Gatekeepers

It is amazing how often I find myself in this position. A need, identified and well contemplated. A solution, within reach. A human being, standing in between us. Being a broker in this city must be tough work. I believe that what they do can add value to the equation; I simply have not experienced it yet. I spent a couple of exhausted evenings after work last week following a young broker around east Manhattan. She seemed to know what she was doing. All it amounted to was seeing apartments that were either completely unaffordable and beyond my price ceiling or nearly impossible to fit inside. That was disappointing, but I did get to establish a barometer to aid my search. Tomorrow, I will meet another broker in the east village. I hope to see a place in east midtown that is a fantastic deal. Well, it appears to be a fantastic deal, but she is unwilling to disclose her fee, or the address of the place. I don't blame her, because if I found the place without her I could save a lot of money. The completed application on my bed is for an apartment I found on my own in the upper east side. I spoke directly with the building's management company and they faxed me an application. It's really a shame. The person who did the most work for me will end up getting nothing out of it. Someone has said that "she didn't do her job, then." Even though I believe we could have found a place if she had listened to me, I still don't believe she did nothing. Because tomorrow, when I meet with the hostile broker who I am terrified will waste my time, I will look back on all the apartments the first broker showed me as a means to making a decision. Part of me wants to say no to this place for her sake, even if it is perfect for us. How messed up is that? In the end, I have a sneaking suspicion that no broker will benefit from the time they invest in me. I would feel bad, I think, if they weren't necessary to the hunt. Tomorrow's broker stands as a gatekeeper. There is no way around her. I must let her show me the apartment, and if I choose it, I must pay her as if she is credited all the work of the other. Hopefully New York brokers plan on losing some.