The worst real estate agency! do not trust their brokers, they are all uneducated and they don't know what they're doing! they will lie, get the commission money, and go away! i do not recommend this agency to anyone ! read more

This is a review for Layla Sotelo. As I had the impending doom of the need to embark on the infamous NYC broker experience, I was, needless to say, less-than-excited, but decided it was the nature of the beast that is the Manhattan real estate market. However, perhaps this reputation rings true to other brokerage firms, but not Citi Habitats UWS, and not the broker Layla Sotelo. I "dealt" with an endless amount of brokers via email, but Layla was the most attentive, informative, and straight-forward of the bunch so I checked out my first NYC studio apartment with her. As a graduate student, can't say I'm looking for the pricey high-end UWS loft, but I felt as if she treated me as such, as she and I were, and continue to be, in close contact while working up to a lease on an amazing spot at an equally amazing price. I am breathing a sigh of relief as I formulate this Yelp review. P.S. I believe the lower ranking reviews are likely more of a direct reflection of the chaotic NYC rental market, rather than Citi Habitats and/or the respective brokers themselves. read more

We started trekking the UWS with Greg Hudson 2.5 months ago. Sometimes, we even had our 5 year old son in tow. G (as we refer Greg) was very patient and organize. We saw over 50 apartments from W60 to W97 Streets. Frustration grew since we didn't see any suitable unto for our family. Greg persist. He persist and gave us encouragement that, we would find something great beyond our expectations. Well, ladies and gents... he found one for us. Amazing unit on CPW! He even helped us fill out the application. We recommend that you work with Greg to find your new homes to own it or rent it. He is simply The best agent even during this crazy pandemic situation. We love love love Greg Hudson @corcoran. read more

Emi Yamazaki is a wonderful Real Estate professional. I successfully have worked with her several times. She is knowledgeable, courteous, prompt, timely and very meticulous. I recommend her without any reservations. read more

If I could have a dad in NYC, I would adopt Ray Yahnke to be my pops! As a broker, he was exceptional- promptly responsive, polite, directly concise. As a person, he has a great heart... And now really, what more can you ask for than someone who is genuinely looking out for you and your best interests? That's what true friendships are built on! -First off, it was only FIVE DAYS from the time we first met with Ray til the day we signed our lease. Try and beat that. -Ray listened to our requirements for an apartment rental and showed us only units within our constraints. -He emailed back within an hour, texted back even sooner. -He dedicated much time and effort to getting our proper documents in order and turned in *on time* (we had a deadline and didn't want the apartment rented out to anyone else!). -He didn't try to up-sell us (I'm very sensitive to this), but rather helped us outline the pros and cons of each unit, according to our wants and needs. -He coached us before the lease-signing so we knew exactly what to expect and how he would represent us in the meeting. -He has checked in with us since moving in, to make sure we're acclimating and happy with our apartment. Ultimately, he saved us time and money and it was such an absolute pleasure to work with him. We know he had our back and definitely felt that he went out of his way to take care of us. I would highly recommend Ray's services as a broker, as he exceeded our expectations, and as you can see, I can't sing enough praise! So... Is it even possible to adopt a dad? read more

I just worked with Kristin Cantwell here. She was excellent about talking to me about my desires and my income arrangements with renting in NYC (I'm a disabled veteran so my income doesn't come from regular employment). She kept in touch with me very well during the week or two before I actually arrived in New York to view apartments. We met in Inwood and she showed me a couple of potential apartments without the yanking around I've heard others sometimes give those looking. The apartments were within the guidelines I'd given her and I really loved one. Unfortunately it turned out to have had an application put in on it so she took me out to the same building and showed me another in it that was on a higher floor then I'd expressed needing/wanting after I said I'd be willing to give it a try. It was quite cute and I continued my application process with her to pursue that one and to be switched to the first one if the previous appliers didn't sign a lease on it. Unfortunately it didn't work out and I ended up renting from another place. The approval review kept being postponed, not by her fault, and I eventually found another place I liked and got into it quickly. During that wait she was absolutely great in keeping me updated! Very, very helpful and pro-active in it. While showing me the apartments and trip to her office she told me tons about the area I was applying in and was absolutely friendly to work with. None of the pressure that I've heard about. I very much suggest her if you are apartment hunting, I'd not hesitate to work with her again! read more

