly filter for listings located exactly where you want to live. By reviewing listings in the order of their HopScore, you’ll quickly find a unit that fits your needs and has a positive reputation on the site. When you’re speaking with landlords, management companies, and real estate agents, you can message professionals directly on our app to ensure your conversation stays on the platform. This way, you can report anything to the RentHop team if needed, and they can take appropriate action.
Craigslist will probably be around for a long time and is still a great service to the community, but for now, what’s wrong with Craigslist does not outweigh the benefits. There are plenty of places to find no fee apartment listings in Manhattan.
