David Mishel is a broker I started working with by accident. As a first-time buyer, I'd been tricked into reaching a Redfin (or was it Zillow?) affiliated broker rather than the listing agent, who was the person I was trying to reach. In any event, he called to set up the requested showing and seemed nice, so I set up a few showings. He was super nice and easy to work with. He did a great job on this and subsequent showings of pacing them well and in an order that made sense, so we weren't driving back-and-forth across the area. He was also very responsive through the 6 weeks I worked with him. While things didn't manage to work out for me, I learned a lot. I also appreciated the great lawyer and lender he connected me to, as that were equally responsive as well as educational. read more

DO NOT BUY FROM ALAN CANDEA! We bought new construction from him and his lackey, Chris, in 2023. They lie, cut corners, and refuse to be held responsible for their lousy construction. When we were looking at the unfinished unit, he promised the building would have a Butterfly system, instead we have a call box with no video. And it is not even hard wired so the plug falls out from the outlet there is no way to enter the building. When told he needed to fix it, he put tape on it and labeled it "do not remove." He promised to furnish the entry way, it is still empty. There is a storage room, the lock was installed wrong so it gets jammed often. He refused to fix it. The lock for our unit was also installed upside down, and jammed. So we had to hire a locksmith to fix it. Every unit had issues with the sealing on the windows and we had moisture damage on the window trims, this took MONTHS to remedy because Alan refused to admit it was a problem. The Internet cables were left uncut and dangling from the walls, had to hire an electrician to come and finish what Alan could not. The patio is on raised tiles. Throughout the building, we have over 50 tiles that were cracked or damaged on install. Several people fell through those tiles and were injured. When it was time to form an HOA, we managed to get someone from all 18 units present so we could elect a board. Alan actually forgot to bring his lawyer, so it was postponed by several weeks. ' He did not even have all of the fire extinguishers hung up in the building, we had to wait until a management company was hired to get that done. He promised to power wash the garage, still not done. I recently found a tube of tooth paste wedged in between the sink countertop and the cabinets below. It was sealed that way, I cannot remove it. When I reached out to Alan about this, I got no response. DO NOT BUY FROM ALEN CANDEA. read more

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If you can help it, do not work with Susan Nice. My agent unfortunately had to work with her when we found an apartment. She is awful at responding and when she does it's always some sort of last minute request. Seems like someone who is overwhelmed and not good at their job. dream towns lease was also super vague on so many things and did not outline the payment process and only told my agent (not me) when/how to pay the day it was due. Just reallyyy bad communication on their end. Avoid if you can. read more

Corporate staff are terrible, particularly accounting. They have had almost 2 weeks to return our earnest money and keep telling us to wait. Informed them we are still looking to buy a home and now refuse to look at any property represented by Dream Town. Their response: "ok". So buyer beware when working with this clown show. read more

David Mishel is a joke. Contacted me about one of my properties for sale by owner. I informed him that a friend owns a real-estate company and when I don't sell a place quickly they list it for free. He then called me cheap. Sorry, I have good friends who aren't leaches like this guy must be . This guy is a complete clown. He will learn in the next year when his sales go to zero that a broker is not needed, they are all but useless. Funny I see all these 1 star reviews about him, not shocked. read more

My nightmare with Dreamtown. I purchased a home from Dreamtown. Dreamtown operates with very questionable ethics. They photoshop non-existent furnishings and upgrades into listings. Maybe you're thinking that this is bait and switch, which is against the law. Indeed, bait and switch is against the law. However, I'm sure they'd argue that their disclaimer that somewhere on the listing that listing images are enhanced, or it's buried in the closing or some other documents. So, just because some behavior is perfectly legal, does it make it ethical? So if realtors are free to photoshop in non-existent upgrades and other features, why not photoshop in a new kitchen? Why not photoshop in some upgraded bathrooms? Photoshop in a new inground pool! For sure, there are legit uses of digital mockups in listings, like when a property is empty, you can see what it would look like with furniture. But what Dreamtown does is an obvious abuse. I think this type of behavior is unfair to honest realtors. Look, every property has its strengths and weaknesses. But to flagrantly hide and disguise obvious warts on a property is incredibly unethical and dishonest. Just because a business practice is perfectly legal does not make it remotely ethical. Apparently for some people, a successful deceit means a "win". There obviously is a need to reform real estate laws. Once there was a time when the public was at the mercy of unscrupulous car salesmen, but "lemon laws" and an array of other laws now protect the public when they buy cars. I hope that there is similar real estate reform by the time I need to buy and sell again. After my experience, I am not looking forward to the day when I have to call on a realtor. I am hoping either for some protective laws, or that AI or some app eliminates the need for Realtors in the next decade or two. Dreamtown also enables dishonest behavior from their sellers. They promise items that are indeed not left when the closing is finished, because they leave them off the closing. Again, super shady, but perfectly legal. When I called them out on it, their attitude was basically "gosh, I dunno what happened, but it's not on the closing papers" (translation: "you're out of luck sucker". So the lesson to other realtors is: just promise whatever, then hope the buyer doesn't read every letter of the closing documents. Great way to operate. This was far from the only gotcha moment. Exacerbating our unpleasant experience, the sellers of our property expertly hid several expensive problems, including dangerous DIY electric work, a hot tub that leaked gallons of water, and a sewer gas leak, which became very apparent less than 24 hours after the closing. Maybe I'm old school or just naive, because when I sold my home, I didn't hide any problems, and the photos of my former home looked exactly as my home actually looked. My selling agent did not photoshop in any furnishings or features that did not exist, in order to cover up things that were out of date or missing. And the crazy thing is that my home sold anyhow, in a timely manner, and with a profit that we were VERY happy with. My point is that none of these petty tricks that they engage in are even necessary, because first of all we bought the house! Lesson: if a house is in a good neighborhood, was cared for, and has good bones, it will sell. But maybe Dreamtown agents are simply not clever nor confident enough to sell a decent home by entirely honest and ethical means. They need to nickle and dime the buyer with petty tricks. This company operates by the most cynical and dishonest means. Buyer beware! Buyer, AND seller beware! read more