STAY AWAY. They pathetically attempt to brush away bad reviews by commenting that the people mentioned in bad reviews don't even work there. They do. I am a graduate student moving apartments. I stopped into Citi Habitats two days ago to talk about what I was looking for in an apartment - close to NYU, limited budget, and pet friendly. After speaking with John Guerrero about my priorities, I ended up viewing a couple of units on the Upper East Side with someone named Sean. The area is obviously not close to NYU, but I was open to the idea because of the prices. After thinking it over, the next day I texted Sean that I wanted to remain close to campus and that UES was too far. This afternoon he texted me photos of a BEAUTIFUL apartment, texted me "Hey Maria" along with all the details of the unit -- my exact price point, in my exact desired neighborhood, pets are OK, AND it was rent stabilized. It seemed too good to be true! And it was. When I immediately responded with a question, he simply texted back "Oops wrong client." He has not responded to my subsequent texts of me "clarifying" who I am and I have not heard from him since. "Oops wrong client." I know for a fact that he did not "accidentally" text me, Aria, instead of "Maria" about a unit that has the same EXACT criteria that I was looking for in a unit. Really? Let me guess that "Maria's" phone number is just one number different from mine, like her name is too? Let's say it was a true mistake... how do you accidentally send a fitting listing to the wrong client and then do nothing once you notice your mistake? Annoyed, I texted John after, who also has my phone number and has also texted me within the past 48 hours. His response: "Who is this?" As someone who has worked as a leasing agent, it's clear that the apartment doesn't even exist and Sean was just taking a jab at me. Even if we pretend it was a true accident and he really did mean to send that too-good-to-be-true listing to some Maria, the mix-up and lack of response comes off entirely disorganized and impersonal. "Oops wrong client" and then total silence. So either you will be nothing special to them, just another client... Or their target of a practical joke. Pursue apartments with a realty company that takes each and every one their clients seriously. You and I deserve better. read more

Corcoran - Real Estate Agents Near Me - New York, New York

This review is for JoJo Varghese. We just rented our first brownstone in UWS with Jojo's help. He was professional, punctual, and patient with us. He showed us about 15 apartments, all but two of which met our requirements and were within out price range. He wasn't pushy at all and offered his honest opinion when we asked for it. He was on-time which was much appreciated. It also helped that he knew most of the buildings, superintendents, and listing agents,so we usually got first look at new listings. Tell him exactly what it is you want, and he will find it for you fast. Thanks Jojo! We'll definitely be recommending him to friends who are looking to buy or rent. read more

I was looking for a rental recently and contacted Citi Habitats to view an apartment they were advertising on their site. I was promptly contacted by the Agent who asked when I would be available to visit the apartment. I responded immediately and I waited and waited for a response. I proceeded to do some research on Street Easy only to find out that the advertised apartment had been rented 4 months earlier. I texted the agent with this information and asked why he was not aware of this information. He responded that he was "waiting to hear from the listing agent". Really!! In a city where you have to react immediately to an open house or available apartment, I am discouraged that Citi habitats is still using this same old tactic that does not foster confidence. read more

This is a review for Kristin Cantwell. I was coming from out of town to try to find a place and Kristin was recommended by a friend. I talked to her on the phone and over email and she was always on the ball about getting back to me and soothing my fears (I might have been freaking out a bit). She listened carefully to my requirements and was able to show many many apartments in a few hours that all fit what I wanted. She was funny and very nice and very clear about all the requirements. She didn't promise more than she could deliver and she was very helpful all along the process of looking, applying, and then figure out whether I wanted to take the apartment or not. Since the apartment I originally wanted was snatched by people with quicker application skills, she went back to the building and took many pictures and video of an apartment that was almost exactly the same to help me decide if I wanted to apply for it or not. Kristin is great! read more

