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We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

caretaker.com

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Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#191

Post by mattzito »

sudopluto wrote: post #172
boringg wrote: post #159

Caretaker: The redfin of brokers. Take all the value for themselves freeze out the brokers (who provide a service but are universally disdained). Ride that wave of positive news for a couples years. Eventually everyone will hate the fraction of the market Caretaker has as they raise prices to make investors happy and people realize there are problems. It's like the same idea of Uber and Lyft. Less human involvement =…

as a student in boston where brokers take 1 month rent for doing exactly *nothing*, i welcome the idea of automating away these leaches. edit: fb marketplace might get the brokers first, most of my friends found their places via landlords posting there

Brokers taking money from renters is ridiculous and should be done away with. Landlords hiring brokers to deal with vetting and showing an apartment and all those logistics seems pretty reasonable and up to the landlord if they feel it’s worth the value.

Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#192

Post by e1g »

khuey wrote: post #179
matsemann wrote: post #168

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aren't people obliged to minimize their own and the other part's loss in contracts in the US? In my country, me moving out and saying I won't continue to pay, while the contract end date is still far in the future would of course be a breach of the contract. But that doesn't mean the landlord then can let the house sit empty for the rest of the contract time and force me to cover their loss. Landlord would instead ha…

Yes, that's right. The landlord is required to seek a new tenant.

USA is a big place, but OP is talking about NYC specifically before COVID. At that time you were liable for the full amount until the end of the lease. Landlords could sit on empty boxes and sue you for the entire amount. Whether they want the hassle is up to them, but you couldn't compel them to do anything.

It does sound unfair, but see here for supporting sources https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/tenants-right-break-...

Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#193

Post by Robotbeat »

AnimalMuppet wrote: post #148
Robotbeat wrote: post #70

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Singapore system purportedly works pretty well.

Does Singapore do anything in particular with regard to landlords?

Singapore has “social housing” except the government builds the housing and sells it to people for cheap: https://noahpinion.substack.com/p/a-singapore-plan-for-publi...

Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#194

Post by thekid314 »

sudopluto wrote: post #172
boringg wrote: post #159

Caretaker: The redfin of brokers. Take all the value for themselves freeze out the brokers (who provide a service but are universally disdained). Ride that wave of positive news for a couples years. Eventually everyone will hate the fraction of the market Caretaker has as they raise prices to make investors happy and people realize there are problems. It's like the same idea of Uber and Lyft. Less human involvement =…

as a student in boston where brokers take 1 month rent for doing exactly *nothing*, i welcome the idea of automating away these leaches. edit: fb marketplace might get the brokers first, most of my friends found their places via landlords posting there

Yeah, as a fellow Boston renter, facebook and craigslist are the way to go. Still no human required, no fees, good response rate.

Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#197

Post by seneca »

boringg wrote: post #178
sudopluto wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as a student in boston where brokers take 1 month rent for doing exactly *nothing*, i welcome the idea of automating away these leaches. edit: fb marketplace might get the brokers first, most of my friends found their places via landlords posting there

Your comments are the perfect example of the short term positive news wave they can generate. Thank you for validating.

> Your comments are the perfect example of the short term positive news wave they can generate. Thank you for validating.

This kind of lazy snark comment degrades this community.

Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#198

Post by sudopluto »

boringg wrote: post #178
sudopluto wrote: post #172

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as a student in boston where brokers take 1 month rent for doing exactly *nothing*, i welcome the idea of automating away these leaches. edit: fb marketplace might get the brokers first, most of my friends found their places via landlords posting there

Your comments are the perfect example of the short term positive news wave they can generate. Thank you for validating.

i don't care if a tech company extracts a fee, as

1) the process will likely be much better then texting a broker: virtual apartment layouts, ability to see profiles for roommates, no bait and switch of "that unit just got taken buuuuuuuuuuuttttt i have this crappy one that is still available just for you!"

2) the fee they charge will be less than brokers. no way would someone handover a month's rent to some company who's only interaction with you is via chatbot

---- edit ----

i have nothing against brokers. but if these companies innovate and force the brokers to actually provide value again in the internet age, then that's a win for everyone.

Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#199

Post by boringg »

beisner wrote: post #185
boringg wrote: post #159

Caretaker: The redfin of brokers. Take all the value for themselves freeze out the brokers (who provide a service but are universally disdained). Ride that wave of positive news for a couples years. Eventually everyone will hate the fraction of the market Caretaker has as they raise prices to make investors happy and people realize there are problems. It's like the same idea of Uber and Lyft. Less human involvement =…

If they bring permanent change to the market and lead to the elimination of rental brokers entirely, I don't care what replaces it.

Shouldn't you always care what replaces it?

Re: We replaced rental brokers with software and filled 200 vacant apartments

#200

Post by boringg »

admax88q wrote: post #190
boringg wrote: post #159

Caretaker: The redfin of brokers. Take all the value for themselves freeze out the brokers (who provide a service but are universally disdained). Ride that wave of positive news for a couples years. Eventually everyone will hate the fraction of the market Caretaker has as they raise prices to make investors happy and people realize there are problems. It's like the same idea of Uber and Lyft. Less human involvement =…

Stop letting perfect be the enemy of good.

Unrelated as I'm not saying anything is perfect or aspiring to that - I'm just showing the pattern of how the business operates.
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