I was misled by the realtor, Dee Savic, and owner. I checked with them before applying and they verified that the garage can be used to supply 120V power. I explicitly told them I'm not going to be charged money and applying if I cannot get 120V power. After verification I applied and was going to take the unit. I get approved with a response that the COA will not allow power usage for my space. I told them they already verified with me before applying and now they are telling me after. We have to go back to rental prices and come to a new agreement. They knew from the beginning that my move in date was 45 days from application. They get back to me that I need to move in within 15 days. Again, misleading me from when I had applied. In the end she goes and edits her advertised online prices, she dropped the advertised price to what we had privately negotiated and moved someone else in within 4 days. Unethical and non-professional. I want a credit, they stole $75, refused to credit. I suggest to ignore the background check claim of no chargebacks, as they act like a buffer and do a claim against the company if the company wants to work with people like this. read more

David Mishel. Lazy and arrogant describes this so called agent. Knew or pretended Not to know pretty basic answers to basic questions. Treated me like I did not know anything about real estate. Comes off as slimey and not trustworthy. read more

We just closed on the house that Aaron Masliansky helped us purchase and we are delighted to recommend him! From the moment we started working with him, Aaron was incredible organized and proactive. His pleasant and professional demeanor made the house hunting process enjoyable; anytime we were together or on the phone, Aaron gave us his undivided attention and made us feel like his most valued client. Furthermore, he is incredibly knowledgable and passionate about the real estate market and the area. We felt like we were in such competent hands having him negotiate on our behalf. And thanks to his hard work, we are finally home! read more

My husband and I were so excited to work with Mary to find our first home... She was kind, comforting and we thought she was great... We put earnest money down on a house that, after the inspection, turned out to be a complete money pit. We requested our money back and we were told that we would have our money back in two days which would have been last Friday . We texted Mary on Friday and she told us the money was not ready and we could expect it by today at the latest. I texted her on Saturday to see if there were any updates, and since she has an iPhone I saw her read receipt, but she did not reply. I called her office on Monday since I did not hear from her, and she texted me back sounding annoyed that I called the office. I texted Mary today to see if our money was available and she tried to tell me that the sellers weren't responding and it could be an additional 30 days before we saw our money. She also expressed disappointment that we lost trust in her. My husband is an attorney and he informed her that, legally, earnest money should be returned within 48 hours. Mary tried to tell us that the seller was not being responsive and that's why it was taking so long. We researched and saw that the seller was also a Dream Town client -which we told her we knew. After that, she immediately told us our money was ready. We feel like Mary took advantage of us as first time home owners and definitely did not have our best interest at heart. We feel as though she saw an opportunity with inexperienced clients who had no idea what they were getting into. I'm so thankful we did our research and finally have our money back. My husband and I are extremely disappointed, and will not be working with Dream Town going forward. read more

