Everybody knows that social media and online communities are an essential part of every modern apartment hunter’s gig bag.
Unfortunately, that’s also part of the problem.
How many times have you seen your dream apartment or room share pop up on Craigslist, Facebook or Twitter, right in your price range and in the perfect part of town, only to find out it’s gone before you get a chance to make a move? Not only would staying on top of every apartment you’re interested in be a more-than-full-time job, it’d also take more than 24-hours a day, even with a dedicated team of digital diggers and personal assistants (which most of us don’t have).
Luckily, there’s still Instagram, which is becoming another valuable apartment hunting tool. With Instagram being slightly less-known as an apartment hunting resource, it can be easier to find great places and to get them, when you do. Here are a few tactics for how to use Instagram to find an apartment (or to find a roommate or sublet).
Method #1: Follow Rental Properties And Apartment Finders
The first way to use Instagram to find your dream home is pretty similar to any other social media network – just type ‘apartment hunt’ or ‘apartments for rent’ into the Search Box on Instagram, and follow some of the accounts you’ll find there. Likewise, if you have a specific apartment complex, landlord or building in your area that you like, start following their Instagram feed.
Or take a look at feeds like @apartminty in the DC area, for more apartment inspirations. Apartminty’s feed leans more towards interior design and decor, with the occasional listing or availability popping up. If anything, subscribing to feeds like these in your area will help lift your spirits, keeping you bright and optimistic, for the apartment hunt ahead.
Method #2: Hashtag Search
A lot of the available apartments that make their way to Instagram don’t make their way to a dedicated Apartment Rental feeds. Instead, try browsing through some pertinent hashtags, for an insider’s scoop on vacancies others might not yet be aware of.
For long distance hunters, you can narrow things down to where you’re looking to move, by trying #apartmenthunt_, followed by the name of where you’re trying to move, or some abbreviated form thereof. For instance, Portland, Or., where I live and hunt, is often abbreviated PDX. Usually, people use some variant of whatever the airport abbreviation is for that city.
On that note, another hashtag search method is to use that same abbreviation, followed by ‘rentals’. For Portland, it’d be #pdxrentals, or #NYCRentals for New York City. These tend to be less populated hashtags, so there’s less content to wade through.
Method #3: Stalk Your Potential New Roommate
Let’s be honest – we all do it! Once you’ve secured an interview for a room for rent or roommate situation, it can’t hurt to know a little bit about who you’re going to be living with. Not only can looking at your potential new roomie’s Instagram feed give you an idea of their personality – their likes, dislikes, pet peeves, and perks – it’ll also give you an idea of some common ground to talk about, during your meeting. Remember to use sparingly, and judiciously, lest you come across as some kind of digital spy/fed, like Elliot Anderson from Mr. Robot.
These are just a few of the many ways you can use Instagram to find your dream apartment! What are a few of your favorite Instagram accounts to follow, when you’re apartment hunting? What hashtags have been the most helpful, during your apartment search? Let us know in the comments!
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