Where do I even begin with the kindness that was epitomized by Agi Anderson? Confronted by a request to imminently vacate my apartment, I stumbled upon a unit on the internet that led me to Agi. It was a Friday morning when I reached out to her. By Friday afternoon, she had set up 4 appointments at units that matched my qualifications. Admittedly, I was disgruntled by the impossibility of NYC apartment search. I was anxious about moving out. I didn't want to deal with reality. However, Agi was supportive, informative, and understanding. She spoke with me as though she was my friend. She thought of my interest when we talked about housing options. She shared her story with me to motivate me. Although, ultimately, I no longer needed to find a new apartment, she was happy for me and supported my decision. I am grateful to have met her during my brief apartment search in NYC. Her dedication, positivity, and efficiency prove to be contagious. Thank you for being such a genuinely *good* person, Agi. read more

Review of Juan Rosado I moved here from San Francisco in December and my boyfriend and I were looking for an apartment. We had a pretty tight budget and high expectations. Juan was very patient and spent a lot of time with us. He took us to a lot of different places and a lot of different neighborhoods. He ended up getting us a great place. I would highly recommend him. read more

This review is for Lauren Rosenthal. I had 1 week to find an apartment in NYC when visiting from DC. At first I tried the n-fee no broker route and was insanely depressed at the crappy apartments I saw (think no stove, no kitchen sink, no closets, maybe 200 sq ft). I finally broke down and got a broker realizing that I was about to be out of time and homeless. I sent Lauren a list of apartments from the Citi Habitats website that I liked and a list of hopes/requirements for my new studio or one bedroom. She was uber professional and has incredible relationships with landlords. The places she showed me were worlds away from the places I saw earlier. In less than a couple of hours she found me an awesome big, pet friendly one bedroom apartment in an amazing neighborhood with fabulous closets - what more can I girl ask for? I would highly recommend working with Lauren when you are looking for your next place in Manhattan! read more

The BEST experience in renting my first apartment from start to finish thanks to the AMAZING staff. Johnny Mejia. Was very attentive and diligent about finding a place that would perfectly suit my needs. He made himself available to address all concerns, readjusted his own schedule to accommodate mine, and was always positive and extremely knowledgeable about the areas and spaces of interest. Even after the lease was signed, John followed through to ensure everything went smoothly. Joanna Penny was equally helpful, ensuring an easy application process and lease signing. Thanks to these guys, the entire process took less than one week! The next time I move, I would ONLY use this team! read more

I would recommend to go somewhere else - a lot of their listings (and I mean A LOT) are taken from "no-fee websites" and are listed at Citi Habitat with a 15% fee - LOL. Also, the listings shown do not have address, so it is very difficult to see where the place is located - the only thing you see is the neighborhood, which are large. Last thing - by all means they want to drag you in their office to "discuss what you are looking for" - why cannot we do it over the phone??? Every showing requires a lot of paper work before you are shown the apartment. There are gozillion other options/brokers out there. This one should be at the bottom of the list. Very bottom. read more

This is a review for Jenny Dexter Fitch. I was coming from out of town to look for an apartment on the Upper West Side. Jenny and I corresponded extensively by email to make sure that she knew exactly what I was looking for and to let me know how to bring the proper documentation to secure a guarantor. I was looking for a pet-friendly apartment, and Jenny let me know honestly just how many apartments I could expect to see with that requirement and in my budget. When I arrived at Citi Habitats, Jenny had prepared an extensive list of every single conceivable apartment that I could expect to see with a move-in date of a month from my visit. The list was about 12-15 apartments long, which was a pleasant surprise: I didn't want to be shoe-horned into getting an apartment based on seeing only a few. We tore through the streets of Manhattan in an exhaustive search. Along the way, we stopped for pastries and coffee, so it didn't seem like a serious business meeting. Jenny also paid for several cabs by the time I realized that she was doing it out of her own wallet (i.e., not covered by Citi). From the time I arrived at Citi at 11 am and the time we were done, it was nearly seven hours of cabbing, walking, looking, chatting, laughing. By that time, I was confident that I could make an informed decision on which apartment I wanted to apply for. I arrived the next morning with my decision, bringing cookies for Jenny for being such a fantastic agent. She made me tea, and we set to work. Despite the fact that she could have benefited from selling me the most expensive apartment under my budget, Jenny encouraged me to seriously consider cheaper options, even stopping in alarm when we learned that the apartment I wanted tacked on a $150/mo. pet fee, and making sure that that didn't change my choice, even though we had just spent an hour applying for the apartment. Later that day, my choice was approved, and we high-fived over email. tl;dr Jenny is a super hip, thorough, attentive agent who will make sure that your needs are met and make a harrowing apartment search into a no-stress adventure. read more

