Using an Estate Agent

If you need to find a place to stay in a hurry, or you are unwilling to search for a property yourself, you may wish to consider using an estate agent. Estate agents have access to a wide range of rental properties, many of which may not be advertised anywhere else. You will need to have a meeting with the agent and explain exactly what you are looking for and how much you are willing to spend. You will usually need to pay the estate agent a fee: either a flat-rate charge or a percentage of the rental price. For this reason, many people consider using an estate agent an unnecessarily expensive way to find a place to stay. However, estate agents do offer you peace of mind, since they will search on your behalf, check the property before showing it to you and ensure that the rental contract is legal and fair.

Estate agents tend to specialise in finding houses for buyers, but will also offer properties for rent. You may find that agents have less experience of finding student properties, but more and more students and short-term renters are turning to estate agents for help since the property shortage worsened in the Netherlands. Finding a room in popular cities in the Netherlands can be very difficult, and you are advised to consider using an estate agent if you are searching for a specific property (perhaps in a certain area of Amsterdam); a specialised property (perhaps wheelchair friendly); or if you are coming to the Netherlands from another country and are uncomfortable searching alone.