I found out about Crystal on this Yelp review page, and had such a great experience that I want to make sure to add to her accolades. I was looking for a studio to rent in Rogers Park starting mid-September, but wanted to have a lease signed six weeks in advance since I was traveling out of the country all August. Many agents I spoke to said that this was too early for the Chicago market and were not eager to help, but Crystal understood my situation and was willing to push management agencies a little bit on my behalf. She was also respectful of my price range and found a variety of units within that range for me to choose from. I was out of town, and Crystal did a great job coordinating with a friend of mine who was in town to show her the apartments, sending me pictures and details beforehand. She organized showings of 9 different units in one day, making the process much easier for my friend and myself. She spent a great deal of time on the phone with me discussing the pros and cons of various units, and helped me choose a unit. As I was leaving the next day, she helped me get ALL my paperwork done and submitted within a few hours, which was incredible! Crystal's efficiency, professionalism, friendliness, and knowledge of the northern neighborhoods of Chicago is impeccable. Once I stumbled onto Crystal, I stopped having to look anywhere else. Her attention to my specific needs and schedule helped take a huge burden off my mind. She is incredibly responsive to email and texts, and continues to go out of her way to make sure that my move-in process goes well. She got to know me as a person and not just a customer, which both put me at ease and enabled her to give me recommendations about the city which I never would have found out on my own. read more

Crystal was very helpful and honest. We were moving from Pennsylvania to Chicago. When we flew out for an interview we saw as much as we could in the 2 days we had in town. One of us came back to find an apartment, but again we only had a few days. We did some quick research and had a very vague idea of where we thought we wanted to live. Crystal asked what we wanted in a neighborhood and our price range and she recommended a couple more neighborhoods. We exchanged a few emails, she'd send some available apartments, I'd pick a few and send it back, and she'd send more. There were a few that got rented while we were in the process but she was always on top of it and constantly searching for more. I was always updated. She was very fast and she lined up around 5 apartment for us to check out and she drove us to all of them! With the short time we had, it was impressive how she manage to find us what we need it and have the all the paperwork ready for us to go back to PA with a lease! We end up signing a lease for an apartment in Andersonville and we love it! Thanks so much Crystal I don't see us moving anytime soon because we love where we are but if we have to we will contact you again! read more

I have been an Artist for over 40 years and have travel half way around the world. I have delt with all kinds of people in my life and now I want to take the time to write this review. I have been in chicago for 3 weeks after being in europe fir 15 years and I have been looking for a special apartment ( new,clean,right part of town,big & greatprice). I worked with several of the top realtors in chicago,with no luck. Then I ran into this guy Carlos,he told me he can fined something quick where I was looking for. After 3 weeks I was getting desperate,now. He intruduced me to his boss, a beautifull young woman named Crystal and the rest of the staff. They all got to work as a team and within 2 days they found what I was looking for, my new place. I have to say I have never seen so much, dedication, hospitality, constantly in contact with me and such fast results, in my life, This team is absolutely the best,not only in Chicago but in the whole US, I would say. I salute you, Crystal,Carlos & the rest of the team. Thank You so much. read more

Crystal helped me and a few friends of mine find a beautiful big 3-bedroom apartment on the north side near the red-line. I drive to work and threw an extra curve-ball at crystal by requesting off-street parking. Crystal quickly built a list of the available 3 bedrooms in the areas we were interested in and we got looking! We had a great time touring apartments with her and finally landed on a beautiful unit in Buena Park. Crystal was patient, worked with our specific needs, and gave us tons of options to choose from. We first started looking for apartments via craigslist and soon found that 90% of listings there were scams or never responded. Working with Crystal took a huge weight off of our shoulders, and we were able to find a great place within budget, location, and move-in deadline! Thanks so much Crystal! We will definitely be referring you to friends who are moving as well! read more

Last Summer My husband and I were moving from Boston back to Chicago on a very tight timeframe. We didn't have the time or money to fly back and forth to look for apartments, so some of our good friends offered to apartment hut for us. One of the first apartments our friend saw wasn't right for us at all, but the realtor Crystal Banks sprang into (energetic) action and mobilized a short list of apartments that might fit our needs. Meanwhile we kept hunting on the side as well because the more eyes on a problem the better! I found a place that while a little over our budget seemed perfect. I couldn't get ahold of the leasing agent to save my life, but we put Crystal on the task and days later the apartment was ours! Our situation was pretty complicated, had a lot of moving parts, and Crystal took good care of us. She is our first call when we look to move again! read more

Out of all of the people I contacted to try and find my first place in Chicago, Crystal of American Realty LLC was both the quickest to respond and the most effective, right off the bat! She had about 10 properties gathered for me to look at after just a few hours of conversation, and each one of them was wonderful and fit my needs perfectly! After just an hour of looking at her selections, I found the absolute perfect apartment and will be moving in within a few weeks! Crystal was prompt, professional, smart, savvy and an informed and entertaining guide. She checked in with me after we parted ways and kept in contact up until the lease was actually signed to make sure I didn't need any more advice or help along the way. I'll be recommending her to everyone I know in the Chicago area; I could not have had an easier time finding an apartment! read more

