# Leverage Score: How We Score Room to Ask on Rent > How our 0 to 100 Leverage Score reads the room to ask for a better deal in each Dallas-side area, plus a metro rank. It never uses commission. URL: https://newapartmentsdallas.com/how-we-score/leverage/ Method · Leverage Score # Leverage Score: how we score room to ask A 0 to 100 read on how much room you have to ask for a better deal in each area, plus a metro rank. It never uses commission. Get my shortlist [/contact/ →](/contact/) How to negotiate at a lease-up → [/guides/negotiate-rent-new-apartment-lease-up/ →](/guides/negotiate-rent-new-apartment-lease-up/) - Free to you, and your rent is the same either way - 120 new communities tracked - Prices pulled every morning ![Several new apartment towers leasing along a North Dallas corridor](/images/misc/several-new-apartment-towers-leasing-at-once-along.webp) - Licensed brokerage Spirit Real Estate Group, TREC #562021 - Every price dated Every price dated and sourced - Commission-blind Commission never touches our score or sort - Corrections logged Corrections logged within one business day ## What the score is The Leverage Score rates each area from 0 to 100 on room to ask, then ranks areas across the metro. A higher score means buildings in that area are competing harder for renters, so a polite, specific ask is more likely to land. ## What goes into it - **New supply nearby**: buildings in pre-leasing and lease-up competing for the same renters - **Special depth**: how deep current specials run in the area compared with the board median - **Lease-up stage mix**: how many buildings are early in lease-up versus near stabilization - **Special changes**: whether specials in the area are growing, holding or being cut short ## What never goes into it Commission. Location, schools, reviews or people. The score is about the market for units, not the neighborhood. ## How to use it High score: ask for one thing, backed by comps, such as more weeks free, a waived fee or parking. Low score: take the posted special if it works on true monthly and year two. Either way, get any concession in the addendum. For context, DFW delivered 12,108 units in the first half of 2026 (Yardi Matrix), and RealPage expects 20,000+ more from Q4 2026 to Q3 2027. ## Why most rent negotiations go nowhere 1 ### Asking blind Without context, a request for more weeks free sounds like a guess. With comps, it sounds like a fair ask. 2 ### Asking for the wrong thing Base rent rarely moves in lease-up. Weeks free, fees and parking sometimes do. 3 ### Asking in the wrong market In an area where buildings are filling fast, the posted special may already be the deal. **So we score the room to ask by area, bring current comps, and ask for the thing most likely to move.** ## Want us to make the ask? Text your move date, budget, and where you work. You'll get buildings decoded and tolls priced within hours. ### Thanks, we have your request. We make the calls and send your shortlist the same day during hours. We couldn't send that. Try again, or email us at hello@newapartmentsdallas.com. ## Leverage Score: FAQ ### What does the Leverage Score measure? Room to ask for a better deal in an area, on a 0 to 100 scale, plus a metro rank across areas. ### Does commission affect the Leverage Score? No. It never uses commission, and neither does the Dallas New Build Score. ### Is the Leverage Score the same as the Dallas New Build Score? No. The New Build Score rates a building's deal and risk. The Leverage Score rates an area's room to ask. ### Does a high score mean I will get a discount? No. It means a polite, specific ask is more likely to land. The community decides. ### Can you guarantee a price or approval? No. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign. ## Guides for this decision Decision guideCan You Negotiate Rent at a New Apartment Lease-Up?Where renters have room to ask during lease-up: weeks free, fees and parking. See the Leverage Score by area and what to ask for.Read the guide [/guides/negotiate-rent-new-apartment-lease-up/ →](/guides/negotiate-rent-new-apartment-lease-up/) ExplainerWhen Lease-Up Specials Peak: Timing Across the First 24 MonthsHow specials change from pre-leasing to stabilization, why new supply deepens them, and how held and truncated specials work.Read the guide [/guides/when-lease-up-specials-peak/ →](/guides/when-lease-up-specials-peak/) All guides [/guides/ →](/guides/) ## Keep looking ![New Dallas apartment building in lease-up at golden hour](/images/misc/brand-new-dallas-apartment-building-in-lease-up-wi.webp) Lease-Up Apartments Buildings in lease-up, filtered by stage, with deal depth and build-complete status. Open [/lease-up-apartments/ →](/lease-up-apartments/) ![Entrance of a new Dallas apartment tower at golden hour](/images/misc/new-dallas-apartment-tower-entrance-with-limestone.webp) Apartment Specials Current specials with the term, end date, net effective and year-two price shown side by side. Open [/apartment-specials/ →](/apartment-specials/) ![New ground-up mid-rise apartment buildings on the Dallas side at golden hour](/images/misc/wide-street-level-view-of-new-ground-up-dallas-mid.webp) New Construction Apartments Map and cards for every ground-up building, with the real monthly price and the date we checked it. Open [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) ## Tell us your move date. We make the calls. Text your move date, budget, and where you work. You'll get buildings decoded and tolls priced within hours. Get my shortlist [/contact/ →](/contact/) See the New Build Board → [/new-construction-apartments/ →](/new-construction-apartments/) Free. Your rent is the same either way. Same day during hours. We don't guarantee pricing or approval. The community sets both, and we confirm them before you sign.