Fall Pre-Leasing Season is Upon Us!

An Bui, who evangelizes electronic signature and electronic contract execution for DocuSign, has observed Fall Pre-Leasing in her neighborhood.

What is Fall Pre-Leasing?

Fall Pre-Leasing is the process by which students heading to school in the fall determine their fall semester housing. The typical steps of a pre-lease include:

1. Contact and develop a relationship with your leasing agent
2. Define what you’re looking for in a pre-lease: neighborhood desired, number of beds/baths, budget, pets, and any other must-haves
3. Have your rental application, deposit funds, application fees and parental guarantees (if necessary) lined up
4. Set aside a weekend for showings and multiple showings are rare, so be prepared to make decisions after only one showing.
5. Once you’ve been approved, sign the lease, keep a copy of the check-in/check-out sheet to document damage, get the information to transfer utilities into your name, and get renters insurance.

Fall pre-leasing can be stressful, especially when the renter is not local to the area. How can renters develop the relationships and sign all the necessary paperwork in a very limited amount of time?

With Social Media and DocuSign of course!

Many real estate agents participate in social media. Renters can use Twitter, Facebook and blogs to vet leasing agents and find ones to work with based on information the agents and others they’ve worked with provide. Renters, choose an agent whose style meshes with your own as well as one who is knowledgeable about the area. Parents who will be providing parental guarantees will also be able to vet the agent’s online reputation.

With DocuSign, you can sign all the contracts and associated paperwork remotely – that’s the power of electronic signature and online contract execution. All you need is a browser and internet connection. It’s fast, convenient, and means that you can get the deal done, regardless of where you are. You might be getting on a plane when the paperwork hits your inbox. You can sign before the cabin doors close and head home knowing that you got the apartment you wanted before you start school in the fall.

Make the Fall Pre-Leasing as smooth as possible by choosing an agent with whom you can quickly establish a rapport and an agent who knows that using DocuSign makes the process easier.