Reliability / effectiveness of online resources for rental property hunt in HK

[pb1234]

And remember that only mugs pay 2 weeks rent to an agent, I have never used one that wouldn't accept a substantial cut in comission just by pointing out there is a lot of choice of agents here.

Is this really possible? Of course anything is possible in terms of negotiation but what I mean is if I finally find somewhere I like, if I try to cut the agent fee down significantly and they don't agree, its not like I can get that property from another agent easily? So I'd be back to square one searching for a property but through someone else.

Tips welcomed since clearly, I'm not keen on paying all that money for the agent simply showing me round some places.

[TheBrit]

Is this really possible? Of course anything is possible in terms of negotiation but what I mean is if I finally find somewhere I like, if I try to cut the agent fee down significantly and they don't agree, its not like I can get that property from another agent easily? So I'd be back to square one searching for a property but through someone else.

Negotiate fee before you see places. Or refuse to sign those bits of paper that probihit you using other agents after you see a property. Agents know they are a commodity and are literally a dime a dozen. Push them around - you are the customer.

[Gruntfuttock]

But not all of us have the ethics of a banker...

[TheBrit]

Whatever. If you think negotiating the price of a service before you use it is ethicially questionable then do continue to enjoy overpaying

[SalseroHK]

I have always happily paid the full agent fee (but we let the agent work for it).
Remember, the agent is NOT getting the whole fee, just a percentage, the rest goes to his company/boss!!

If the agent doesn't deserve the full fee you should look for a better agent.
Remember: you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Otherwise I agree, you need to do the homework (online) but then you really need to invest the time to go out there and look at flats (online is always outdated in HK). We recently rented in Sheung Wan and probably looked at 15-20 apartments (both in Sheung Wan and Midlevels which we were also considering). But we did tons and tons of online research and thinking.