I would like to inform potential home owners shopping for your special dream home purchase to not use realtor Dan Kielbowicz he had me setup with the worse lender in the world The First Savings Bank David PIATEK be ware these guys had me ass out for 9'days in a hotel and 9 day's of parking and 9 days of (3) meals per day because they were not ready to close and told me we were clear to close for April 26 2021 Monday at 3pm. Mind you I relocated back to Chicago since selling my home in VA mid March. i specifically asked Dan are you sure because I do not want to be sitting in a hotel wasting unnecessary out of pocket debt! Dan said yes and so did his buddy David PIATEK . I requested that Dan and David a my loss because I made good on my end and I was available in Chicago on April 25 a day early before closing the 26. Dan said to me hey Rick don't worry my man I'm going to give you some of that money back after closing! I feel like he said what I needed to hear oppose to me walking away from the whole deal then nobody gets paid. I personally contacted the lender David PIATEK he refused to acknowledge and respond back to the many emails I challenged him with. I'm out of every bit of about close to $3K in top of what I had to go to the closing table with. This Buddy system BS friends Realtor / Lender my man let's make this money. Don't give Dream Town or The Federal Savings Bank David Piatek or any of their lenders. I am not done with these guys I can assure you this. Pay me now or pay me later. "BEWARE" PS: Dan hasn't said shit to me since not have I received any monies from him regarding this. They only want ya money if they fuck up it's on you.. have a Blessed day. read more

DreamTown Realty currently represents Alan Candea who is doing bad business with the community. He is building homes with cheap labor and violating area standards by hiring unqualified guys to do it. And then selling them to the people at full price to maximize profits. Maybe his small jobs aren't too bad. But now with him starting huge jobs there are numerous of problems already because he doesn't have trained/skilled workers doing the work. And DreamTown is helping him sell his property. All his work is non union and good luck down the road with problems read more

We had such a great experience working with Allie Payne of Dreamtown Realty. We had just started househunting for our first home and ran into her at an open house she was hosting. We were originally planning to use another realtor, but she was so nice to us at the open house and asked a lot of questions about what we were looking for in a home. She then was sending us listings that fit our criteria, and offered to show us a home that just went on the market hours before the open house. We fell in love with that home and it's the one we ending up buying! She was so accessible and helpful through the whole bidding and closing process, and and answered all of our questions, no matter how simple they may have seemed. You could tell she was an Evanston expert and she helped us get into a great neighborhood. We highly recommend her services. read more

My first experience with DreamTown Realty has been such that I have serious doubts concerning the integrity of this firm. I went into MLS.com to peruse listings, and the MLS site requested my name, email, address and phone as a condition for letting me in. At no point was I informed that my information would be provided to DreamTown Realty or that I was entering a site operated by DreamTown. A few minutes later I receive an unsolicited telephone call from a man who identified himself as Louis and an agent of DreamTown. Then I received an email from Louis.Stiehm@dreamtown.com, full of bla, bla, bla. Among other propaganda, the email reads, "We respect your email privacy. We will never sell, trade, or barter your email address to any unauthorized third party...PERIOD." So what if they aren't going to share my information. Bottom line is that DreamTown obtained my personal contact information under false pretenses and has invaded my privacy. This represents a violation of real estate ethics. In addition, not that I'm getting their emails, there's no way to unsubscribe. That policy violates federal law. In light of their invasion of privacy, unwarranted aggression, and policies in violation of laws and ethics, they ain't getting my trust or my business. read more

*HARASSMENT* I have no idea if this company even does a good job or not in regards to real estate, I just know they find your information anywhere they can except from you and despite your lack of agreement they send multiple fliers to your physical address every single month. I even went so far as to contact a Mark Miles one of the managers in the River North area to ask for them to stop the practice immediately. He, of course, denied that Dreamtown has anything to do with this unwanted solicitation (riiiiiiight), but he did offer me that he would tell the agent who was sending me the most excessive amount out of all of them to stop. After that agent had sent me two more fliers, I reach back out and told him that she had not in fact stopped or even slowed down to which he replied with: NOTHING. I can't say I was surprised, but I got a surprise for him ;) Watch out, Dreamtown will find your information any way they can and even when you politely request that they stop soliciting you or remove you from their mailing list, they'll still harass you to the fullest extent they can and waste an exorbitant amount of paper overflowing your mailbox. I've never personally worked with the company, but based on their lack of respect it won't ever happen. Good luck to all of you innocent people simply trying to live your lives in peace. I guess it's too much to ask to not be subjected to non-stop harassment. In fact I've come to learn that when you ask Dreamtown for a break and some peace they step it up...impressive marketing, ha! Dreamtown has been far from a dream for me (of which I never asked for in the first place), so if you're one of the few people actually looking for business that is contacted by them, I recommend going anywhere else anyway because these shops all offer the same service but hopefully anywhere else will choose to listen and demonstrate some respect which is supposed to be part of service. read more

