Non-refundable ticket change fee: $125 Fee for changes made less than 60 days prior to ticketed flight departure. $0 for changes made 60 days in advance. Same day change fee: $25. Reservation by phone fee: $15.
Now ask yourself: are the apartments you're getting through a broker worth $2800 a month? Because when you average out the cost of that fee over an entire year, you're essentially adding $300 a month to your housing costs. One way to do this is to work directly with property management companies.
Brokers in New York City (and the surrounding metro area) typically charge from 8.5% to 17% of the annual rent on your apartment at the time of the lease signing, so finding a no fee apartment can potentially save you thousands of dollars. Broker fees in Manhattan tend to be higher than in the outer-boroughs, and in New Jersey.