FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS
how far in advance shall we start working together?
Our Full Rental Search Service is ideally engaged at least 6 weeks (and up to 6 months) before you need to start your lease. Shorter time-frames may be accommodated subject to availability. This service requires a minimum of three weeks.
If you need a home to move into within the next 1 - 3 weeks, our Express Service is ideal, however this is a limited service and so it’s not suitable for everyone.
We also offer application assistance as a stand-alone service. This service should be purchased at least one week before you need to secure a home.
can we inspect the properties?
Absolutely! You may inspect your potential new home if you’re able to, or else we’re delighted to inspect on your behalf and forward you a detailed summary with images.
"We were absolutely delighted to find Melissa. She brought a professional and compassionate face to the challenge that we faced trying to find somewhere for our sons to rent. Not living in Sydney and facing a lot of competition, to work with someone who not only knows the market but is also great to get along with meant so much to us."
what if we find the property?
If you’ve engaged our service to find a home for you, then we’ll devote time exclusively for your property search and so our fee is non-refundable if you find a home via your own efforts.
Why should we use "find my rental property"?
In difficult rental markets, we know how to position you for the most successful rental outcome possible. Every day, we help renters like you find and secure great rental homes and clients find that we have a natural flair for matching them with their ideal home. Clients also appreciate our success: we prepare high-quality applications that are approved without fuss and time and time again, our clients are prioritised by property managers who are delighted to work with us.
We know precisely what to look for in evaluating a home - both online and in the flesh. We have substantial experience and training in real estate, and as a licensed real estate agent, relocations agent and buyer's agent, I know how the industry works and how to secure the right rental home for you. The average tenant simply does not have the know-how, experience and time to skillfully and efficiently secure the best property. The average tenant rents a handful of homes in their entire life. I rent homes for my clients every week.
Savvy Landlords have agents to manage their investment properties on their behalf because they realise the value of a skilled advocate. Ironically, renters are often left out in the cold, unrepresented. At Find My Rental Property, we believe tenants need someone on their side! We don’t merely do what you can do yourself: we add additional valuable dimensions of property evaluation and skill in knowing how to help you secure your home. We know the right questions to ask and you can rely on our advice being spot on, always.
who are your clients?
Our clients are people who are seeking to appoint their very own renter’s agent to find them a rental home. Some are relocating to Sydney and other parts of NSW; others live in the area they’re moving to but are time-poor, some have limited mobility or are unwell or elderly or with young children, while other clients have had a poor experience with finding a rental property in the past. And, others know just how time-consuming and stressful it is to find a home and really just want a professional do the hard work for them. Whatever your situation, we’re here to help!
I’ll admit I was a little skeptical of the whole thing but I can’t argue with the results, it has certainly been the easiest and least stressful move I’ve done in 11 years
what areas do you cover?
We cover all of Sydney and NSW: Eastern Suburbs, Upper and Lower North Shore, Northern Beaches, Inner West, St George, Sutherland Shire, Canterbury / Bankstown area, West (Parramatta area), North West (Hills Shire), South West (Campbelltown area). We also cover all of: Central Coast, Southern Highlands, Blue Mountains, Illawarra, Newcastle and all other parts of NSW.
what is the fee and how do we pay?
Payment is conveniently made by electronic bank transfer.
Our e-Book is priced at $55 and offers a comprehensive guide on finding and renting a home independently, providing all of the essential information you need.
Our application review service ranges from $150 - $250 + GST per person.
Our fees for rental search range from $900 - $4,000 + GST. Our fee is determined by the service that you need and the complexity and time required for its provision. Enquire here for further information and to obtain an accurate quote.
“We wasted money and time and became very nervous about finding a property in time. Thankfully we found Melissa. As soon as we started with Melissa we were impressed with her professionalism, organisation and attention to detail. Melissa's professional approach and attention to detail gave us great confidence. In the second weekend of searching Melissa found us (and our dog Allie) a house in the middle of our search area and right on budget. Thank you Melissa.”
For both of us, it is important that we can be confident of finding the best possible home. We’ll take time to explore all of your must-haves and nice-to-haves so that we’re both clear on what will make a great home for you. There are no guarantees in any property search but if your property requirements, location and budget are aligned and realistic then there should be no problem finding you a home. If we did encounter problems despite setting out with an achievable brief, we would recommend options to ensure a successful outcome. These situations are very rare. The NSW rental market is incredibly challenging. Naturally, we can’t change the market, but we know how to navigate it to give you the best chance. We’ll be honest and let you know of any risks (including what you might need to be flexible on to meet your ideal location, requirements or budget), provide options and support you in your informed decisions.
how can we be sure that you’ll find a home we love?
“I simply told Melissa what I wanted and didn't want and within a week, she had found me the most perfect home through her contacts. This was a home that wasn't advertised, so I know I couldn't have found this home on my own.”
will my application succeed?
Nobody is perfect and you may be worried that your situation will cause issues for your successful application. We will work with you no matter what your circumstances and ask that you be honest and up-front with us so that we can guide how to present your application in the most favourable light. There is no situation we haven’t encountered and given accurate information on your situation, we’ll know the best possible way forward in whatever situation you face. 100% applications that are prepared to our recommended standard meet a property manager’s standard to pass to a landlord for approval and no matter what your circumstances, we’ll offer the best possible advice for a successful application.
What is the advantage of having you search for us?
What you see online is usually not how the property will look in the flesh. Perhaps those photos are 14 years old. Perhaps tenants never stay in that home longer than 2 months. Perhaps the home has been on the market for 6 months. This, and so much more, we will know. Your own online search is actually very limited compared with the property intel that I access. Every week, we evaluate literally hundreds of homes for our clients. We’re incredibly skilled at separating the duds from the great homes to ensure that we’re only inspecting - and therefore renting - the very best home for your needs. As a renter, your access to information about a property of interest is significantly limited to what you can see on the online ad. This means you’ll need to inspect lots of unsuitable homes before you find the one that’s right for you. Our access to substantial additional information allows us to zoom in on the right homes and accurately eliminate all others.
Do you work with everyone?
There are a few reasons why we might decline to work with a client:
Their move time-frame is too short for our service to be provided;
We’re currently working with another client whose brief is too similar to yours: this would create a conflict of interest with two represented clients vying for similar properties;
We’re fully booked;
We don’t assist with short-term accommodation or find rooms in share houses.
"It has been a daunting process and I have appreciated your support. I would have no hesitating in recommending your service. Thanks again for your help in finding us such a lovely home to rent. You offer a great service. I am relieved knowing that we have secured the property."
Have a question that’s not answered above?
You can email me here.