I have had a endless search looking for rental properties, until I met Elia Sanches. She responded to me from a home that I was interested in, on Realtor.com. She was so amazing to work with. I work 12 hour shifts, Elia was understanding and always prompt for a viewing. The communication we had was great!!! Elia understood my needs and the search began. Elia, went above her call of duty. In her search, Elia would view the property first, if it had my needs she contacted me, if not, she would move on. I thought that was awesome. That showed her passion and commitment to her clients. As a result of Elia's hard work and passion for helping others, has paid off. As of today, Elia, has found a property that fits my needs. I will be moving in soon and I am very pleased. Thank you so much for being diligent. I would recommend her to anyone!! read more

I recently worked with Crystal to find an apartment in Andersonville. I had never really used a real estate listing to find an apartment, so I was a little hesitant, but I was contacted within an hour of submitting my online form about getting more information about this listing. So fast! We quickly set up a time to look at the place and Crystal was so friendly and nice and was able to answer all of our questions - she even followed up with some questions we had after viewing the place. We went from viewing the apartment to approved within 48 hours - again, so fast! I'd recommend Crystal to anyone who wants to work with a friendly and knowledgeable agent. read more

We want to highly commend Melanie and American Realty on N. Clark St. Were looking to move as far east in Chicago as possible with our budget to at least a spacious one-bedroom apt., in a quiet residential neighborhood, with an east/west exposure, close to public transportation. and hopefully with a feature like a back porch, balcony, and the like. And Melanie found us a beautiful apartment with both a sun room and a back porch in a surprising quaint neighborhood. Then Crystal recommended some helpful movers (Andres of AM & PM Movers LLC) who helped us move. Even our view is super. THANK you so much!! Paul & Evelyn read more

Bridget was spectacular in helping us finding a place. Very patient and understanding throughout the entire process. She got back to me asap after contacting her through online postings, and she remained in touch throughout with any questions I had. As I worked with other realtors at the same time, she managed to completely distinguish herself for the better. It honestly felt like she was doing the best she could through her patience, the info she provided, and just her character in general. Great person, even better realtor, would definitely suggest her and American Realty in the future. read more

Crystal Banks helped me find my apartment with American Realty and I have nothing but high remarks for the service. I emailed her late on November 27th, she got back to me that night, showed me the apartment the 28th, and got all my paperwork and applications processed in time for me to sign a lease on the 30th and move on the 1st. The only delay was on my behalf, and the whole lease was made possible by the extra time she spent after hours communicating between the landlords and I. I'd highly recommend Crystal Banks to anyone in need of realty services. read more

I cannot recommend Crystal enough! She is on top of everything and a total boss. She met up with me because I had one day to look at apartments in Chicago- and she found ones in my price range and neighborhood that were perfect. This was my first time renting my own place, and she made it totally easy to do the paperwork that same day. Not only does she care, she is very fast, knows all about the area, and was even understanding/patient with my dad (who probably emailed her daily). I'm very happy with my apartment and will be recommending her forever! read more

I worked with Yasmeen Jones, and Crystal (later on in the process when it came to the negotiations with the agency), and it was an overall stressful process. A lot had gone up and down - requiring a cosigner and needing more information, etc. and Yasmeen and Crystal were not only there to help explain everything, but were both very patient with the process. They fought for me, and I was actually able to get the apartment I wanted! I would recommend either of these two women to you. read more

American Reality is the only agency you should be using in Chicago. Crystal knows the city inside and out with years of experience. She takes pride in finding her clients the perfect fit for their new home. My process of viewing the apartment, filling out the application, and being approved took less than 24!! Crystal's preparation and knowledge of the industry allowed my apartment hunting to be easy and very quick. If you want to find the PERFECT apartment call Crystal!! read more

Found a place but someone else got to it first. Crystal did everything in her power to not only find me an apartment but find something that I liked because I really wanted to move soon. I went from seeing a place that I adored to moving in within a week. Crystal is just AMAZING, as an agent, a person & is just so freaking cool. If you you are looking to move & want the best, get with Crystal and her crew, they rock! read more

I worked with Crystal Banks for my new home and the experience was PHENOMENAL. She was very attentive to my roommate and my needs and desires for our new home and the end result was far better than we could have imagined. If you are looking to move to Chicago, you absolutely need to work with Crystal. She is so friendly and her main desire is to make her clients happy. You absolutely can not go wrong with Crystal! read more

We worked with Crystal to find our next home in Chicago and she was fantastic! Her responsiveness and willingness to go above and beyond for our family (she took a video of one of the places for me because I couldn't be at one oft the showings!) was more than we expected. She understood our needs as a family with kids. I would recommend Crystal and American Realty to anyone looking in the Chicago area! read more

Working with Crystal Banks is a godsend, not only is she fast and efficient... She is professional and calming, when I was under a time constraint, she worked her magic to find my perfect place and kept me from freaking out. Making herself accessible and contacting me asap when needed, guiding me through the transaction was a breeze. If you need a knowledgeable agent, look no further than Crystal. read more

Worked with Crystal Banks at American Realty to look for a new apartment. The property she showed was great. The apartment looked just like the online posting...bright, clean and awesome. She was quick to get us what we wanted in less than than 24 hours. She' smart, efficient and awesome to work with. Would definitely reach out to her again and refer friends in need of a great agent. read more