Why Won’t the Broker Give Me the Exact Address? (Tip #32)

Why is the NYC broker not giving me the exact address before we meet?

Typically, when you find an apartment you like on the internet, you want to see it. If the broker is representing the landlord on on the listing, you will likely ask where the apartment is located. The agent may tell you something like: “Why don’t we meet at the corner of 1st avenue and 50th street?” So you start scratching your head and ask “Can’t we just meet at the building?” (since it’ll be easier that way, especially if it is cold outside). But the broker says “Sorry, I can’t give you the exact address.”

Why is this?

There are a number of reasons why brokers may not want to give you the exact address.  Let’s have a look at them.  The first one is obvious, but the other reasons may surprise you.

NOTE: To search for NYC apartments go to frele.com (free service).  Or, click for more rental tips

First off, unfortunately many rental websites in NYC do NOT publicly display the exact addresses.  (We explain which ones do and do not her: Top 6 NYC Rental Websites).  But good news.  Our rental websites Frele and Leasebreak require every listing to publicly display the exact address.  So you should never have this problem when searching for NYC apartments on these websites. However, other websites continue to allow brokers and landlords to post apartments without the street address.

5 Reasons Why Brokers Don’t Give You the Exact Address

1. Don’t Go Behind My Back. The obvious reason for not giving out the exact address is that the broker may be afraid of being cheated on by the prospective renter. That is, if you know the exact address – the fear goes – you might go behind the broker’s back, head straight to the landlord, and view the apartment without having to pay the broker a commission.  
2. Sign The Fee Agreement in an Office Setting.  To make sure they get paid, the broker will first have you sign a fee agreement. In this document it is stated that they have to get paid for any properties they show you if you decide to move forward with any of them. So, it will be easier for them to make you sign an agreement at their office than on a street corner.
3. The Apartment May Not Be Available. As explained in our blog post about open listings versus exclusive listings, an apartment with an open listing usually means that the broker has to first confirm with the landlord if the apartment is still available and how it can be shown. You likely don’t know about all of this “behind the scenes” action, and the broker knows this.  So, in the case that the apartment is not available, they can just show you different apartments.  This is much easier to do if they just meet you on a street corner instead of giving you the exact address.  This avoids the awkward discussion at the building of why the apartment you inquired about is no longer available.
4. Don’t Tell Other Brokers. Maybe the broker thinks you’re working with other brokers. Sometimes renters work with multiple brokers.  If they tell you the exact address, they fear that you might tell another broker about it, and that broker can often look up the unit in their database, and take you to the apartment instead.
5. Bait and Switch. In a worst case scenario, the listed apartment may not exist at all. Since the apartment would be fake in this case, there is no exact address to give you! Of course, this type of behavior is extremely unethical (see our blog post about bait and switch). Thankfully, most real estate agents do not practice this sales tactic.
   

All of the above (with the exception of number 5) are reasonable explanations as to why brokers refuse to give the address. However, it is still very frustrating for renters.  This is why we only allow apartments to be displayed on Frele and Leasebreak if listers publicly display the exact address.  

For more NYC rental tips, please go to frele.com/learn.

This article was written by:
Phil Horigan, NYC Real Estate Veteran
Founder, Frēlē, the free and honest NYC rental marketplace
Producer, Phil’s NYC Rental Tips [YouTube Channel]
Blogger: flowfreely.com
Instagram: @philiphorigan

Phil has been a licensed NYC real estate agent since 2004 working for some of the top real estate brokerage firms in the industry.  He founded Leasebreak.com in 2013, and Frēlē in 2017.  Frēlē and Leasebreak are free and transparent rental marketplaces to search for or post apartments for rent in NYC

Go to frele.com to search for NYC apartments (free service).