Greetings,

I've been reading through the threads and am happy to see the great communication between shoppers! I'd appreciate ANY tips you have regarding shopping a property! I'm a Realtor and preview properties daily so this fits well into my world.

TIA,

Happy Shopping $$$,

Angela

Angela -

I shop a tremendous number of apartments.

As somebody who is in the industry, you are likely going to find that your biggest struggle is "not saying too much." It is up to the leasing professional to lead you through the process and "sell" the apartment to you. It is up to him/her to qualify you, find the right home for you, take you on a tour through any amenities and the apartment, bring you back to the office and close. If s/he does not do those things, it is not your job to encourage him/her to do so unless specifically stated in the guidelines. If there is too much awkward silence and the leasing professional seems to be waiting on you to ask questions, chose something generic such as "How old is the building?" or " How many different residences are in the community." Otherwise, leave it to the leasing professional to lead the conversation. The client needs to know if the employee knows how to work with a potential resident, not if you do.

Of course, if you are asked questions, be prepared to answer them. Have a background story prepared so that you can answer any questions about your "family," etc. However, don't just offer it. Wait until s/he asks and then only offer the actual information requested.

Excellent advice, thank you! You're so correct regarding talking too much, talking is easy and distracts from the objective, listening without personal opinion is work. I'll keep your comments in mind when shopping tomorrow!