Why I Built LeaseAlert

Moving to New York is very exciting, but getting an apartment here is so stressful.

I moved here from out of state right in the middle of summer. I spent weeks glued to my phone, refreshing StreetEasy every ten minutes. It felt like every time I saw a place I liked, it was already gone. I’d send an email, and five minutes later I’d get a reply from the listing agent saying it had "just rented" or they were no longer taking applicants.

I felt completely helpless. I was hundreds of miles away, trying to compete with people who could show up at an open house in twenty minutes.

It Doesn't Get Easier

I thought once I actually lived here, the search would get easier. But after talking to friends, I realized everyone feels the same way. It doesn't matter if you're in Oklahoma or just across the bridge in Brooklyn, you can't stare at your phone 24/7.

The market moves too fast. If you have a job, a social life, or just need to sleep, you are going to miss listings.

Leveling the Field

I built LeaseAlert for myself because I was tired of losing out. I needed a way to know about new apartments the second they hit the market, without having to manually refresh a webpage all day.

It worked. I was one of the first people to reach out to the broker for my current apartment, and that speed is the only reason I got the lease.

I decided to open this up to everyone because finding your apartment in NYC shouldn't be a full-time job. Whether you're moving here for the first time or just moving neighborhoods, I hope this gives makes your moving process a little easier, and frees you up to live your life.