How do I shortlist new apartments without calling 20 offices?
You don’t have time to call 20 leasing offices. We do. On Oct 25, 2026, our board tracked 140 ground-up Houston-area communities, and the fastest way to narrow them is three steps: save, compare, send. Everything starts on the New Build Board.
Step 1: Save the buildings that fit
Filter the board by what matters first. That might be area, size, pets, building type or a who-can-rent-here label. Then save the cards that fit. Saved buildings stay on your device and show up in the Saved counter in the header.
A few quick filters that save time:
- Area or commute. Start with where you’ll work or where you want to live.
- Size and move date. Two-bedrooms and specific move dates narrow the list fast.
- True monthly. Sort by the full bill, not the headline special.
If you’d rather start from a budget, our budget-first guide walks through it step by step.
Step 2: Compare four side by side
Pick up to four saved buildings and open the compare view. It lines up the same fields for each:
| Field | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Base rent | Where year two starts |
| Special | What year one gets |
| Net effective | Rent after the special |
| True monthly | Net effective plus fees and utilities |
| Year two | Your likely renewal starting point |
| Electric, water, FEMA, ISD | Address facts that change the bill or the decision |
Every value shows the date we confirmed it. If one is missing, the card says so.
Four is the sweet spot
Four buildings is enough to compare and few enough to tour in one afternoon. We line up the tours on one side of town so you’re not crossing the metro.
Step 3: Send them to us
Send your compare list, or just your move date, lease end, size and all-in budget. We call each community and confirm four things in writing:
- The exact unit and move-in date
- The special and the term it needs
- The written fee sheet
- Who bills the water, how, and last year’s average
During hours, that happens the same day. Then we send you a clean shortlist with the whole bill for each one.
What happens after the shortlist?
- Tours. Up to four on one side of town in one afternoon, or a live video walk of the actual unit.
- Pre-check. We check the income test, documents and limits before you pay any fee.
- Signing. We read the concession, fee and utility addenda and the flood notice with you.
- Follow-up. Day 7 punch list, Day 30 ledger and water bill, month-10 Renewal Check.
What to include when you send your list
The more we know, the faster we can confirm. Helpful details:
- Move date and lease end
- Size, and any must-have like a ground floor or a garage
- All-in monthly budget, and whether year two matters to you
- Job address and typical commute days
- Pets, with type, number and weight
- Any building you’ve already toured
You don’t need all of it. Four basics, your move date, lease end, size and budget, are enough to start.
What the shortlist looks like
You’ll get each building with the confirmed unit, the special and its term, the fee sheet, the water billing method and the electric provider. Each one shows net effective, true monthly and year two, with the date we confirmed it. Anything we couldn’t confirm yet is marked, so you know what’s still open.
What does it cost?
Nothing to you. Communities pay the brokerage, Spirit Real Estate Group, LLC, when you lease through us. Your rent is the same either way, and commission never affects the Houston New Build Score, the sort order or alerts.
Ready to start? Get my shortlist with your move date and budget, and we’ll take it from there.