Congratulations! You’re officially a graduate of James Madison University! Take one last look at that Facebook album titled “Fratalina Wine Mixer” (which you should probably delete now by the way, since you’re a “grown-up” and all) because it’s time for you to enter the real world. No, I’m not talking about MTV’s reality show in Las Vegas, (be thankful real life isn’t like that) I’m talking about the world where you need to wake up before 7a.m., where sweatpants and Sperry’s no longer meet the requirements of casual attire, and where the toughest decision you’ll ever have to make is anything but, “Should I risk bringing my North Face out with me tonight?”
Earning a college degree is now crossed off your life’s checklist, so what’s next? Get a job? Get married? How about finding your own apartment? Mom and Dad have been empty nesters for the past four years now; don’t trick them into thinking baby bird’s settling back in by living in the basement for three more! If you’re interested in finding your own place, but don’t know where to start, I’ve got four words for you: The Next Step Realty.
Blair Brandt, CEO of the real estate company, and COO, Belton Baker, founded The Next Step in April 2010 with a mission to help young college grads (like you!) find apartments in major cities where they could then start their careers and learn to live on their own.
“Taking on a transformation like this is psychologically tough for kids,” says Brandt, “It’s weird to get your own apartment!” Brandt, a Palm Beach, Florida native and University of Richmond alumnus, came up with the idea for the company after several of his friends asked him for help finding apartments after college. He liked the idea of working with a niche group (young people like us, of course) and since he had a background in real estate… well, you know what happened next.
The Next Step helps students find apartments in cities like New York, Washington D.C., Chicago, Boston, Austin, – even London, England! All you have to do to register is go to their homepage, choose your city, and fill out a form that takes less than a minute! You are then set up with an expert broker that will help you find your best match.
The company has representatives at 450 colleges across the nation, including top schools like Harvard, Georgetown, Princeton, Cornell, and Vanderbilt. While not too many submissions have come from JMU students, the company has received 3,000 since January! Brandt says that in the future, “We’d like to become a huge presence at all schools, maybe even have a college tour set up for
next year.”
So what are you waiting for, senior collegiettes™?Graduating is stressful enough – take one less task off your priority list and utilize The Next Step! The sooner you move in to an apartment, the sooner you can put these past four years to use and start your career!
Want to find out more? Check out The Next Step Realty on Facebook and Twitter!