How it works
A free Austin apartment locator, explained: who pays me, what you get, and how to keep it free when you tour.
Get my video shortlist
Who pays
Austin apartment communities pay licensed locators a referral fee when a renter they sent signs a lease. It comes out of the property's marketing budget, the same budget that pays for listing ads and signs. You pay the same rent you would walking in on your own, and you never get a bill from me.
That is also why I'm blunt about catches. I'm paid when you sign somewhere, not by any one building, so it costs me nothing to tell you a place has a fee stack that wipes out its special.
What you get
- A shortlist built around youThree to six buildings that fit your budget, move date, areas and must-haves, usually the same day.
- A video tour of each oneEvery building on this site has a walkthrough, filmed by Alexa (@apartmentsbyalexa), so you can rule places out from your couch.
- The real monthly numberBase rent, the special spread across the lease, and the required monthly fees, so you compare like with like.
- Tours, lined upBack to back on one day, with me or on your own. I send the property a guest card so they know you're coming from me.
- A check before you applyWhich unit the special covers, the deposit and admin fee, the best lease length, and whether the price in the portal matches the quote.
How to keep it free when you tour
Properties credit the locator who is named at your first visit or on your first guest card. If you tour on your own, text me first so I can register you, or tell the leasing office that Alexander with Relive Realty (license 846385) referred you, before you fill anything out, and text me the units you liked. If you've already visited somewhere, tell me; I'll still help you compare it.
Credit, pets and other complications
Approval rules aren't posted online, and they vary a lot. Some buildings approve lower credit scores with a larger deposit or a guarantor; some accept a broken lease after a year; pet limits differ by building and by the property's insurance. Tell me what you're working with in the form. It stays between us, and it lets me skip the places that would say no.
Licensed and accountable
I'm Alexander, a Texas real estate sales agent, TREC license 846385, with Relive Realty (TREC broker 9015474). The Texas Real Estate Commission's Information About Brokerage Services and Consumer Protection Notice are linked at the bottom of every page.
Locator questions
Who pays an apartment locator in Austin?
The apartment community. When you sign a lease through a licensed locator, the property pays the locator's brokerage a referral fee, usually a share of one month's rent. It is a marketing cost for the property, like an ad, and is not added to your rent.
Is an apartment locator the same as a real estate agent?
In Texas, yes: apartment locators who are paid for referrals must hold a real estate license with the Texas Real Estate Commission and work under a licensed broker. I am licensed (TREC 846385) with Relive Realty.
Do I have to sign anything with you?
No contract to start. You get the shortlist and the tours for free. When you apply, the property asks how you heard about them, and you name me.
What if I already toured a place without you?
Most properties only credit the locator named at your first visit, so I may not be able to be paid there. I'll still help you compare it honestly against the others.
Does using a locator get me a better price?
Your rent is the same either way, because the property sets it. What I add is knowing which buildings have the biggest specials this week, which units they apply to, which lease length prices best, and what the fees really add up to.
Get my video shortlist
Tell me what you need. I send back three to six apartments, each with its tour video, real rent and fees, within a few hours, 8am to 9pm. Free to you: apartment communities pay locators, not renters.