It’s true that the Internet has made looking for an apartment as easy as point, click, visit, rent, but there are other ways that you can find even more properties that may not have placed ads online and in the newspaper yet. It is called the walk around method, and it is exactly what it sounds like. Of course, this method only works in an area that is conducive to walking. Areas that are compact, pedestrian friendly and areas that have the right weather. Cities that are known for having serious sprawl problems, such as Atlanta and Houston aren’t going to work, but more compact downtown areas like New York, San Francisco and Vancouver are perfect candidates. The walk around method works by allowing you to scout out a particular neighborhood and see every vacancy sign that is out. Almost all building managers place ads either online at major apartment sites or through sites like Craigslist, or in newspapers, but sometimes, if you’re lucky, you’ll catch a vacancy sign on the first day it appears and you can get in to that unit before they have even had a chance to list it. An important tip is to make sure that you have a map with you so you don’t waste time going over areas that you’ve already seen. It is a labor intensive way to find a new apartment, but if you have the time, you can really get an advantage over everyone else!