My only review is that the google maps placement and address is wrong. It says 415 Ocean AVENUE but this place is on Ocean PARKWAY. Good think i look at the yelp photo in advance. But y'all need to change that Ocean AVENUE is not Ocean PARKWAY, thats super inaccurate for someone that is traveling to you guys to get real estate help and your own address is wrong ... and y'all doing real estate.... read more

Abacus Properties - The google address thats wrong. So you can fix it - Real Estate Services Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Given the 12% brokers fee, I think I could have received better service. While the broker asked me to sign a preliminary form indicating she was a tenant's broker, she was unrelenting in negotiating a better price, which convinced me that she was in it more for the fee rather than actually providing good customer service. She also asked me to sign a preliminary form before reviewing the apartment, saying it was "required"; however, when I went on the NY State Licensing website, there was nothing that stated that it was required....made me reconsider how honest she was.... She also informed me that the broker's fee must be paid in order to apply for the apartment. When I viewed the application for the apartment, while she stated that the broker's fee is refundable in the event the management company denied my application, there was nothing in writing to prove this would actually happen. Also made me grow somewhat suspicious. All in all, the apartments she showed me were good, but I don't know how they justified the 12% brokers fee that she claimed was the company's policy. All she did was show me the apartment. In the end, I took my business elsewhere. read more

We found an apartment through Abacus. After moving in and subsequently having problems with the landlord, it occurred to us that they never properly vetted the apartment or the landlord (who actually broke our lease & several housing laws). They did, however, put us through the ringer to vet us. When we called them back to let them know we we're having problems and wanted to find a new place, they put up another "vet wall" saying that we had to provide all of this documentation before they would even talk to us about another place (we had already provided this to them the first time). What are we paying these people all this money for? All they really did was show us the apartment & introduce us to the landlord. Needless to say, we will not be using them again. read more

Every New Yorker knows how terrible apartment hunting is. My hubs and I were recently on the market for a new place and were having horrific luck with trying to find something decent in our price range. Then we went to Abacus Properties in Kensington. We met with Mimi and she was an absolute dream to work with. She had several properties to show us in one evening, which fit everything we were looking for, including our meager budget and we ended up beginning the paperwork to sign a lease on the third property we saw that same day. She was knowledgeable, friendly and so helpful. Another bonus, in my mind, is that she was incredibly flexible with regard to timing for showings - I wasn't able to get to our meeting until 7:30pm on a Monday night. DEFINITELY recommended if you're looking in Kensington / Prospect Park South or Park Slope. read more

We just closed on a co-op purchase with Jeff Surowka (Abacus co-owner) as our buyers' agent, and couldn't have been happier with Jeff. He's incredibly knowledgeable about buildings in the neighborhood, having worked in Ditmas Park / Kensington for quite some time, and was able to point out details in the apartment (both good and less-good) throughout the process, helping us to make an informed decision. Having seen so many pre-war apartments like ours in the area, Jeff pointed out lots of little changes we could make to create a more livable, personal space -- some we could do before we move in, and others to think about down the line. It was like having a design consultant in addition to a broker. Jeff also suggested a mortgage officer at a major bank who turned out to be The Best, walking us through the mortgage process, fighting for us when necessary, and coordinating with Jeff to make less work for us. All in all, having Jeff on our side made our first home purchase as comfortable and navigable as possible. Years from now, when it comes time to buy a new place and/or sell our current one, we'll be going with Abacus. read more

Jeff was my broker during my apartment hunt. He was always punctual for any meetings, very helpful and informative as I was new to the process. Even while he was out of the country for personal time, he still communicated with me (immediate responses, I might add), made himself available, and pushed for me during a lengthy co-op building application process. I would definitely recommend Jeff to anyone!! read more

