ŁowcaApartments without agents — alerts
The commission can be the largest single rental cost, while listings without an agent disappear faster than any others.
Zdjęcie: Jakub Zerdzicki / Pexels
An agent’s commission when renting is usually equivalent to one month’s rent, paid at the same time as the deposit and first rent payment. When buying, it is calculated as a percentage, and the amounts can reach tens of thousands.
That is why listings directly from owners are so sought after. That is also why they disappear faster than any other listings on the market.
Why this is a race
A good apartment at a reasonable price and without a commission attracts a full set of interested people faster than most can refresh the list.
An owner who lists the apartment alone usually does not want to handle twenty conversations. They reply to the first few people and then stop replying. Someone who writes fourth gets silence—not because they are a worse candidate.
This means that in this particular market, the advantage comes not from negotiation but from the moment when you see the listing.
How to filter listings without an agent
All major services have an advertiser-type filter such as "private individuals", "from the owner", or "without agents". This is the first step, and it works, but it is not foolproof.
Some agency listings are posted from accounts that look private. You can usually recognize them by several signs:
- The same phone number appears under many different listings.
- The photos are clearly professional, taken with a wide-angle lens, sometimes with a floor plan.
- Phrases such as "available for rent immediately, recommended" and a description written like an offer rather than a message from a person.
- No specific floor, street, or view from the window—the kind of details an owner gives instinctively.
- Avoiding a direct answer to a question about the commission.
The simplest test is also the most effective: ask directly in the first message whether there is a commission and how much it is. The reply comes quickly, or it does not come at all.
What the filter cannot solve
This needs to be said honestly: part of the market is beyond the reach of filters.
Listings posted only in local groups, on noticeboards in stairwells, or shared among friends do not appear on any listing service. When searching in a small town or a specific district, this can be a significant part of the available offer.
Sometimes an apartment with a commission but a rent that is four hundred złoty lower per month works out cheaper after a year than an apartment without a commission. It is worth calculating this instead of sticking to a rule.
How alerts work in Łowca
Łowca monitors listings across several services at once—in the case of apartments, primarily OLX and Otodom—and combines duplicates of the same apartment posted in several places.
For a given location and floor area, Łowca calculates the typical market price, and an email is sent when a new offer is clearly below it. A new listing with a normal price does not generate a message.
For apartments, the immediate mode is the only sensible option—a daily summary usually arrives after the best listings have already been taken. One account can run up to ten observations at once, so you can monitor several districts or two cities in parallel.
Details: apartment alerts and Otodom alerts.
A message that gets a reply
With apartments, the first message matters more than anywhere else because the owner chooses not only quickly but also among people.
Keep it short and specific: who is renting, how many people, from when, for how long, whether there are pets, and a proposed viewing time. Avoid questions whose answers are already in the listing. This is the most common reason a message receives no reply.
Leave questions about a discount until after the viewing.
Beware of listings that are too cheap
Apartments are the most common target of listing scams, and the pattern is usually the same: a very attractive price, an owner who is "abroad", and a request for an advance payment or reservation fee before the viewing.
The rule is simple and has no exceptions: do not transfer any money before viewing the apartment and signing the agreement. Łowca moves offers priced drastically below the market level to a separate section for checking. More information is available in the listing is suspiciously cheap.
How much does it cost
The account is free and receives 15 points every 30 days. Setting up observations and scanning listings cost nothing. Points are deducted only when an alert is sent.
The price is charged for each monitored service, so monitoring one portal costs 10 points per delivered alert, while OLX and Otodom together cost 20. Packages start at 19 zł for 50 points, and points do not expire. See the price list.
Łowca is not a real estate agent, is not a party to the rental agreement, and monitors only publicly available listings.
Frequently asked questions
How can I find an apartment without an agent?
Use the "private individuals" filter on listing services, and ask directly about the commission in the first message. Alerts help you reach a listing before the owner stops replying.
How can I tell whether a private listing is actually from an agency?
Usually by the same phone number appearing under many listings, professional photos with a floor plan, an offer-like description, and no direct answer to a question about the commission.
How much is an agent’s commission when renting?
When renting, it is most often equivalent to one month’s rent, but the agent sets the amount, so it is worth confirming it before the viewing.
How quickly should I respond to an apartment listing?
Attractive listings without a commission can have a full set of interested people within a few hours, so the immediate mode is the only sensible option for apartments.
Does Łowca monitor Otodom?
Yes. For apartments, an observation can include OLX and Otodom at the same time, and the same listing from both services is reported once.
Can I send an advance payment to reserve an apartment?
Not before viewing the apartment and signing the agreement. A request for an advance payment alongside a very attractive price is the most common rental-market scam pattern.
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Updated: 2026-09-01