Nina Weikmann in an interview with Nadja Gontermann from Antenne 1 – tips for finding accommodation

Most people who have ever looked for an apartment in Stuttgart know how tough the process can be. It is either difficult to get a viewing appointment or to be selected as a new tenant.

Last May, our real estate agent Nina Weikmann surprisingly gave an interview to Nadja Gontermann from Hitradio Antenne 1. Hitradio Antenne 1 is a local radio station with its headquarters in Stuttgart. Antenne 1 is one of the strongest private radio stations in the state, not only because of its extensive broadcasting area in Baden-Württemberg, but also because of its approximately 1,079,000 listeners per day.

As an experienced real estate agent, Nina not only gave the audience tips to increase their chances of viewing and then finding their dream home. She also talked about the no-gos that you should avoid in order to be remembered positively by estate agents.

Nina explains below to what extent the cover letter can be an exclusion criterion right from the start and what advice we give.

Transcript

Nadja Gontermann: The run on apartments in many cities in Baden Württemberg is like a bullfight every time, so today I’m asking an expert how we can increase our chances of getting the apartment of our dreams. With me is Nina Weikmann from Maile Immobilien Stuttgart. Hello Nina!

Nina Weikmann: Hello!

Nadja Gontermann : As estate agents, what do you perhaps also subliminally look for when people apply to you? What are your top three dos and don’ts, I would say, that you would advise people to do to make sure the apartment works out?

Nina Weikmann: Of course, the most important thing is that the documents are complete and in order, which is very important to us. At the appointment, we always say “Please send us the completed and signed self-disclosure form, including proof of salary and the credit report” so that we can then recommend the person to a landlord or owner based on their personal impression. I would say that’s point number 1. Point number 2 for me is speed, it’s just super important that you don’t wait three, four or five days to send me the documents, but I have to be honest, it’s usually decided the very next day. So if I have viewings in the evening, let’s say Wednesday evening, the decision is made on Thursday. The third point is respectful correspondence, that people know my name somewhere, that they spell it correctly when they send me a message on Immoscout and then give me a bit of information about themselves before the viewing appointment. What do I do for a living? Who is moving into the apartment with me? When can I move in? This is the kind of information I need to really make a selection, and those who do this naturally, who give me a lot of information, are more likely to be invited.

Nadja Gontermann: And what is the absolute no-go? What is a no-go?

Nina Weikmann: I can’t stand unpunctuality at all, because you have to put yourself in the other person’s shoes, I’m standing there, I’m really clocked in, 15-20 minutes and then if one or let’s say two or three people arrive late and don’t keep to the time, then that’s an incredibly stressful appointment for me and then I don’t remember them well.

Nadja Gontermann: That’s another good word to remember. Nina, thank you very much, now we’re definitely a bit smarter about how things might work out a bit better at the next apartment viewing. I wish you lots of nice viewings today, if there are any to come, and that you can make lots of people happy this week.

Nina Weikmann: Thank you very much!

Alternatively, you can listen to Nina’s interview with all the tips on finding an apartment on our Instagram channel