Apartments.com National Survey Reveals Ninety-six Percent of Renters Are Moving in...

Apartments.com National Survey Reveals Ninety-six Percent of Renters Are
Moving in 2009

The Majority of Moves Are Motivated by New Locations and Better Bargains

CHICAGO, Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The apartment rental market is facing
challenges like never before. For the first time in six years, apartment
rents are down nationwide and vacancies continue to climb.(1) Adding to this
market pressure is competition felt from the "shadow market" or a surge of
investor-owned homes and condos that account for almost half of the rental
stock, expanding the national rental supply.(2) Despite these recent
obstacles, a national Apartments.com survey found that an overwhelming
majority of renters are still looking for a new place to live this year and
more than half are planning to pay the same or more in rent.

In January, Apartments.com conducted a national survey to more than 1,600
renters on their 2009 moving plans including whether or not they are choosing
to move, why they are moving and if they expect to pay more, the same or less
for rent. Nearly 96 percent of renters surveyed said they are moving in 2009
and 53 percent said they plan to pay the same or more in rent.

Moving to a new neighborhood or city topped the list of why renters said they
are moving this year, but many also want more for their money and are willing
to negotiate. Apartments.com lists the top five moving motivators renters
provided during this survey:
1. New neighborhood or city
2. Apartment upgrade and more on-site amenities
3. Rental incentives
4. Employment
5. Rent increase, income decrease and job loss

The majority of renters conduct their apartment search online. In fact,
approximately 90 percent of renters surveyed by Apartments.com said they will
search multiple apartment Web sites for their next apartment this year. For
those renters planning a 2009 move, Apartments.com has provided the following
three tips to ensure their online search experience is productive:
1. Do not put all your eggs in one basket - Do your homework. When
looking
for a place to live, it is important to search a variety of rental
resources. Compare apartment listings on multiple apartment search Web
sites for a comprehensive set of options. Apartments.com provides a
comprehensive database of more than three million apartment listings
from
around the country.
2. Look before you leap - Go online to get inside an apartment. Searching
online allows apartment seekers to get inside of an apartment and view
community features conveniently from their computer. Viewing
professional photography, floorplans and video walk through
demonstrations online streamlines the apartment search process. By
taking advantage of these visuals, renters can make appointments to
view
apartment communities where they are truly interested in living.
3. Get easy access to real-time rentals - Go online for easy access to
apartment listings and flexibility. Not only is it free, but renters
do
not have to register at Apartments.com. Whether moving down the street
or across the country, online rental search sites create easy access
for
renters to view millions of apartments from around the country. Need
to
make a quick move? Rental search Web sites enable time-crunched
renters
to put an apartment on hold or even complete the leasing process from
the
convenience of a computer.

For more moving tips, read "The Costs of Moving - A Quick Checklist"
(http://living.apartments.com/apartment-basics/the-costs-of-moving-a-quick-checklist/)
located in the "Apartment Living" section on Apartments.com.

As part of its monthly "What Renters Want" research series, Apartments.com
surveys renters on various topics. For more information on these surveys or
to receive a copy of additional survey results, please contact Tammy Kotula at
tkotula@apartments.com.

Sources:
1. Reis Inc., New York City-based real-estate research company, 2008
2. "National Apartment Report" by Marcus & Millichap Real
Estate Investment Services, 2008

About Apartments.com
Apartments.com (http://www.apartments.com/) is the most visited national
apartment Internet listing subscription service with more than 50,000 unique
addresses representing more than three million rental units from managed
properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner properties. With
personalized searches, highly visual ads featuring "Walk Through Video,"
"Apartments.com Anywhere" mobile solutions, 360-degree virtual tours,
professional photography, and comprehensive community listings, Apartments.com
makes it possible for renters to access apartment rental inventory from across
town or across the country. Leads from highly qualified ready-to-rent
prospects are delivered to Apartments.com customers, increasing closure rates
and decreasing the average cost of leasing an apartment. The Web site's
foundation of solid partnerships with the local newspaper and television
station Web sites of more than 1,000 newspaper affiliate and strategic
partners across the country include Yahoo! Real Estate, AOL Real Estate,
Univision (www.univision.com), the Chicago Tribune (www.chicagotribune.com),
The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com) and the Los Angeles Times
(www.latimes.com). Apartments.com is a division of Chicago-based Classified
Ventures, LLC. Additionally, Apartments.com owns and operates Apartment Home
Living (http://www.apartmenthomeliving.com), a leading social media apartment
Web site distinguished by a "live for fun" community experience, proprietary
lifestyle matching and local living guides to help renters find their perfect
place to live.

SOURCE Apartments.com

Tammy Kotula, Public Relations & Promotions Manager of Apartments.com,
+1-312-601-5249, tkotula@apartments.com