1995—Successful local real estate professionals, Ralph Barocas and Larry Rosenberg, found Apartments Illustrated, Inc. Seeing a way to utilize new technology to fill a need in the marketplace, the team targets the no broker fee niche.
1996—Company launches a series of no broker fee websites, such as Apartments-Today.com, RentNY.com, Rent-Direct.com and Affordable-Apartments.com to test the market and create a grounds well of interest in its online apartment information service business model. Based on traffic and sales, Rent-Direct.com emerges as the brand of choice and the company officially directs all marketing efforts to that URL.
1999—Rent-Direct.com partners with RentNet.com to provide New York Metro no-broker-fee apartment content.
2000—Rent-Direct.com partners with NewYork.Citysearch.com and Homestore.com (the world’s largest real estate website) to provide New York Metro no fee apartment content.
2001—Company nominated by industry peer, The Cartis Corporation, for prestigious Crain’s Small Business Award.
2002—Rent-Direct.com launches Rent-DirectLandlords.com allowing landlords to list their apartments directly into Rent-Direct.com's marketplace of potential apartment renters. This back-end interface allows landlords to offer incentives, reduce or raise rents, add new buildings, perform comparative market analysis (CMA) reports, and run credit reports.
2003—Due to steady growth, the company expands and moves to it's new corporate headquarters at 101 Fifth Avenue in New York's Flatiron District. New loft offices can hold 40+ employees. Designed to accommodate the needs of apartment renters coming from out-of-town or locals without Internet access, members can use the office as “home base” to search for apartments and set appointments using the company's computers and phones free of charge.
2003—Rent-Direct.com partners with real estate giant Apartments.com to power its NYC apartment search engine, further increasing Rent-Direct.com’s web reach.
2003—Rent-Direct.com introduces new revenue channel targeting its wide base of landlords with “Premium Placement” advertising. Based on positive feedback, company will officially launch landlord Premium Placement program 2Q 2004.
2004—Company launches new version of Rent-Direct.com. The new site is easier to use, and packed with information. Its content is distributed via a national network of partner sites.
2004—Seeing an opportunity to increase its reach and membership revenues, company focuses on the college/university and corporate relocation vertical markets. |