This review is for JoJo Varghese. After having a horrendous experience with Allan Gewurtz, another Citi Habitats broker, JoJo swept in and make life so much easier. My roommates and I explained our situation with Allan to him, told him our capabilities, and he handled it from there. We met with him on a Saturday afternoon and he made sure not to show us any apartments than Allan previously showed. He explained the way the process was going to work and felt confident in his ability to get us approved. Once he showed us the apartment of our dreams, we met him at his office and filled out the application. He walked us through each step, each document, and asked as many questions as possible so as to eliminate any back-and-forth between us and the management company. He was EXTREMELY professional and honest. We got approved 3 days later, and met him to sign the leases. He has kept in constant contact with us, even after getting paid. He has even met up with us so that we could see the apartment again before our lease starts. I would recommend him to any trustworthy person wanting to rent and have a stress-free process. He should get an award. read more

This is a review for Harvey Roque. From my first call to Citi-Habitats I was impressed. The friendly professionalism that was displayed helped me to feel at ease. Harvey answered my questions and responded promptly to e-mails. On Sunday, March 28 Harvey met with us to show apartments that met our criteria. We had sent a lot of listings to him, and he showed us many of those as well as some that he thought were other examples. He was able to see that some apartments from our list did not fit our needs, so he did not waste his or our time showing them to us. He did let us know, however, that he would show them if we desired. He was patient and understanding with our 8 year old son, as well. After a full day of apartment showings, he was ready to meet with us for a second go on Monday. We canceled, and he did not pressure us at all. We ended up renting an apartment in Brooklyn that was listed by a different company. When I called Harvey to tell him, he was not only polite and professional, he was warm to me. Our decision to rent the apartment that we did had nothing to do with him at all, and I would recommend him highly to any client that is looking for an apartment in Manhattan. I will also use him again if we decide to move to Manhattan in the future. read more

This review is for Olgierd Minkiewicz: I've dealt with many real estate agents before, but thankfully Olgierd isn't like most of them out there. While many others tried to get me to settle for less than what I was looking for, Olgierd went out of his way to continue to look for a place that suited me best. He searched endlessly to find me something that worked for my situation - even after the first apartment we looked at fell through. I ended up being happier with the second apartment we went with! Olgierd was always very honest with me about the entire process and was consistently on top of his game; he made me feel quite at ease during what is usually a very stressful time. If you want a very personable and sincere agent - please reach out to Olgierd. You definitely won't regret it! read more

Emi Yamasaki made my move to New York so much smoother. Coming all the way from Buffalo, she really worked with us on handling everything from afar. We loooove the apartment she found us. She's super friendly, showed us tons of options in our price range and really listened/did her research. A little intense on the walking, but hey, how else are you going to see everything? Overall, great experience with Emi! read more

This review is for Zac Flynt. What a GREAT guy! Professional, on time, willing to run up & down the street for us when needed. Very easy to work with, willing to accommodate and make sure we were getting everything we asked for. Dealt with the landlord and made sure all our concerns were met. Of course the unit we ended up going with was also a great find in a great neighborhood. Plenty of great tips about the neighborhood (UWS) and great follow up. Highly recommended! Find Zac if you can! read more

