Imagine you’re searching for an apartment in San Francisco—arguably the
most harrowing American city in which to do so. The booming tech sector
and tight zoning laws limiting new construction have conspired to make the
city just as expensive as New York, and by many accounts more competitive.
New listings go up and come down within minutes, open houses are mobbed,
and often the keys end up in the hands of whoever can physically foist a
deposit check on the landlord first.