I cannot say enough good things about this 5th generation company and the people who work there - with each of whom is a pleasure to do business. It is a family company, carrying all of the positive qualities that that entails: Genuine caring, concern and attention, all with a human touch . They helped my daughter find the perfect apartment for her, and they did it with a personal investment and involvement in her situation that is impossible to find in today's incredibly competitive and, yes, aggressive rental market. They asked detailed and thoughtful questions about her priorities, and truly understood the challenges we had met in our lengthy and frustrating search for her new home. Also, their connection to the community of Carroll Gardens and Boerum Hill runs deep. They know the market like no others, handling rental properties for landlords/owners whom they have known for decades - from generation to generation. Mike, Steven and Michael are all wonderful people and they make finding a new home in this neighborhood much less difficult; the results are fantastic. I recommend Carroll Gardens Realty with no reservation - but with great enthusiasm! read more

Excellent, I cant say enough good things about them. Super honest straight forward- a real family run business with no bs sales pitches, showed me what I wanted to see and found me a great place at a great price, they even called me a week later to see how I liked it. They know the area, they've been here over 40 years, ignore all this big fancy names and faceless real estate agents they just want your money. They have also found fantastic tenants for friends of mine. Fantastic The only one I didn't trust in the office was the cat- he's shady- somehow he knew I had a pet bird. read more

I am moving back to NY after a few years out of state, and was referred to Rick and Carroll Gardens Realty by a friend. I was only in town for the weekend, and needed to find a place quickly. They helped me find exactly what I needed and sign a lease within a few hours. Unlike other brokers I spoke with, they don't nickle and dime you for separate application fees, credit check fees, etc. and their broker fee is fair, and lower than most of the other agents in the area. read more

After several roommate + prior sublet situations in New York, it came the time for me to work with a broker and find the best home for my partner and I. I'm a newbie to working with brokers and have heard all kinds of stories. After scouting several Brooklyn neighborhoods we settled upon Carroll Gardens for many obvious reasons (it's the best neighborhood ever) We had applied for another apartment with a different broker and we were made to wait for SIX days, through our vacation, only to be denied for mysterious reasons, $100 in application fees later. Also to note, this other local broker told us they went with another applicant and then, listed the apartment for higher that day. It was so confusing. The day we were denied, a Thursday, I scoured the Internet for local companies and stumbled upon Carroll Gardens Realty. Minutes after I put in my online inquiry, Rick called me and we were setting up a viewing. Through the day, the apartment was rented and Rick was super quick in letting me know and keeping in touch about similar listings. We had arranged to meet on a Saturday. Saturday, we meet promptly at his office and he shows us two apartments. He had picked out two right in our price range, and perfectly sized. We liked the first a lot, but fell absolutely in love with the second. As we were chatting with the landlords, Rick could tell we loved it and cancelled all the appointments after ours. We went back to his office, put in our app and our docs, and he assured us not to worry and gave us a follow up time. Guess what he did next, he actually called Sunday like he said he would! (Miracle) Here it is, Monday, and we just signed our lease on our dream home with Mike at the office! Thanks to Rick, no bullshit, whatsoever! Also, dream home = brownstone apt with sweet landlords, on a fabulous block and an outdoor deck. We are elated at the thought. To summarize, there were no application fees, no weird deposits, a 10% brokers fee (if anyone deserves the standard 15 it's these guys though, just saying) and straight up follow through. Valentino, the office cat, is my first friend in the hood. If you've ended up reading this, don't hesitate to call these guys. Now. read more

My boyfriend and I made a foolish attempt to find an affordable apartment on our own, and failed miserably. After searching on Yelp, I found Rick - and THANK GOD. Within our first day of searching, we found "the one," - the perfect apartment. Best of all, it was exclusively listed with CG Realty, and he and the landlord were good friends. The fee was reasonable, and he has always responded promptly. Move-in day is tomorrow, and so far everything has gone incredibly smoothly. I couldn't recommend Rick & Carroll Gardens Realty more. read more

Hi hi, Yes, apartment hunting & moving are usually very stressful. Working with Rick & Carroll Gardens Realty is NOT STRESSFUL, in fact, it's STRESS FREE. My partner & I started our search for an apartment in Carroll Gardens on a Saturday, viewed one really sub par apartment, & afterwards strolled up Court & down Smith looking at all the rental property listings in the various windows. We decided to pop into Carroll Gardens Realty, & after chatting with Rick for about 20 minutes about what we wanted (& our fear that we'd be priced out of the neighborhood), he asked if we could see an apartment the following day (Sunday) at noon. Rick couldn't have been more right in knowing that this was meant to be our place. We walked in & immediately said that we wanted to live there. Rick was straightforward & honest & said that he wouldn't show anyone else the apartment (despite great interest!) & that once our paperwork was cleared we could sign later that week (which is exactly what happened). Rick is not only a professional but he is kind & thoughtful & excellent at his job. Our experience was extraordinary b/c Rick & the team at Carroll Gardens Realty are interested in the actual people & not simply the sale. Work with Rick & Carroll Gardens Realty! DL read more

The best five stars, family run business, been there all my life and I trust them 10000 percent. Don't go to the new sleek faceless, nameless, manhattan esque realities popping up everywhere in yuppie carroll gardens. This place has been here and seen it all, they know all the owners in the area and will get you the best apt. None of these other places can even try to do that . read more

