Go to Craigslist and try the "no fee" or "by owner" section first under the Harlem section to try to avoid a broker fee. Truth be told, you probably won't be able to avoid a broker, but you never know. The vacancy in New York right now is under one percent so brokers are really ruling the roost right now and they charge 10% of a year's rent. If nothing comes up under the no fee section then try all apartments or go directly to a brokerage website to see all of their listings. Citihabitats and Bond are the two biggest in the city.Unfortunately, if you don't live in New York already there's no other way around finding an apartment.