Citi Habitats is the worst. They misinformed us regarding the price of the apartment, telling us it was one price, and after we applied for it, telling us it was a higher price. Not only were they not willing to admit their mistake, they then charged us an even higher broker fee on top of their already ridiculous fee. When I complained, I was told to keep my mouth shut or we would lose the apartment. Professional? Absolutely not! This is why I have waited until now to post this. Because of fear of losing the apartment. I HATED every part of my experience with Citi Habitats and am completely dissatisfied. I wish I could have my broker's fee reimbursed because Citi Habitats did nothing to help - they only served as a further burden to the already horrible NYC apartment search. read more

Adelya Terranova!!! Rarely do you receive AMAZING service in NYC, especially in the real estate world (sadly that's my experience at least), but Adelya proved to be a diamond in the real estate rough! I called her around 5pm last Thursday and asked for information on a listing I saw online. I was in a time crunch for finding a place and needed something asap. She gave me the rundown on the area and offered to come meet me within the hour to check out the place, if she could reach the super. She did and we went and reviewed multiple listings (all of which were in two buildings next to each other). She was a ray of shining light in the darkness of the NYC apartment hunt abyss. Apartment hunting in NYC can be a pain but she made it so easy and fun -- always a bounce in her step and always a smile on her face. I would definitely suggest working with Adelya. You will be glad you did! Good luck on your search!!! read more

Realtor Mavlyuda Makhmudova made our apartment application process extremely stressful and we were lied to throughout. Would not recommend.

Travonte is a super star broker! Efficient, professional, and gets the job done. I highly recommend him.

I recently had a showing on the UWS with Lauren Unger. The entire experience was at best unprofessional and subpar. I found an apartment online and requested a viewing, to which she showed up 25 minutes late as I waited in the rain. There was no communication that she would be late until after I called the brokerage agency to see if she was going to show. She was on her phone the entire viewing as well. Later, I had a few questions regarding the amendments made to the Tenant Protection Act as she sent me conflicting paperwork; One said she was a tenants broker, the other a landlord/ dual agent. When asked - very cordially, as I know this may be a difficult time for brokers, she gave me a very patronizing response. I asked her to speak with the landlord on my behalf to see if he would be open to splitting the fee (as I suspected she truly was a dual agent). Her response to my only request? "Sorry, no" - after insisting she was representing my interests in this transaction. She then cc'd a coworker who also proceeded to patronize me, suggesting I was getting my legal advice from the media. In actuality, I had a close family friend who is a contract and real estate attorney advise me on the matter. I decided I would not proceed in this transaction, nor communicate with her after this. However, she felt the need to send me two separate articles stating the suspension until March 13th. Additionally, I wish I had whatever she was smoking because she requested a money order of $1000 with the payee section blank. No one in their right mind should EVER hand over, essentially, $1000 cash without knowing the recipient. Overall the experience was very disappointing and highly unprofessional. I made every effort to be cordial and would have paid the fee had she not been so unbelievably rude and condescending. read more

This review is for Gian Carlos DelaCruz Being that I have previously had a crappy experience with this company, I almost didn't respond to the CL ad when I saw that it was citi, but I really liked the place, sooo I did. Long story short, Carlos was really great. He had a REAL ad on Craigslist with all recently taken photographs of an available apartment which was a refreshing change. He didn't make us sign a bunch of stuff and come to his office before seeing the specific property we wanted to see, and didn't feed us a whole bunch of BS while we were with him about "the market right now" and "you're not going to get better than this" and "I have all the listings" and all the other things we had heard from the many brokers we had worked with in our search. He made honest comments about the place and suggested things we should ask to be fixed. He then worked closely with the owner to help us get approved quickly. He also negotiated to a reasonable fee that was feasible for us. It physically pains me to pay a fee, but for once it was worth it. If the first place we saw with him didn't end up being the one for us, we would have been loyal and continued to work with him. Only reason for four stars is because I'm still pretty wary of this company as a result of my experience last year. Get the right broker and it works out. read more

