Using Shanghai Real Estate Agents?

You can’t just go to a compound and have them “show” you the apartments. The apartments are owned by individual landlords, and most of them would list with real estate agents as their sole way for finding new tenants. They do not stay at the doors of their apartments waiting for visiting tenants, nor give keys to the compound management. As pointed out you can try to contact directly some landlords through, there are three major disadvantages for that: 1. It might be difficult to find an apartment for the specific compound you are looking for online. 2. Finding a landlord online and saving the real estate agent commission doesn’t always mean that you are better off. Especially if the landlord speaks English. 3. In case there are problems you don’t have any third party (real estate agent) to defer to and ultimately will have to go to police. My advice would still be to use real estate agent, just make your requirements and price targets clear from the beginning to avoid them wasting your time.

Actually, I have been doing that and the compounds do have a leasing department or the management office who has someone who will show you the empty apartments/houses. The landlords do give permission to them to show the place to whoever who are interested whether via real estate agents or private tenants who come by themselves. Real estae agents have to go through the compound leasing dept or management to get the keys in order to see the place. That is why I am wondering what are the advantages of using an agent. Thanks for all the responses.

I have advertised a place to rent for the past two months and only had one enquiry. I guess most of the owners are still relying on real estate agents to market their place as compared to self-advertising. Therefore, you may have more choices going through an agent and faster as well. Nevertheless, for rent above a certain amount, the owner will absorb all commission from the agent. It is therefore an obvious choice to do it through an agent.

By law the tenant and the landlord are supposed to pay 35% commision to an agent and landlords take the 35% into account when working out their nett rental. However, as mentioned, most will just absorb the extra 35% they have to pay as prospective tenant’s shouldn’t have to pay commission. When we mention they have to pay the full 70% some are fine and others will complain but no-one increases the rental. Sometimes they give less concessions but most times they just cop it. It really depend son how switched on they are. Anyway, there are way too many variables in negotiating leases to fix a formula. I suggest to just go in as low as possible without insulting the landlord and putting his nose out of joint and submit a long “wish list”. Keep in mind that landlords are LORDS of the LAND and many have to be handled with “kid gloves” to get them to agree.

I was in similar situations multiple time myself. I advertised in many places, but got very few leads. My properties tend to get rented quickly every time I work with an agent. My only problem is that everyone of them would quote me one-month commission up front because their explanation for that instead of 35% is that my properties are high-end and only for foreigners. If I refuse, they will make it sound like they’ll not show my properties. Am I’m being stiffed unreasonably? How can I get them accept 35% and still show my properties?

Agents spend lot of time every day of every week finding the right kind of renter for their properties ( for the expat .. renters who can afford 50K a month or more ). In the end, they will show the properties that make them the most money and hopefully meet the requirements of the renter. Other people correct me if I am wrong, but it seems to me that there are alot of landlords who are trying to get top money for their property, chasing too few people who can afford it. You have to evaluate the deal.. is it worth it you to get someone quickly… or how long can you afford to pay the mortgage and expenses on empty apartment with no income. If you advertise it yourself.. you have to have a great deal to catch people’s attention – like the lady on here who recently advertised her delux villa for 10K a month. If you are one of the zillion other landlords who expect a gold mine out of their 100 sqm.. you have to pay the price to someone – either to the renter or to the agent.