The Future of Apartment Locator Commissions: A 3-Part Industry SeriesOver the past few months,...
The Leading Advocate For Apartment Locators Since 2011
- About
What Is Apartment Locating?
Apartment locating is a specialized form of real estate representation focused on helping renters find the right apartment. A licensed apartment locator works as an intermediary between renters and apartment communities by understanding a renter’s needs, budget, location preferences, and timing, then matching them with suitable properties.
Locators research availability, compare pricing and amenities, explain leasing requirements, schedule tours, and guide renters through the application process—streamlining an otherwise time-consuming search. Apartment communities pay a regulated real estate commission only when a locator’s referral results in an executed lease and confirmed move-in, allowing renters to receive professional assistance at no cost while providing property owners with a compliant, performance-based source of qualified leads.
Years Advancing Professionalism, Ethics, and Standards in Apartment Locating
0
Setting the National Standard for Written Commission Disclosure & Locator Compliance
0
Brokers, Agents, and Property Managers Collaborating Nationwide
0
+
NAAL Code of Ethics & Standards of Practice
NAAL members are committed to conducting business in a manner that minimizes conflicts of interest, protects all parties, and supports lawful, transparent referral practices.
- Apartment Locators
Building a More Professional, Sustainable Future for Apartment Locators
The National Association of Apartment Locators exists because meaningful change in this industry does not happen in isolation. Individual locators can only go so far on their own, but when licensed professionals come together under shared standards, the industry gains a unified voice that property owners, managers, and regulators can take seriously. NAAL provides the structure needed to address long-standing issues like commission transparency, compliance, and inconsistent practices that no single company can solve alone.
Membership connects you to a growing group of apartment locators who believe professionalism, ethics, and clear standards are essential to the future of the business. By joining NAAL, you help strengthen the credibility of apartment locating nationwide and support initiatives designed to protect commissions, reduce disputes, and improve how locators work with apartment communities.
If the industry is going to evolve, it will only happen through collaboration. NAAL gives apartment locators a place to work together, advocate for better systems, and build a stronger, more sustainable future for the profession.
- Member Profiles
Find A Locator - Search Our Members
Owner/Broker , Apartment World
Ty Counts is an apartment locating legacy; he has apartment locating in his blood (literally)....
Apartment Locator , Serving all of Texas
Bad credit, evictions, felonies. I’ve seen it all. Solved it all too. I’m a licensed...
Realtor, Apartment Locator , Vortex Realty
Air Force Veteran 20 Years of Real Estate Experience
Real Estate Broker | Rental Specialist , RentDiggity.com
Hi, I’m Jackie! I help renters navigate the Kansas City rental market with clarity, care,...
Visionary and CEO , DavidTheLocator
Cheers! My name is David J. Moore aka DavidTheLocator. I am a native Houstonian. born...
Realtor & Locator , Austin City Living
Tiffany is passionate about helping people find their ”home” because where a person lives should...
REALTOR® , EXP Realty
For nearly two decades, I’ve had the privilege of being a trusted guide in the...
Apartment Locator , Relive Realty
Adrian Cadengo is a proud San Antonio native, devoted husband of 12 wonderful years, and...
- Property Relations Committee
Bridging the Gap With Strategic Partnerships
Apartment locators and property managers share the same goal: helping renters find the right apartment through a smooth, consistent leasing process. The NAAL Property Relations Committee strengthens these partnerships by improving communication, understanding operational challenges, and identifying ways locators can support onsite staff. Clear, standardized processes reduce repetitive tasks and interruptions, making leasing easier for staff and less stressful for renters.
One of the biggest challenges is the lack of a centralized system for sharing commission terms and referral instructions. The NAAL Commission Directory solves this problem by giving property managers a free, easy way to post commission rates, registration instructions, vendor compliance requirements, and invoice procedures—all in one place. Centralizing this information online eliminates follow-up, confusion, and administrative bottlenecks.
The committee’s goal is to improve occupancy and performance for communities that work with locators while reducing errors and ensuring compliance with state real estate laws and fair housing regulations. Because locators cannot legally post commissions on behalf of property owners, collaboration with leasing staff is essential. This isn’t about adding extra work—it’s about making the leasing process easier, more predictable, and more professional for everyone involved.
- Property Managers
Why Your Community Should Work With Locators
Locators bring immediate access to active renter demand.
Apartment locators maintain large, market-specific networks that include active apartment seekers, past clients, referral partners, marketing audiences, and inbound online leads—providing communities with exposure to renters who are ready to lease.
Locators pre-qualify prospects before they reach your leasing office.
Locators educate renters on pricing, availability, income requirements, fees, and application standards before tours occur, reducing unqualified traffic and making it easier for leasing teams to close qualified prospects.
Locator referrals are 100% performance-based.
Communities only pay a locator commission when a referral results in an executed lease and a confirmed move-in—there is no cost for exposure, inquiries, or unqualified leads.
Locator commissions are a cost-effective marketing channel.
Even a 100% commission of one month’s rent is only 8% of the gross value of the lease (a 50% commission is only 4%) which is significantly less than online advertising and ILS marketing fees.
Locators absorb all upfront marketing and lead-generation costs.
The locator covers the cost of advertising, client acquisition, prospect qualification, and follow-up, shifting risk away from the apartment community.
The long-term value of a locator referral extends beyond the first lease.
While locators are paid only on the initial lease, residents often renew for multiple years, increasing the lifetime value of the referral without additional commission expense.
- Free For The Entire Industry
NAAL Commission Directory
For decades, the apartment locating industry has been fragmented because each state has it’s own independent real estate laws. Apartment locating commissions have relied on verbally communicated information and informal processes rather than owner-posted, standardized written commission terms and referral instructions. While this approach became common practice over time, it no longer aligns with modern real estate law, licensing requirements, or risk management standards.
This year is a fundamental turning point for the apartment locating industry and it changes how locating services must operate nationwide. Effective 2025, all 50 states now require apartment locators to hold an active real estate license, which means locator referrals are no longer informal marketing arrangements—they are regulated real estate transactions. State licensing laws require that real estate compensation be in writing and issued by the party offering the commission. Apartment locating is unequivocally recognized as a regulated real estate activity. Written commissions, standardized processes, and nationwide transparency is now required.
Locators are legally prohibited from posting commission on a property’s behalf, so NAAL has taken the initiative to create a centralized commission directory and offer it to the entire industry for free. NAAL intentionally designed the Commission Directory to be simple, intuitive, and self-explanatory. No special training, approvals, or internal restructuring is required—posting or updating commission terms takes only a few minutes.
- Articles
Learn, Connect, and Grow Together
All 50 States Now Require Apartment Locators to Hold an Active Real Estate License - and Why This...
What Happens When Apartment Locators Can't Rely on Getting Paid /* Scoped to this CTA only...
Introducing the NAAL Commission Directory: A Better Way Forward for Apartment Locators /*...
Apartment Locator Members
Exclusive forms and resources created specifically for apartment locators to protect your referrals, reduce disputes, and build trust with properties.