Broker vs. D.I.Y.
In order to begin your hunt, you'll have to decide whether to go through a broker or just search for yourself by scouring through newspaper and internet listings, or keeping an eye out for bulletin board postings at work, school, the gym, bookstores, or coffee shops. Though it may be a lot more work, there are distinct advantages to setting out and finding your new abode all on your own.

First, you save yourself broker's fees, which usually cost anywhere from one month's rent to (yikes!) 12% or more of your annual rent. So if your rent is, say, $1000 per month, you could pay as much as $1440 up front in addition to the first month's rent and one month's rent security deposit that landlords require. That's a $3400 investment and you haven't even moved in! You'll have to shell out that first month's rent and security deposit regardless of whether or not you're armed with a broker, but that's a big chunk of change you're saving by going it alone.

Another perk of hunting on your own is that sometimes you find much cooler places by circumventing the broker system. It turns out that some landlords don't want to deal with brokers and would prefer to just show rentals on their own schedules. Others may think that brokers are shady characters and want to help or attract new tenants by enabling them to locate apartments independently, no fees attached. Occasionally, current tenants will help their landlord out by trying to find their own replacements for their cool apartments before they vacate. You can find a lot of places like this on websites like craigslist.org (an essential, free-of-charge real estate source in major cities).

But there are also reasons to call in the professionals. Real estate agents are animals: it's a cutthroat, commission-driven industry, and they are out there doing whatever it takes to connect clients with apartments and make the deal. Some agents seek out landlords who don't speak English well or aren't internet-savvy and ask to list their rentals, at no cost to the landlord; these apartments are often relatively inexpensive and may be nearly impossible to find without the help of a broker. Additionally, brokers are often great negotiators, and they will bargain with landlords as if they were haggling for trinkets in an open-air bazaar.