In New York City, most people who rent an apartment do so with a broker. Those of you who are moving from a place where they did not need to use a broker might find that a broker’s role is useless but it is not. They are there to help you with the headache of finding you your perfect home. Brokers aren’t salesmen, they are matchmakers.
In NYC there are thousands of buildings and for a renter to know which is best for him/her is naive. A broker or salesperson knows the inventory in and out, he/she knows which buildings to avoid, which allow pets, and which building has the specifics of what you are looking for. A broker also has access to all of the building in Manhattan whereas if a prospective renter tries to go door to door, they will find that many buildings only allow you to see the apartment with a broker.
Not only does a broker provide you unlimited access, a full range of choices, save you time, make sure the deal goes through, does the hard work of learning about the market full time, and directs you to where the best deals are. But they also teach you what to look for and many renters will find themselves using the same broker more than once throughout their stay in NYC.