Ten questions you need answered before selecting a rental agency. The more often an agency updates its listings, the better your chance of being first to know about a place. Skip 'em if it's anything less than once a day.
Some landlords list their vacancies with many agencies at once.
It's a good blanket concept. But that means you may be stuck with a lot of repeats if you're with more than one agency. Ask about the percentage of exclusive listings, and ask how that's calculated. Obviously a phone room's a great benefit because you can call as soon as you see a listing. If it's not free, you'll want it to be cheap.