My agent, Melissa Young, at DT was excellent. Melissa is the 3rd real estate agent (and broker) that I have had in my lifetime and she's by far the best. We enlisted her services to buy and sell a home. She takes her craft seriously and it shows in her knowledge, her preparedness, and her constant focus on getting things done. She found us OUR home and it was perfect. She was calming when we needed it and fired up when we were emotionally and mentally exhausted. We can't say enough great things about her but we will definitely send all of our friends her way for future real estate transactions. By the way with her great assistance in pricing and push to get our home (that we were selling) staged, we sold it in 4 days!!! From DT perspective, the services provided were awesome. The home photographer was phenomenal and the virtual tour they set up was out of this world. They tools and materials that Melissa had at her disposal were fantastic. If you want at tech savvy company that looks to make the real estate experience as painless as possible this is the company for you. read more

Promises were made for our purchase transaction. They were not kept. I would not recommend using our agent from Dream Town.

If you're looking for top-notch connections, endless 24/7 support (seriously), a listener who isn't afraid to say what needs to be said, patience, optimism, and the hardest-working realty team in Chicago, Susie Kanter (of DreamTown) and the Kanter team IS IT. My husband and I turned to Susie this year to help us find our "forever" home. We were torn between the suburbs and the North Side, and Susie patiently worked to show us the best she and we could find in 3 different cities. But it was her connections in the realty world (where she knows everyone!) that led us to our dream home, and her support through all the twists and turns that buying can sometimes be were absolutely invaluable. For the newcomers to realty, Susie will walk you through everything you need to know, and as many times as you want or need. For the experienced, I believe Susie will get to brass-tax as quickly as humanly possible, and be the bulldog you want when the going gets tough. I honestly would give her 10 stars if I could, and my husband and I frequently silently thank Susie as we walk through our beautiful home. She really understood what we wanted and found us exactly that home, in the price point we wanted, and then stayed with us through the whole process to ensure it became ours. We loved, too, how many contacts she has in the construction/legal/inspection world. Everyone she recommended to us turned out to be the best people we have hired for those jobs. Added to all of this, you won't find a kinder, nicer person, a more true spirit, who laughed and cried along with us, as if she were the one buying our home, rooting for us every step of the way. We found a friend in our realtor, a person we look forward to staying in touch with in the years to come. Thanks, Susie, for everything. You made our dream come true, and we really couldn't be happier. read more

Lisa Sanders was the selling agent for a house my wife and I went to look at in the Norwood Park area of Chicago a few weeks back and she couldn't have been any more rude and unprofessional. Not an agent I would want representing my company or trying to sell my house. We walked up to the house with our agent and she was sitting on the front steps and did not say hello or introduce herself. She stood up and mentioned something about putting the dog up and went inside. We asked our agent if that was the owner and that is when we found out it was Lisa Sanders the selling agent from Dreamtown Realty. She came back outside and informed us to "not open the basement door" Still without a hello or introduction as to who she is. My first reaction with that statement was that we couldn't go into the basement so that is what I asked her. She then looked at me with a very condescending annoyed look and replied "thats not what I said, what I said was don't open the basement door and go to the backyard." My wife corrected and stated that is not what she said. She then walked away and we did not see her the rest of the time until we left. No hello, goodbye, thanks for viewing, let me know if you have any questions. Nothing. Talk about unprofessional. I don't know what her issue was but whatever it was gives her no right to act the way she did. I actually wrote a review about this incident already and apparently Lisa Sanders or Dreamtown contacted Yelp to have it removed today. The email stated that it was removed because "Dreamtown was not representing me in a transaction". True, Dreamtown was not representing me but I never said they were nor should it matter. That is not in violation of yelps criteria by any means. Lisa Sanders was representing herself as well as Dreamtown's big sign that was in front of the house we were looking at. I also contacted Dreamtown by phone and was transferred to Rebecca who took down my complaint. I was given no apology nor any sign of concern as to how an agent is treating a potential buyer so rudely and unprofessional. Lisa actually contacted my agent to ask if I could take the review down also. Didn't bother to try and contact me to apologize for her actions and unprofessionalism. All her and apparently Dreamtown are concerned with are not having my honest review of my experience with Dreamtown and their agent on Yelp. Its a shame that we had that experience with Lisa Sanders and Dreamtowns lack of concern with the situation because we were really interested in the home. Due to the lack of concern for how a potential buyer is treated I will never deal with her or the company again. read more