My fiance and I moved to NYC and simply were not prepared for the seemingly impossible task that is finding an apartment. Rick and the rest of the Carroll Gardens Realty family were incredibly helpful. Rick showed us a great place and helped us understand the process and the documentation we would need. He was professional, prompt and didn't ask for ridiculous fees. I would highly recommend them! read more

I happened to stumble upon Carroll Gardens Realty via a Craigslist posting and was very pleased. They ultimately found me the great apartment where I'm currently living. They know the area extremely well and were very helpful. I found them to be very reliable and prompt, but never felt like I was pressured. Really a great company - I'd work with them again in a second. read more

I worked with Rick to find an apartment in Carroll Gardens and had a great experience. The process was easy, fast and professional. Even more, Rick made us feel like we were not just renting but becoming part of a neighborhood. We found the perfect apartment with a great landlord. I highly recommend working with Carroll Gardens Realty. read more

Mike Mayo is the perfect broker/ landlord who understands his clients/tenants needs...I rented for 7 years one of his apts and Mike has always been extremely quick and efficient when I needed him for repair work/leaks etc... No wonder why CG has been in business for so long...Their customer skills is impeccable....Highly recommended ...Thanx Mike for all those years read more

even though i didnt sign a lease with carroll gardens realty, i thought they were fantastic. rick was helping me and he was very proactive with keeping me in the loop for new apartments in the area. laid back and very helpful. read more

Honest, family-run business. Not pushy realtors and their main focus is not the commission, it's making sure they find you (and the landlord) the right apartment and tenant. They know the area inside and out based on experience. "Uncle Mike" is like the Mayor of this neighborhood, everyone knows him and says hello as he walks around. Nothing but good things to say about Rick and Carroll Gardens Realty. Do what you can to work with them and support the local family run business. read more

I called Carroll Gardens Realty and Rick, Mike and Steve all came to my home and looked at the two available apartments. They assured me they would find the perfect tenants for my home. In one week both apartments were rented with the perfect tenants. Rick stayed in touch with me and advised me when he was bringing someone to see the apartments. Rick, Mike and Steve are the best. I will never go anywhere else when it comes to renting in my home. They match tenants and landlords perfectly -- everyone is happy. They are honest and caring gentlemen. I have dealt with other brokers in the past, and no one has made the process stress free as Rick, Mike and Steve have. No need to go anywhere else. They will be in my life for as long as I live in the neighborhood. Thank you so much. Rick, you are the best and I appreciate your hard work. I am nothing but pleased with CGR and their expertise and I recommend them to everyone. read more

Very friendly company, and they maintain relationships with the landlords in the area. Realtor was great on keeping me informed of any updates, and flexible to my schedule. Very fair broker fee, and no last minute fees. read more

This review is only to reiterate the already glowing reviews seen on this site. All of my encounters with CGRC left me with the impression that it is an upstanding and outstanding operation. The number of neighbors that wave at Rick, whether from the front porches or passing cars, speaks to the depth of relations that the family business has with the community. Unlike many competitors, the firm prides itself on having reasonable fees. CGRC should be your first (and most likely only) stop for any housing search in the greater Carroll Gardens area. read more

My wife and I were moving from Canada to Brooklyn and I had all of a day and a half about 2 weeks before to take a trip to NY and find a place. Stumbled across these guys the night before and to put it bluntly they really saved our a$$es. The place they showed me (and which we rented) was light years better than any that the far bigger (and way more corporate and impersonal) brokers had on offer, and the rental fee was just one month instead of the absurd (and basically universal) 15% of the annual take which all others were charging. Also, while other brokers held out vague threats about additional credit check fees for out-of-state or out-of-country renters, these guys simply took all my documentation and did a check without charging me a dime. Even better, my contact there, Rick Naporano, is a totally straight-up guy who knows the neighbourhood like the back of his hand and gave me a brief history, restaurant recommendations and other tips all within the hour or so we spent handling my file. His cousin and uncle work with him and both are super friendly, genuine guys. I'd recommend CGR to anybody looking in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn Heights, or Boerum Hill. They will treat you like family, not just a number, and most important they have better listings and make the process much easier than other brokers. read more

These guys were great -- straightforward, transparent, efficient, friendly. I'd worked with another broker in the area and was disappointed with how it turned out, but Rick got me in to see a great apartment right away, and I signed the lease fewer than 24 hours later. Next time I look for an apartment (which hopefully won't be soon), I will go to them first. I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

The best brokers I've ever worked with. No bullshit, total honesty, face to face application process, and genuine communication. It was a great experience and we got exactly what we were told we would, with none of the intimidation, lies, or worries that they were going to take advantage of us that I've had with other brokers. A low, sensible broker fee, too. If you're going to give anyone a fee, give it to these guys. I would recommend to anyone. read more

I had moved to NYC 7 years ago and needed to find an apartment. I knew Carroll Gardens was a great area, so when I had contacted Carroll Gardens Realty I knew from the beginning I was in great hands. Rick had showed me a few apartments in the area (all within my price range). He was extremely professional and listened to what my needs were (which was great considering most real estate places want to up sell you just so they can make a commission). Since I was new to the area Carroll Gardens Realty made sure that I was comfortable with the apartment they rented to me. My experience with them was fantastic! I would highly recommend them to help you find your new home. Mike and his team were always looking out for my best interest to make my apartment search a pleasant one. If you're looking to live in Brooklyn I would contact Carroll Gardens Realty, it was the best decision I made when moving to NYC! read more