Business connects apartment hunters to communities that match their preferences

West Orange resident Pete Zimek is getting recognition for his business, iLS network, which allows people looking to rent to find an apartment community that matches their preferences.

By Jennifer Nesslar
| 10:33 a.m. March 2, 2016

Southwest Orange
Real Estate

Just because you’re renting doesn’t mean that you don’t have certain hopes for your future space. Perhaps you want a nature view. Maybe tile is better for your allergies than carpet. And what do you do if you can’t fall asleep without a ceiling fan?

Pete Zimek, founder and CEO of iLS network, a company that uses internet listings to match renters with apartments that best fit their lifestyle and budget, believes his company can help with those specific searches.

“Whatever it is that’s important to them, we generally have a way for them to find a community that matches that need, that lifestyle, and that budget,” said Zimek, a Horizon West resident.

The company gives potential renters more than 200 search options to find the community that is right for them.

Zimek’s effort has paid off. The University of Florida — where he earned his bachelor’s degree in history in 2001 and his master’s degree in management in 2002 — recently awarded Zimek the Gator 100 award, which honors the fastest-growing business owned or led by UF alumni.

“We believe that few things are more personal than helping someone find a place to live,” Zimek said.

ABOUT THE COMPANY

There are only six staff members at iLS network, but the company is able to use technology to leverage to work with more than a half-million renters each year.

“It’s because we built what we think is interactive and powerful technology,” he said. “Our goal is to allow a renter to really find out what’s unique and compelling about an apartment community.”

The company partners with apartment communities to develop listings and content. The network does not work with people who are renting out houses or properties outside of apartment communities, because it has confidence that the communities have greater incentive to deliver a quality product.

“(Apartment communities) have a business,” he said. “They have a brand, they have a community that they have a lot invested in. So, they’ll take the extra time to get good photos. They’ll take the extra time to respond to problems with renters and that sort of thing. They’ll just take the extra time.”

The company customizes its approach to different cities, to localize the content potential buyers are sorting through. It began in the Gainesville market and has since expanded into markets across Florida — Orlando, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa Bay and Melbourne and Daytona Beach. Each of these markets has different offerings and unique prospective renters, so each market is branded differently. In Orlando, renters search for apartments through 407apartments.com.

In Gainesville, renters have a strong association with the Gators, collegiate looks and the colors orange and blue. The demographic in Orlando is quite different.

“In Orlando, we’re dealing with the entire spectrum,” Zimerk said. “We’re dealing with a very, very, diverse population. We need to make sure that we’re not overly student or overly West Orange or overly East Orange. There’s just so much diversity to Orlando — it’s just important to make sure that we embrace all of it.”

The company expanded into the Orlando area because of all the opportunities there. Zimek knew there would be working with great apartments — the Apartment Association of Greater Orlando has a reputation for being one of the best in the country.

CHOOSING WEST ORANGE

Zimek was living in Gainesville, but as his company began to grow in Orlando, he found himself commuting to Orlando multiple times a week.

He decided to move his family to the Orlando area in 2014 and spent time looking through neighborhoods all over the area, but was unable to find the perfect fit — until he discovered Horizon West.

“On a hunch, we said, ‘Let’s go check out Windermere,’ thinking that it was not going to be affordable — we didn’t think that it would even be an option,” he said. “But we started driving down (County Road) 535 and just fell in love with the neighborhood.”

Contact Jennifer Nesslar at [email protected].

RENTING IN WEST ORANGE

APARTMENT COMMUNITIES

The costs at many of the apartment communities in West Orange are on the higher end of the spectrum, because communities are upscale and stay full.

“If anything, we need more of them, so they’re a little more accessible,” Zimek said.

Some communities that give the most bang for your buck are in south Ocoee, just north of Windermere, such as Zimek’s apartment partner Key Isle at Windermere, located just off Maguire Road.

He recommends renting from apartment communities rather than private owners, because communities often have 24-hour maintenance, proper insurance and people whose full-time job is dedicated to maintaining a positive experience.

To use Zimek’s site to hunt for apartments locally, visit 407apartments.com.

RENTING HOMES

If you decide a single-family home is a better option for your family, Denise Gregorie, of Watson Realty Corp, recommends working with a Realtor.

“The advantage of having a Realtor involved is we use our MLS system — our database — and any renters that are in that database are rental properties that use a property management company,” she said. “That is just a level of protection for both the renter and the (owner).”

Realtors are able to get access to information about the property. They can look and see if there are liens on the property or if the current mortgage has been paid, as well as verify that the listing is being made by the person who owns the property.

Gregorie is particularly fond of Winter Garden, because its active downtown area is generating more opportunities for renting and buying single-family homes. Those looking for town houses also can find them in the Winter Garden and Horizon West areas. However, Gregorie also said home-buying is more economical than renting. She encourages people to look into lease-to-purchase programs, which allow people to rent and consider a purchase later.