To refer to Riz as my realtor is just not enough. Riz is an expert, a professional, and above all a trusted friend. In 2012, I moved to Chicago knowing nothing about the real estate market or even quite where I wanted to live. Nor did I know Riz, he contacted me after I submitted an inquiry through the Dreamtown website. Riz showed me many options in different neighborhoods. I knew from the very beginning that he would be a phenomenal realtor, when he went above and beyond the neighborhoods I suggested we look, and took me to see some properties in West Loop. At the time, that neighborhood wasn't even on my radar, but I quickly fell in love with a place there and he put together an offer! Day or night, somehow Riz was always available to answer my questions or patiently explain next steps in the process. Fast forward four years later, when I was ready to sell my condo and move to a larger space, Riz was ready at my first call. I needed to fix up some things in the condo I was selling, and working full time on weekdays I was dreading dealing with contractors, painters, and construction. Always rising to take care of his clients first, Riz literally handled the entire operation. He found contractors who he knew we could trust and had good relationships with, he arranged to meet them at the condo, be there to oversee major decisions, and even went to pick up the tile for the bathroom floor himself! This is why I said at the beginning: Riz is much, much more than a realtor, he is a partner in your home purchase or sale. Look no further, you will not find a more capable and devoted partner than Riz. read more

My realtor at dream town, James Bachmann really knew his stuff! James told me that he got into initially got the industry because he knew there must be more people like him who were put off by sleazy, pushy realtors. James is extremely friendly and laid back but also very knowledgeable. He always had an answer to every question and also seemed to be blessed with a physic ability to find exactly what I was looking for. He showed me listings online first so that we didn't have to waste time driving all over the city, and he did not waste my time with places that didn't interest me. If you are looking for someone who makes this process as easy and painless as possible I would definitely recommend James Bachmann. read more

I had no idea what to expect when I began searching for a new home. I made use of the Dream Town search engine to get started and on a whim started asking questions about what I was seeing listed. It was my very great good luck to be referred to Jenna Smith who proved to be a tireless worker on my behalf. As a first-time buyer, my requirements seemed to change weekly, but she was really patient with me and answered all my questions. When we progressed to visits, she dragged us around to property after property and actually seemed to be enjoying it. We had a good time doing it, which made the process painless. When I found the right place, she worked really hard to ensure that the purchase was smooth and seamless. If that was the extent of my relationship with Dream Town that would still warrant five stars, but apparently once you're a Dream Town client you're always a DT client. Every month a pound of excellent coffee arrives in the mail as a continuing thank-you from the company. And just today, a Thanksgiving gift arrived with a lovely card. I can't think of many companies which would continue to show their gratitude well after the transaction was over, even knowing that there wasn't much chance they'd ever be doing business with that client again. It's an impressive business model. read more

I will never work with Dream Town again! Three friends and I rented what seemed to be a very beautifully done three bedroom apartment near UIC this past year. Over the course of the year we had several things go wrong with the apartment itself. That's when we realized it was a pretty place but constructed cheaply. On two separate occasions light fixtures just fell from the ceiling, shattering on the ground for no reason at all. The first time we were all sitting around talking in the room where it happened. The second time I was the only one home and I was a floor below where it fell from. Also, several lights throughout the apartment would just turn off randomly. There was hair in the shower drain when we first moved in. Also, towards the end of our lease the shower actually started to leak through the floor into our downstairs hallway. Several towel hangers fell off the walls after only the weight of the towel was put on them. The walls were incredibly soft. You could put a dent in them just by applying pressure with your thumb. The WORST part was the mold. We had mold in our closets, on our doors, and around the windows. Mold had gotten all over every piece of winter clothing in my closet. My roommate even had to throw away some of her things. We had to call Dream Town on four separate occasions to get mold removed from various areas in the apartment. Not only did they not seem surprised to learn of the mold but the guys who came to "fix" it told us that they have informed Dream Town multiple times before we even lived there that the only way to really fix the problem was to knock out the walls and build them properly. They obviously had no interest in spending a little extra money to fix the problem properly and prevent it from happening again. We had more mold by the time we moved out a few days ago and they just had the painters paint over it. Not okay! Aside from the problems with the construction itself, Dream Town was an absolute hassle to work with. Ian was NEVER available to answer his phone. Nor was anybody else, for that matter. Regardless of what time of the day we called we were always sent to someone's voicemail. During the last month we lived there they put US in charge of setting up meetings with people looking to be the next renters. Not our job. Also, toward the end of the lease they switched our contact person to Ashley. Not only did my IQ feel like it dropped every time I talked to her but she was extremely rude to us. She didn't schedule a time to get some cleaners in the place between the day we moved out and the next renters moved in. She told us it was our job to clean the place. When we were just finishing up the cleaning during the walk through she gave us MORE than enough attitude to last a lifetime. She scheduled the next tenants to move in directly after our walk through. They weren't supposed to be there until the next day. She was very unpleasant to work with. I would never recommend using Dream Town to ANYBODY. read more

