"Customer" is an interesting word choice for someone who receives literally 0 value from the agent. Especially now with the internet, but even before with school/work connections, the majority of students/transplants will find their own apartment. They then have to pay the broker fee to whatever agent their chosen landlord has decided to use, in exchange for being a middleman with paperwork.
Many of the prospective tenants do not even find out about this until it is time to officially apply! Since there is usually a deadline to find an apartment, and most apartments will have (proportionally) the same exact fee, the "customer" is really a captive.
Ironically, the person you are replying to tried to actually be a customer with the agent, but since these people have no need to sell apartments (they will sell themselves in NYC and Boston), you're right - why bother? The real key is to become buddies with a few landlords, that's where to spend time.
