Price Tagging Guns For All The Realtors

There are few processes in the world more frustrating than looking for a new apartment.

First off, there's the exorbitantly high number of scams. Everything is found or bought online these days, and that includes realty. For example, earlier this week I found a gorgeous apartment available with nice sized rooms, a great location, and unbelievably low price per month to rent.

The only problem? Well, typically when you find an apartment where the price seems too-good-to-be-true, it's because it is. After trading e-mails back-and-forth with the person who claimed to be the landlord, we became suspicious when he requested we 'transfer the money to his account, then he would meet us the next day to sign the lease,' all before we'd even been given the opportunity to see the apartment. Yeah, thanks but no thanks there, Jack.

But that's not the worst part. The worst part, in my opinion, is having to deal with these rat apartment realtors who pretend they're trying to help you out, when they are in fact working for no one except themselves. I mean, yes I understand that's their job, but it still makes my blood boil.

For example, a realtor took me to look at a new place yesterday. The apartment was okay, but the bedrooms were a little too small for my liking and I decided to pass. I informed the realtor of this and turned to go.

It was only when I was on my way out of the apartment that he states 'Well, the landlord could take it down a few hundred bucks, if that will make a difference.'

And that's what drives me nuts. Because I initially said no to the apartment because I did not like the apartment. I didn't say no as a negotiating tactic. This is my potential HOME, not a business deal or some company sale. I'm not buying old CDs at a garage sale or flea market. I'm renting an apartment, and I don't like that I need to treat it like a negotiation.

If I ran the world, every apartment that was for rent would have a series of pricing labels on it. The price would be non-negotiable and a matter of public record. And all the realtors would be required to carry price tagging guns around with them

Yep, that's my solution: tagging guns for all the realtors. That way I can judge a place on how it will be as a living situation, and I don't have to go into the entire ordeal pretending I'm not interested merely in an attempt to get the landlord to drop the initial figure on those pricing labels.

Looking for a new apartment is arguably the most frustrating thing anyone has to do. And we could put a stop to a good majority of the frustration just by forcing all the realtors to use price tagging guns.