We were looking for a condo to buy, we had never bought before. As it turns out, my husband lost his job right after the home inspector turned up some bad things about the condo, but I have to say, I really liked Dream Town. Their website is a great place to start - it gives lots of good information about each property and gives you a good idea what you are working with before you get into the process. I originally just called their main number and Erik Gardberg answered the phone. He took up our case in an instant. He explained the home buying process to us, showed us places that matched our quite strict financial situation, and helped us put in a good solid offer - making suggestions on things we could do to get the place we wanted. He also did his homework about every place he showed us, what financing options we had, information about the areas, etc. In addition, he recommended a great home inspector and a great lawyer. He not only knew the Chicago area well, but he knew what he was talking about in terms of what was worth what. He was very accessible, writing up an offer on a Saturday night, and working with us on a Sunday to get everything ready. Although ultimately there was an issue with the property, Erik was with us every step of the way and we were very comfortable with him. Once we have 2 solid incomes again, I would definitely go see him again. Don't waste your time with the others, this place is professional and honest and I highly recommend them and Erik. read more

This review is for Chandra Rose of Dream Town Realty. I contacted Chandra after moving to Chicago in 2011 because I wanted to buy a condo in the city but obviously didn't end up doing so until now. She gave me some good information and would check in every 6 months via email but it wasn't spammy. I did use the Dream Town website and set up an email to send me daily emails about new properties that matched my search parameters. The website is one of the reasons I went with Dream Town Chandra was great. I am a first time homeowner and she answered all my questions, kept in touch via email and has someone in EVERY ASPECT of the business of buying homes. She referred me to my real estate lawyer who was amazing and when I had my own people she didn't make me feel bad about using someone else either. All in ALL I had a great homebuying experience which I can imagine for other people is stressful and scary and I know mine was so easy breezy because I had Chandra looking out for my best interests. read more

Purchased our new condo in January 2009 after working with our Realtor from Dream Town since late October 2008. Rachel Dunnill at Dream Town was really great to work with. As first time home-buyers, we were nervous about the process. Depsite doing a lot of research, Rachel explained everything well and took care of the details. I never had to wait for Rachel to get back to us as she is eager to provide fast and accurate information. Rachel provided us with a referral to a great home inspection company. Our only concern was the mortgage broker from Guaranteed Rate that she recommended ended up "understimating our closing costs" by over $3,000. While not really her fault at all, we were very disappointed. Rachel no longer recommends that doofus. Although, I am sure that Guaranteed Rate has some quality mortgage people, ours was not very forthcoming with information or very professional. Check out Rachel's website and the great features on the DreamTown website at http://www.racheldunnill.com read more

We recently bought another condo through James. He pretty much made it the most painless experience ever. I think I had to text message him half a dozen times total. So why the update when I gave him five stars last time? HE WAS WORKING ON CLOSING THE DEAL WHILE OUT OF STATE GETTING MARRIED. Seriously, James. read more

The young woman who helped me buy a home made my search go as smoothly as possible. As an out of towner relocating to Chicago for work, I was prepared for a hassle, but she held my hand through the whole process. Even better, she had a great knowledge of the city and made some great recommendations for eating out (Le Colonial, fabulous) and the night scene. Awesome website as well. read more

I was so nervous to start the home-buying process. SO nervous! But let me tell you, thanks to Nancy Prelaske at Dreamtown, I quickly learned there was NOTHING to be nervous about. Nancy made the process painless, stress-free - and fun! From start to finish (and even after!), she has kept our ducks in a row. She's wrangled the zillion moving pieces for us and kept us on track. She helped put out fires and find solutions to any problem (big or small) that popped up. She managed some (ahem) difficult people that we encountered. She did it all with grace and a smile on her face. She is a true professional, a partner, a support system - and now, a friend. I cannot recommend Nancy and Dreamtown highly enough. I wish I could give 10 stars. read more

I can't believe I never did a review for these guys! Paul Solitro is a complete rock star. We first started looking at properties in late December of 08. At that time, we knew we wanted to remain in Bridgeport where we had been renting, but the market in that area was really slow. Paul did a wonderful job of hustling up showings, and then taking the show on the road when we moved our quest out to Bevelry and Oak Park when we thought all was lost. Out hearts were still in Bridgeport, so when we had a really promising spot, Paul did an wonderful job getting us in there, helping us assess what work needed to be done, and submitting our offer. Unfortunately (or so it seemed at the time), due to some really unfortunate circumstances, that deal got called off. About a month later, when we were about to settle on a place in Oak Park, Paul managed to get us in on a place that had yet to hit the market in Bridgeport (a place that seems to be sold primarily by word of mouth), and that turned out to be the perfect spot. So, after nine months of searching, Paul was there for us while we signed all the paperwork and got our keys; he even showed up at our housewarming with his family and gifts. I have to applaud Paul for his patience, familiarity with the diverse housing markets of Chicago, and knowledge of all aspects of real estate. I would highly recommend that anyone looking in the city or near burbs ask for him by name to represent their interests; you'll never find a better ally in your housing search. read more

