Can you get an apartment?

Many students live at home after graduation: Investment broker TD Ameritrade found in a 2019 survey that roughly half of college graduates plan to move back in with their parents.

You may have already taken this step when your college closed its campus this spring. But that doesn’t mean you’ll want to live at home indefinitely — or be able to.

For example, you may need to relocate for a job. Although a June 2020 poll from NACE found that 66% of employers plan to start new graduate hires remotely, you may need to find a place while still social distancing.

“The industry has adapted,” says Meena Ziabari, chief operating officer and principal broker for Next Step Realty, a Manhattan-based real estate firm that helps new grads find apartments in New York City. “You should not be afraid of renting virtually.”

Choosing an apartment without seeing it in person may be unnerving. What if you arrive to find no hot water, a pest problem or an entire bait-and-switch?

“Do you get landlords who are a little funny or shady? Absolutely,” Ziabari says. But she adds there are laws in New York City on things like an apartment lacking heat — or a kitchen.

To help avoid undesirable outcomes, consider hiring a real estate broker. You may have to pay a broker’s fees; in New York City, these can cost you as much as 15% of a year’s rent, for example. But their relationships with landlords could make that cost worth it.

Ziabari also recommends having a trustworthy person who can check out places to live for you in person.