I've known Jeff Surowka for about 8 years. He's helped me to sublet my co-op apartment in Brooklyn several times, shepherding potential tenants through the application and co-op board interview process--which is not always a smooth one! He took a lot of the stress out of it for me, as a long-distance landlord. Jeff also kept me on top of real estate market trends, and when the time came to sell, he served as my selling agent, including being my point person through a stressful gut renovation. That renovation would not have been possible without Jeff. He held my hand/gave me advice/recommendations as I selected contractors, negotiated prices and scope-of work, down all the way to choosing cabinet pulls and tiles (he even measured and created the whole design for cabinets and added the correct ones to cart on cabinets.com!!!! ). He knows all that stuff so well and has a great taste. He knowns co-op ins and outs, etc. He saved me so much time and nerves, and facilitated communication with the contractor. If there was ever a delivery of materials/pick-up, he'd walk from his office and be there to sign for the delivery.  As a sales agent, Jeff was also great, putting things in perspective and always giving me wise advice during the circuitous and stressful process of co-op selling.  Everyone I've worked with (contractor, lawyer) speaks highly of Jeff and say he's a perfectionist, very detail-oriented, and decent and trustworthy, which is something you definitely want in an agent. I highly recommend him. read more

This review is a few years overdue, but I am still in my apartment found through Abacus. I just walked into their office without an appointment and was seeing apartments within a few days, all within my tight budget. Bella is no longer with the company, but I feel her professionalism was a result of good top-down management. She was really proactive in making sure I got into this apartment, and even accompanied me to the lease signing. Landing an apartment in NYC is no joke. If this is your first time with a broker, get your all of your paperwork and financial statements current, printed and ready to turn in. They can only go as fast as you are ready. read more

I was looking for a rental. Mimi is quite nice and seems to be able to work the people part of the job but couldn't tell me little details like whether the apartment was rent stabilized. In fact, it seems that she doesn't know the difference between rent stabilized and rent controlled and tried to b.s. her way through it without just saying she'd get back to me. That said, she is more responsive and does call you back more than other brokers in the same price range. She will find out the answers to questions you have, you just have to think of them instead of her. read more

A few days after I posted my original review, Abacus's broker Jeff contacted me apologizing for the awful experience I had and assured me that he would not let a similar experience happen to another customer. He also offered to help me if I was still looking for an apartment, which at the time I was. Ultimately, I did not end up getting an apartment through Abacus but Jeff's response and willingness to help softened the negative experience slightly. read more

My roommate and I recently signed a one-year lease on a fantastic (huge!) two-bedroom apartment in Ditmas Park listed through Abacus Properties with Oleg Polonsky. From my initial contact with Oleg when I found the listing on Streeteasy up until the time we signed our lease (about one week after we initially saw the apartment), Oleg was professional, kind, and quick to respond to questions via email. He reviewed our application with the landlord quickly and we found out we were ready to move forward with a lease signing less than 24 hours after we had submitted it. He was also able to provide first-hand insight into the neighborhood itself as he lives in the area. The near-seamless process facilitated by Oleg and Abacus was a breath of fresh air after past stressful apartment hunting experiences! read more

I had a great experience looking at apartments with Terry Jordan at Abacus. Ultimately, I found my apartment through another broker, but she was a pleasure to work with. She was friendly, knowledgable, and followed up with me multiple times when new listings became available. On a separate note, the 12% fee that Abacus charges seemed high when other brokers in this area of Brooklyn charge 1 month. read more

My husband and I recently moved in to an apartment that we happened upon in the Abacus Properties listings window about a month ago when walking by, and I am now sitting in the best apartment ever. All thanks, to Ghislaine Georges. Gigi was our broker, and from the moment we walked through the doors, she made us feel completely comfortable, took the time to show us a number of places that fit our style, ideal space and budget, and was completely graceful and professional throughout the entire process--from introduction, to showing us spaces, to meeting our landlord, to signing the lease--this by far was the most pleasant apartment hunting experience that I've had in New York. Abacus has very reasonable fees, and it was worth every penny. If you're on the hunt for a nice apartment and want to avoid the usual broker sharks/craigslist nightsmares that can happen, Gigi is your woman, and Abacus is the place to go! read more