We just purchased a home in Lincoln Park and had the pleasure of working with Beverly Bahm from Dreamtown Realty, and she was wonderful! We've worked with Beverly before and there is no one I'd rather have help me make the most expensive purchase of my life than Beverly! She will literally spend as much time with you as desired to help you find your perfect home. I mean, you want to see 200 places? Okay, she'll accompany you! You want to email her 25 times a day? Okay, she'll respond back 25 times. It's this idea of customer service and serving her client to the fullest....and she's nice to boot! With all the drama of buying a home and moving, it's so refreshing to know that your realtor is in your corner, looking out for you. read more

I see that other reviewers are a fan of Paul Solitro. This strikes me as strange because I received so much attention and hard work from him, I could swear that he's never had a client other than me. When I bought my wonderful home in lakeview last year, Paul exercised extreme patience and tolerance with a 25 yr old girl who expected just about every luxury available and on my budget. Paul was diligent in finding places that met all my (rather crazy) demands and we spent many an hour cruising around and checking out homes. Little known (very known?) secret about Paul: he doesn't see any home viewing trip as complete without a stop in at the local watering hole. If I could, I'd even give him an extra star because once he took me home shopping in a sweet old restored car he's got. Also, he gave me Cubs tickets on several occasions. But probably most importantly, Paul helped me find exactly what I was looking for. He was on my side through the entire process and even came to my house warming party a month after close. I will absolutely use him again next time I put myself through the pain of a move. Do yourself a favor. Call Paul next time you need to buy a house. Tell him "Sharkey" sent you. read more

This review is for Nykea Pippion-McGriff Nykea is a great and diligent realtor! Competing against investors over very little real estate inventory, I was able to invest in my first home with the expertise and guidance of Nykea. Knowledgable in short sales and foreclosures, she advised me throughout the difficult and long process. With her help, I was able to get a great deal. I will definitely use her for any future real estate services. read more

Oh dear. Where do I start. I didn't do any due diligence in trying to find a realtor - HIGHLY unusual for me. It's was a pleasant turn of fortune that I ended up with Diana Massaro. This was a long process. We didn't go under contract until April, and didn't close until June. And over that 8-month process, Diana became my confidante, advisor, go-to expert and friend. Now, I said 8-month process. Never once did she lose her patience, even though I was always a bit indecisive and there were probably moments when she thought I was never going to pick a place. She was an incredibly helpful resource and sounding board - always answering my questions, prodding for how I was feeling and what I was looking for, but NEVER pushing me towards anything I didn't want to do. She was available at incredible hours. She probably worked longer weeks than I did - and that's saying something. And she always bent her schedule to an extent that I felt my showings, conversations, emails were always a priority. She is very very cheerful. I'm a very energetic person myself, so it was great that we bounced off each other's enthusiasm that way (we could have powered the nearest cell tower between the two of us). She genuinely loves her job, which makes her that much better at it. There were some things that I still had to handle myself - I felt more comfortable deciding on the numbers behind the offer and the negotiation myself; I picked my own broker because I did the research to find the best rate; I did a second due diligence behind the property (consider it the equivalent of a second opinion with a medical diagnosis). She made herself available throughout all this and never took it the wrong way that I chose to handle these myself. I could keep writing about this. I could tell you that I've recommended her to two different co-workers, who have both been very happy (and for whom Diana has given me referral gifts :) - because she's just that thoughtful) I could tell you that when I had my housewarming on a night when she was busy - she made sure to come over with her husband at some point to give me a housewarming gift. I could tell her that I genuinely don't think I could have found the place where I'm very very happy without her. I could tell you that when I buy another place in the future, there's only one agent I'd consider. Or... you could just go talk to Diana and see for yourself. read more

When I first started thinking about buying a place, I was realistically a couple years away from actually buying. I reached out to Neeti at Dreamtown through a referral, and I was pleasantly surprised by how helpful she was, despite the fact that I was still years away from actually taking the plunge. She was quick to share her insight on the market, the neighborhoods best suited for me, and any information she could to help me be the most informed buyer I could possibly be. Although I would e-mail regularly with questions, thoughts, etc., she responded to me as quickly and professionally as she would for her more active clients. When the time (finally) came for me to start actively looking, Neeti was quick to set-up time for us to meet face-to-face to get into the fun part of the search. :) She took me through the entire process step-by-step, ensuring I was comfortable and prepared for what was ahead. I've now been in my new place for a few weeks, and I couldn't be happier!!!! Neeti is an expert on Lincoln Square, and she knew this was the right neighborhood for me. I'm so glad she introduced me to the home buying process and this neighborhood, and I look forward to working with her for any future purchases. Highly recommend Neeti to anyone who is looking to rent/purchase in Chicago! She's the best! read more

