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"You've decided that you're ready to rent a home. Perhaps you've been living in apartments for a long time and ready to move into a bigger space with a yard but aren't quite ready to commit to buying a home. Making a move like this generally suggests that you're looking for a home that you're going to be in for at least a short period of time and so you want to find a home that meets all of your needs. You can probably do this on your own, but would it be better to get the help of a realtor? Possibly.

Here are some things that might make you want to use a realtor to find your rental home:

' You're new to renting. If you're moving in to your first rental home and have previously lived in a parents' house or a dorm, you may not know what you need to look for in a rental home. A realtor can not only make sure that you get all of your rental needs met and get the best deal for your situation but will also take you through all of the steps in the process so that you'll have that knowledge when renting future homes.

' You are moving to a new city. If you're moving to a location that you aren't familiar with, it's usually a wise idea to get the assistance of a realtor for finding your rental home. Your realtor will be able to answer questions about the safety of a neighborhood as well as let you know about its proximity to schools, public transportation and area nightlife. These things can take awhile to research on your own so you may save time (and heartache) by using a realtor.

' Negotiating rental terms is difficult for you. Most landlords expect that you will attempt to negotiate certain terms of your rental agreement. You'll try to get a lower rate or at least a lower deposit, you'll want some leniency on the 'no pets' clause or you'll want to clarify points about maintenance of the home. If you aren't good at negotiating these things, you might just accept the rental agreement as is which is usually not a good idea. A realtor can do these negotiations for you which will get you the best lease without harming your relationship with the new landlord.

' You don't have the time to find your rental home. Perhaps you're a busy professional with too much on your plate and you can't be looking through rental ads all day long. Hiring a realtor who will listen to your needs and find you the right homes to look at can save significantly on the time involved in the process.

A Realtor's job is to figure out what your needs are and then meet those needs while getting you the best possible lease agreement on your new rental home. If you are new to renting (or new to renting in a particular area) or you just don't have the time or ability to find and negotiate on your new home, then a realtor could be a great way to go. You want to find the home that you want to live in and it's never a bad thing to ask for a little help."