CHICAGO (September 28, 2009) – In a quest to find America’s best roommate in the first-ever “Roommate of the Year Contest,” Apartments.com celebrates the universal attributes that all great roommates share in naming Keaton Davis of Hockessin, DE the “Roommate of the Year.” Davis earned the title, as well as the grand prize of free rent for one year, up to $12,000, plus $10,000 cash, by demonstrating he is in tune with which qualities distinguish one exceptional roommate from the rest in his short video submission entitled “1^st Rate Rhythmic Roommate.” Davis’ video won mass appeal during the public voting stage and surpassed the judging criteria expectations established by Apartments.com, beating out online video submissions received from renters across the country. 

“Keaton’s video became a stand-out leader very early in the ‘Roommate of the Year’ Contest,” states Tammy Kotula public relations and promotions manager, Apartments.com. “Keaton combined a catchy, original rap with creative visuals and special effects that not only proved entertaining, but also clearly illustrated what it takes to be classified as ‘Roommate of the Year.’”

Davis entered his video in The Lovable Compulsive category, which is for roommates devoted to keeping life in the apartment running smoothly. His entry shows he’s in sync with what it takes to be “Roommate of the Year.” He cooks, cleans, pays the bills and more – all while keeping perfect 4/4 time! Using a simple set of pots and a salt shaker, Davis sets the stage for a musical roommate résumé that highlights all of the reasons why he is the exception to the rule. Once Davis took top honors in his category this past August, he went up against four other finalists, all vying for the $22,000 grand prize. Davis’ video came out on top, having been judged with equal weight on originality and creativity, overall “wow” factor, persuasive argument and style and production by the Apartments.com judging panel.

Davis, who hails from Hockessin, DE, is currently a sophomore at Trinity University in San Antonio, TX. As a communications and business double major, Davis has plans to pursue filmmaking. He has worked at the college television station and also enjoys writing and performing music. Davis currently rooms with three other lucky students, all of whom have agreed that he is indeed worthy of being named “Roommate of the Year.”

The other four finalists—including, Kevin Adams of Columbus, OH who waxed rhapsodic about his “Roommate of the Year” qualities in an original music video, Jen Cady of Los Angeles who showcased her roommate relationship with her cat Harvey, Martin Rosa of Canal Winchester, OH who relied on his cool crib and decked out pad to elevate his roommate status and Tina Quach of Berkeley, CA who extolled her Superhero roommate attributes —will each receive a cash prize of $500.

Keaton Davis’ grand-prize winning video submission “1^st Rate Rhythmic Roommate” can be viewed at www.roommateoftheyear.com.

In partnership with Apartments.com, Freecreditreport.com is a co-sponsor of the “Roommate of the Year Contest.”

About Apartments.com
Apartments.com is the most visited national apartment Internet listing subscription service with more than 50,000 unique addresses representing more than three million rental units from managed properties, newspaper classifieds and for-rent-by-owner properties. With personalized searches, highly visual ads featuring "Walk Through Video," "Apartments.com Anywhere" mobile solutions, 360-degree virtual tours, professional photography, and comprehensive community listings, Apartments.com makes it possible for renters to access apartment rental inventory from across town or across the country. Leads from highly qualified ready-to-rent prospects are delivered to Apartments.com customers, increasing closure rates and decreasing the average cost of leasing an apartment. The Web site's foundation of solid partnerships with the local newspaper and television station Web sites of more than 1,000 newspaper affiliate and strategic partners across the country include Yahoo! Real Estate, AOL Real Estate, Univision, the Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times. Apartments.com is a division of Chicago-based Classified Ventures, LLC. Additionally, Apartments.com owns and operates Apartment Home Living, a leading social media apartment Web site distinguished by a "live for fun" community experience, proprietary lifestyle matching and local living guides to help renters find their perfect place to live.