Seek Dave Plotkin for a well-informed, personable agent. Through a friend's recommendation, I used Dave to BUY my first property. Recently, I didn't hesitate to use him again to SELL my first property. Both transactions were closed without a hitch. Throughout both processes, Dave gave me professional advice that ultimately made my purchase profitable and sought after. If you want someone to tell you how it is, gives sound advice based on numerous past experiences, acts quickly on all requests....go with Dave and Dream Town! read more

We worked with Nate Ryle in buying our first home in the West Loop. It was a wonderful experience working with Nate; he was always on time and he worked hard in getting us an excellent deal. This was our first home purchase and I would always have a ton of questions, Nate was patient and would always reply back within a few minutes. He also referred me to an attorney, home inspector and a lender and the made the process seamless. Overall, I am very impressed!!! read more

THIS REVIEW IS FOR THE ONE AND ONLY AMAZING - DEE SAVIC!!! If you're looking for an amazingly bright, thorough, ingenious, well-organized, extremely informed realtor, look no further because Dee Savic is your lady! Ok, so maybe you're not convinced yet, but by the end of my testimonial, I hope you will be! A little background on me: single, no kids, moved to Chicago from LA in 2006, have a home in LA and bought my first home in Chicago with Dee's assistance, but boy was it a BUMPY ride... not through any fault of Dee's; if it weren't for her, I don't think I would have made it.In Jan. 2009 I put in my offer on my dream home. In February I got my wallet stolen and a day later was laid off from my job. A month later I got a new job and in the interim the house went back on the market but someone else's offer was accepted. I refused to give up on my dream home and prayed and prayed it would come back to me. A week later, Dee called and said, "Lucy, you're the luckiest lady I know, the house is back on the market!" We immediately put in a new offer. I was one of five offers and mine won! But the roller coaster hadn't started moving yet. The same day we went to do the inspection on the property, I fell victim to serious identity theft! Meanwhile, I was having issues with the loan on my first home back in LA. So, I started defaulting on the home in LA while trying to close on the new home in Chicago! I was very honest with Dee from the get go and was shocked that she never left my side and never gave up on me or my home, despite the numerous obstacles we incurred! It was a 6 week battle and I was told the deal should be canceled FOUR TIMES, but I never gave up and neither did Dee! In the end I was ready to give up all of my savings in order to close the deal but she fought tooth and nail to save the deal AND to make sure not one extra penny came out of my savings above the amount that was initially agreed on! If not for Dee's faith in me, her ability to think quick on her feet, her constant desire to help me find a way to obtain my dream home (all the while knowing that if I didn't close on this home, by the following month my perfect credit would be tarnished and I wouldn't be able to get approved on a new home) and her constant follow ups with everyone from the attorney to the selling agent to the asset manager... well, I would not have been able to close on my new home in Chicago and I wouldn't have made such an amazing new friend! She's not just a realtor! She will care for you, your family, and your personal situation and will go above and beyond the call of duty at all hours of the day to make sure you get the home you want! read more

Stephanie Sullivan: My husband and I just purchased our first home a week ago! We cannot praise Stephanie Sullivan enough for all her help and support. Home buying is certainly overwhelming, but it's apparent to my husband and I that working with Stephanie is why we can now say we're home owners; she has been there every step of the way. If you're looking for an agent who is patient, knowledgable, trustworthy, and honest- Stephanie fits that bill. What was equally helpful were her referrals, everyone we worked with from the inspector, to the home lawyer was referred to us by Stephanie and we were pleased with our experience. We highly recommend Stephanie to anyone and everyone looking to purchase real estate. Your experience will become a partnership, because she's ultimately invested in the process with you. Thanks again, Steph!! Jess and Gerry read more

Chuck toured us the wrong parking spot assigned to unit. He didn't even investigate the issue. After we closed we discovered parking spot assigned to us is different than the one he repeatedly showed us. What made us really upset is that he didn't call to apologize or even try to explain. Just ran away with money. When we offered a price on property chuck claimed that he talked to the seller realtor and that he did his best negotiating with him. I came to find out seller realtor was actually a she which clearly indicate chuck lied. While we should have dumped him then I had to continue coz I knew I would lose the property in hours or a day. Made few rude comments eluding to me being cheap. He would verbally give his opinion or expertise however when we later brought things up he denied giving opinions and said if you don't have it from me in writing then I didn't say it. He never reached out to schedule final walk through. Instead I had to reach out to him and he said he was busy but did set up walk through with a colleague. read more