Renters Power Up Their Home Hunt with ApartmentSearch com
Released on = June 28, 2007, 10:49 am
Press Release Author = CORT
Industry = Consumer Services
Press Release Summary = Online Apartment Search Site Leads Industry in Providing Broad Range of Rental and Related Services
Press Release Body = FAIRFAX, VA (June 28, 2007) - Apartment seekers looking for online help have a number of Web sites to choose from, but only one - ApartmentSearch.com - combines the best listings and tools with support from experienced, licensed residential leasing professionals and the backing of CORT, the country's leading furniture rental, apartment location and relocation services company.
Not only does ApartmentSearch have a broad selection of apartments, condos, lofts and town homes across the nation - more than 3.4 million listings in 17,000 communities - it offers customers an integrated suite of transition services that only CORT can provide. ApartmentSearch, formerly RelocationCentral, is used by hundreds of thousands of people each month. The rapid growth among users is also driving popularity among apartment management companies recognizing the benefits of working with CORT and its nationwide sales force helping individuals and companies in transition. In fact, CORT has 10 percent of the nation's rental housing under contract for referrals. Apartment seekers may turn to ApartmentSearch for assistance in obtaining furniture, housewares, appliances and a rapidly growing array of solutions to help customers settle into a new home. The broad range of services include area tours virtually anywhere in the nation with local-market experts who can help find an ideal location and provide advice to find a manageable commute to work and an apartment that is convenient to schools, shopping, recreation and other amenities. Other services include: . Discounted rates on hotels and extended stay units, with more than 70,000 available throughout the nation . Connecting utilities, including cost comparisons and discounts . Ordering Internet and cable or satellite TV services . Renting a car . Identity theft recovery services
"No other online apartment search service even comes close to the transition services offered by CORT through ApartmentSearch," said Ed MacFadyen, CORT's chief information officer. "We placed more than 16,000 renters in apartments last year." ApartmentSearch also constantly searches for the most current promotions and specials, so site users have access to the most competitive rates in town. Also, users have access the most accurate listings of available apartments that are regularly updated. A Win-Win-Win Proposition ApartmentSearch.com's success is due, in part, to the fact that would-be renters pay nothing to use the site's services. Everything from viewing listing and floor plans, comparing rates and amenities of different apartments, downloading moving tools, arranging area tours, connecting utilities and even help recovering from identity theft is free to ApartmentSearch.com users. Apartment communities pay a commission to the site when site users sign a lease. What's more, ApartmentSearch.com offers individuals rebates of up to $200 in cash or furniture rental/purchase credit for renting apartments through the site. ApartmentSearch also provides a unique value that supplements the conventional marketing methods of apartment listing magazines in local markets. People seeking to move to another apartment in the same city may find the apartment listing magazines useful, but people moving to a new city do not typically have access to those publications or have local knowledge of the area. ApartmentSearch reaches those potential residents beyond the reach of local market media. In addition, CORT's national sales force works with many of the largest companies in the world, including 80 percent of the Fortune 500, to provide apartment community owners and managers with potential residents that they cannot typically reach any other way. While ApartmentSearch.com is beneficial to both renters and apartment communities, CORT also expects it to be a key driver in the company's future success. "ApartmentSearch is a key component in how the company is going to grow over the next decade," MacFadyen said. "Our work in the past decade has helped us get here. It takes a lot of work and a national presence to establish relationships with more than 17,000 apartment communities - far more than our competitors. We have established a win-win situation for our partners. CORT has a 35 year relationship with the apartment industry, and we are a trusted partner who provides high-quality service. Now, we are able to provide access to corporate customers from outside their local markets - people who they never really had a chance to reach before. We are the only online apartment search service that has a national sales force calling on the largest companies in America."
About CORT CORT is a Berkshire Hathaway Inc. company (NYSE: BRK.A and BRK.B). For more than 35 years, CORT has been a leading provider in rental furniture, accessories and related services in the "rent-to-rent" furniture industry for companies and individuals. CORT customers include more than 80 percent of the Fortune 500 companies. CORT has more than 2,500 employees in 34 states with offices in every major metro market. In addition, CORT has an expanding global presence with affiliates in more than 50 countries. For more information about CORT, visit www.cort.com Media Contact Brandon Bryce Largemouth Communications (for CORT) 919-459-6451 or brandon@largemouthpr.com
Scott Yates Largemouth Communications (for CORT) 919-459-6452 or scott@largemouthpr.com