Being a homeowner can be stressful enough so when you have to sell your home and are looking to buy something new this takes the stress to an even higher level. I had such a wonderful experience working with Jeff! He was patient and listened to all of my concerns and then helped walk me through the different scenarios even dealing with the financials. I would absolutely recommend Abacus Properties as your go to real estate agency and Jeff Surowka as a realtor that goes above and beyond when it comes to client service! read more

This is several months overdue, but I was so impressed that I still had to write a review. I was referred to Jeff Surowka through a friend of mine. He came highly recommended and I understand why! Jeff is amazing! He helped me to lease my apartment in Brooklyn in December 2019 and made the process very seamless. This was my first time leasing out my place and I am so thankful I worked with him - it made a world of difference! He is extremely professional, responsive, punctual, and honest - qualities that I believe are of utmost importance as a realtor. He understood my concerns and took those into consideration when screening potential tenants (which I couldn't have asked for a better tenant). Jeff was very informative, told it like it was, and laid out all the facts on the table so that I could make an informed decision. I felt comfortable asking him for his opinion and I highly recommend him and his team. read more

They never got in touch with me despite repeated messages. I thought they would want to rent me an apartment and make a commission but that seems not to be the case. read more

Again, Jeff Surowka, is the ultimate professional. This year he showed me only properties to my specific specs. A match was made. Deal completed. Happy. read more

I walked into Abacus Properties one day after work, deciding as a last resort to check out my neighborhood realty company, although noticing that it was always empty. Buy hey could be a good thing right? Wrong!! Now I know why. Upon entering I was greeted by a receptionist who supplied me with an application. Fancy office, but no activity at all. I requested to see a broker, no one was in. I asked when could I see one, she replied they would call me next day. 3 weeks later, no one called, no introduction, no we're working on it, nothing! I called repeatedly, no one was available. I stopped by again, after work and asked to speak with someone, another lady at the front desk told me again, no brokers were available. How could she help me. I explained that no one contacted me, she apologized took my name and number, gave me a business card and promised to have someone call me next day. Now 4 weeks pass. I was getting pissed as I was always very polite and could not understand how a business could be so unprofessional and negligent. A few days later I went in and asked for my application back. The receptionist was frazzled, she couldnt find it. Once again, no one was available but she called someone in the back, (strange?) as to where the applications were. He told her where to look and dont u know it, my application was stuffed in a folder filled with a bunch of others, apparently never even looked at! She seemed a little embarrassed or rather uncomfortable giving it back to me, insisting that she could shred it for me as a courtesy. I mean these are brokers looking to get paid? Why should I have to chase them down? I doubt they even looked at my application, if they had they would have seen that my husband and I were the perfect applicants, tier 1 credit, stable, hardworking, loved in the community. It amazes me that someone else received such a quick response, especially, around the same time I appeared to be inquiring ... ummm, in fact, there was no review on this company when I inquired. Maybe since I was renting and not buying they weren't interested? Now being, African American may have played some role here but I prefer to take the high road and just assume they were unprofessional and a total waste of my time. I dont know but take my advice and don't waste yours. If you are looking to move and time is of the essence Abacus Properties may not be for you. This review is as honest as they come. Good luck. read more

We just closed on our first home with Jeff Surowka as our buyers broker. We had started our search several months ago but alas the market is insane at this time. During this time our needs shifted because of a growing family, we upped the budget, lowered the budget, changed our mind about neighborhoods a few times, looked at condos, townhouses, two-family buildings, just everything you can think of. We must have looked at at least twenty places. Jeff was incredibly patient, super knowledgeable about buildings, areas and school districts, never pushy but always proactive, always on time or ahead of time, accommodating of our schedules. I could go on but I think you get the idea. Once we finally found "the one" he made sure everything proceeded smoothly with our mortgage application, closing, etc. When we went to see the place just after closing, we found that he had left a bottle of champagne for us in the fridge. Amazing! This is my first ever Yelp review so you can see how motivated I am in making sure that his patience and good work don't go unrewarded. Thank you so much Jeff! read more