This review is for Jessica Flynt. Moving from DC to NYC this was my first experience using a broker and I was uneasy about the idea, especially after hearing from others how sketchy and expensive brokers can be. I also had a very limited time to find a place in late August which is apparently the busiest moving season in NYC. I'm so thankful my friend referred me to Jessica. She is energetic, honest, empathetic, and thoughtful when guiding you in your apartment search and clearly wants the best for her clients. We spent about 5 hours in one day together looking at apartments and I felt like we truly had bonded when we parted ways. Once you begin the labor-intensive application process, Jessica helps you every detailed step of the way and is extremely responsive to questions over email and text. She is a wealth of knowledge on NYC apartments and moving logistics. I will surely use her the next time I move and would 100% recommend her to anyone I know apartment hunting in NYC in the future. read more

This review is for Jessica Flynt, with a sidebar shout-out to her husband Zac, also a broker, who helped out. Jessica was fabulous: responsive, attentive, and helpful at each step during the process. She listened when I told her what I was looking for and my priorities and trade-offs, and within a day had a set of listings ready to view. When I decided I needed to change the search and tweak my priorities, she easily shifted gears and came up with a great new list of apartments, and she coordinated with other brokers for listings that were not from CitiHabitats. Having finally found the right place, Jessica was incredibly helpful in managing the situation and paperwork with the management company for the building and was a terrific advocate for me when a change on their end meant we needed to reschedule. And last--but definitely not least--every time I needed to meet Jessica, she was on time or early. Every single time. A small detail but one that matters in a process that can be so time consuming just by its very nature. I found a great place, and it wouldn't have happened without Jessica Flynt. Highly recommend working with her. read more

My broker Mavel Colon was very easy to work with. She replied quickly to texts and was also timely in her responses to management's requests. I recommend looking her up if you want a broker with a calm personality who will ease an often stressful process. read more

Worked with Erik Raphael, he was very inadequate in helping us find an apartment. Poor communication which lead to us losing an apartment. Find another broker. read more

Very disrespectful, shady, and unprofessional individuals work for this company. For some odd reason, our working relationship went sour (meaning they stopped giving me straight answers when it came time to apply for the apartment). They waited till after my lease ended and then delivered the "bad news" after continuously brushing me off. When I asked for clarification, they could give me ZERO explanations. Clearly I was being BS's, so I reached out to another agent. This "licensed real estate person" I reached out to completely BS'd me as well...I could NOT believe that two random people were being like this for NO REASON. I would never try to lease an apartment through this company again.......ever. Both agents I dealt with were extremely difficult, and seemingly for no reason at all. Our working relationship was fine and then it wasn't. WOULD NOT RECOMMEND, ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE NEW TO NYC. read more

This is a review for Greg Hudson and Lauren Unger in the UWS office. Greg and Lauren were absolutely amazing. They went the extra mile from the very beginning and didn't give up trying to find me an apartment, even though I had quite a few challenges and requirements. After a brief search they found me a dream apartment that exceeded all expectations, in my number one area. I couldn't be happier with the level of service I received and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them, particularly to international people looking for an apartment. read more

I just had my worst experience with Citi Habitats. The agent, Bill Hackett, is really unprofessional in treating his customers. He is hard to reach on the cell phone, despite you calling him several times a day. He ignores your inquiry and emails. He has an indifferent work ethic that makes you feel that you are begging him to rent the apartment to you. When we came back to the leasing office after deciding to rent one of the apartments (after failing to reach him on the phone we have to come to the leasing office to talk to him), he told the doorman that he was too busy handling other leasing and will only be available after 2 hrs. We said we only need to know the application requirements, he still didn't even come out of his office!!!! Anyway, don't come close to this person. read more

My wife and I visited several apartments in the West Village. Unfortunately Lucas Dallavalle proved highly unreliable, and after he canceled several appointments and was rude my wife, we went to work with another broker. Sorry that people like Lucas Dallavalle give such a poor image of NYC brokers! read more

Good selection of properties but will pretty much say anything to sell the property and consume your time, do not trust them.

