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New Facebook service aims to make apartment hunting easier

By
November 28, 2017 at 5:30 a.m. EST
(Richard Vogel/AP)

Technology has already transformed the search for an apartment and a roommate along with every other social interaction. Tech companies have been entering the real estate market for a while now, disrupting the traditional method of working with a real estate agent or broker to find a place to live. Before that, Craigslist began connecting renters and owners without agents.

Now Facebook, which has more than 2 billion global users per month, has opened its Marketplace to partner with two rental listing services in the United States: Apartment List and Zumper. Both rental listing companies have already integrated their information into Facebook Marketplace.

More than 70 percent of visitors to Apartment List are searching for an apartment using their mobile phone, so Chris Erickson, chief operating officer and co-founder of Apartment List, says this partnership is a natural fit.

New online services help you find the right apartment in your price range

Prospective renters can filter their search on the Marketplace by location, price, number of bedrooms and bathrooms, property type, square footage, and whether the rental is pet-friendly.

Photos are available to preview rentals.

Interested renters fill out an online contact form to reach the property manager or agent. Property owners or managers must list their rental with either Apartment List or Zumper to have their property listed.

On the purchase side, individuals can list their homes for sale on the Facebook Marketplace and real estate agents commonly promote their listings on their Facebook pages.

The home sales feature is gradually being introduced on Facebook Marketplace in the United States and only via the company’s mobile app.

To search for an apartment, go to Facebook.com/marketplace/learn-more.

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