I would never rent from a national company. Would not even consider it. What kind of service are you going to receive from an organization that just buys up and rents out homes? The bigger apartment complexes are going to be run by property management groups, too. They rarely have positive reviews because they don't tend to be very responsive to tenants' needs and concerns. Especially in Indianapolis, where there aren't many laws to protect renters. You put down a deposit, sign a lease, and end up moving a year later because no one ever fixed the leaky faucet.

Most people I know look for places in Craigslist, padmapper, googling different areas + rentals, local newspapers, and just driving/walking around the neighborhoods they like.

When I relocated to Chicago, we used an apartment hunting service. The landlord pays them to find renters that fit their criteria (income, credit, terms of lease, etc...). It doesn't always work in the renter's because the independent landlords with just one place who are willing to work with tenants (our current landlord gives us a garage space for free if we mow the lawn and shovel snow) don't usually waste money going through brokers. I found my first place here using an apartment service and my second on Craigslist. Both landlords have been very nice.

A lot of the landlords in my area will just put a for-rent sign in the window as more people tend to be out walking around.

All that said because you might consider a real estate agent who also works as an apartment hunter since you're out of town. I don't know how far Fort Wayne is from Indy, but I imagine it isn't easy to get back and forth to look at places. They can set some stuff up for you in advance.

Better yet, you could rent an apartment in a nice building, then spend the next year (or whatever term lease you choose to sign) familiarizing yourself with the different parts of town - perhaps buying a place after that term is up. You may find living downtown more suitable to your lifestyle and not too far from the southside, or perhaps something like Irvington or Fountain Square.