Looking for a property in Bremen (for rent), preferably furnished.

There have been lots of threads giving advice about how to find rental properties. Multiple websites are available. Important to know is that one usually finds an apartment rather than a whole house and furnished places are very rare and very expensive. It might make sense for someone staying a month or 2 but if one is staying a year or longer it is much cheaper to get furniture from a cheap place like Ikea and sell or give it away when you leave. The housing market in most German cities is very tight and even if one can afford it, by looking only for a furnished place - or a house instead of an apartment, one is eliminating 90% of the possibilities.

Another thing is that virtually no German landlord would rent out a place to someone they have not met. And no one should commit to a place they haven't actually seen. Thus it is a good idea to look in the internet and get a feel for the housing market and maybe get some leads before arrival but realistically one needs to find other accommodation, like a cheap hotel until they can finalize a rental agreement. One possible exception – and probably the most efficient way to find a place – is through one’s employer or personal contacts.

TominStuttgart wrote:

Another thing is that virtually no German landlord would rent out a place to someone they have not met. And no one should commit to a place they haven't actually seen.

If they do rent out a place to you without meeting you, it rings alarm bells, but why would anyone rent a place without seeing it first hand. Pictures can mean nothing, especially on the internet. You could be locked into a contract in a "dive" of a place.