Don't trust this company. We signed a lease at an apartment we loved, but had to pay a massive broker fee. This is pretty standard in New York, and we were okay paying it because it would spread out over the multiple years we planned on living there. Then, after asking the company to make sure we could renew our lease, we heard no response. About two weeks before our lease was up, they reached out and said that the landlord's son would be taking over our apartment so we had to move out. They then tried to show us new apartments, all of those with high broker fees. Flash forward, we are in our new apartment after losing almost $15,000 in fees, and we see our old apartment listed on StreetEasy, with Citi Habitats as the broker. Then entire situation was sketchy and they continued to either lie or not respond to us. read more

I had an absolutely wonderful experience with my agent, Helaine Tishberg, who was a delight during the whole rental process. Thanks to her we just signed a lease on my first Nyc apartment!! She was incredibly helpful and patient while we searched for the perfect place and I couldn't be happier with where we ended up. She always responded immediately to my questions, was very resourceful and moved quickly to set up time for us to view apartments. When we were with her we felt like her first priority which was amazing! From downtown to uptown and back again as I changed my mind a few times, she organized amazing options catering to all of my not so easy requirements and planned out viewing each place in the most efficient order. I would highly recommend her and will definitely be using her as my agent if and when I ever need to find another apartment. Thanks Helaine!! read more

This review is for Emi Yamasaki. I was given Emi's information by a friend, along with high praise. And she did more than exceed my expectations. As a new grad, I didn't know much about renting in the city. Emi was kind to answer our (myself and my roomate) questions, figure out a good time to look for units, and which locations and types might be good for us. Emi started off by showing me a number of apartments so that I could get a feel for what I wanted, and what was important. After each apartment, we would debrief and talk about my thoughts, and requirements for future apartments. Although our requirements were tough (large bedrooms, laundry, downtown, no fee), Emi called me one day to say she had found the perfect place for us. She arranged a viewing that day, and we were able to get in an application by the next morning, just in time to secure the unit. Throughout negotiations, Emi was always on our side -- she convinced the management to take our application over another, and only require two months of security deposit instead of the usual three for new grads. In the application process, Emi worked around my work schedule, and would come directly to my office during lunch to pick up paperwork and deposits. She negotiated to buy us the extra time necessary to mail the lease to my roommate to be signed, and helped us successfully lock down the place. Even after we had the unit, Emi followed up with us to ensure we'd be able to organize a move in date and pick up the keys. We will be moving into the apartment come September 1st, and I'm sure that Emi will help us with anything else we might need. I cannot recommend Emi highly enough if you are looking for a broker. She is kind, professional, helpful, and patient. I would especially recommend her if this is your first time finding and apartment, as it was for us. Also, a bonus if you happen to speak Japanese! read more

We worked with Allan Gewurtz, who promises things he is entirely incapable of delivering. We should have known from the moment he showed up late, sporting flip-flops, a Starbucks latte, and a cigarette, to show us an occupied apartment. Nevertheless, my roommates and I were desperate to find housing before the end of the month. After we agreed to take the occupied apartment, which Alan swore would be available before the first of the month, we embarked on the worst move-in I've experienced in my last 5 years of living in New York. Allan assured us that he would take care of our lease and liaise with the management company. Days passed without word from Alan. He dodged my and my other two roommates calls enough times to warrant a visit to his office. I held vigil for a couple of hours until Alan swaggered in and placed harried calls to the management company. As I would realize throughout my experience with Allan, nothing got done unless someone was on top of him every step of the way. On moving day we needed the keys and Allan was unreachable by phone. Desperate, we drove to this Citi Habitats location to ask a manager or one of his colleagues to contact him. Allan answered his phone on his own office's third try, asked for his fee, which he had previously assured us was negotiable, and told us he'd be there in 15 minutes. In the meanwhile, a colleague in his office (skinny, blonde) harassed us to sign the lease for an inaccurate amount before coldly telling us that Allan was "confused" about the brokers fee, and that if we didn't want to pay her figure she'd be happy to tear up our lease. Remember, this was moving day. Allan never showed. We ended up living out of a moving truck for three days because we couldn't move in before the first (surprise surprise, Alan had taken liberties with facts). Our super, whom Alan referred to as "the nicest guy in the world," assured us that Alan was an "asshole" who made trouble for everyone. read more