I purchased an Upper East Side coop as a first time buyer using Elika, with Denise Thirkill as my agent. Denise was patient and professional, and very responsive, showing me properties around Harlem, East Harlem and the Upper East Side for about 3 months (including one offer that I ended up backing out of) before I finally found the one. Denise and the Elika team did a phenomenal job, negotiating $50k under asking on not one, but two fixer upper estate properties in the course of my search. I felt that I ended up with a really great value at the end of the day. Denise was able to guide me through the coop board application and interview process seamlessly, which included assembling an old-school binder of materials of which six copies had to be made, as well as a personal statement. There came a point where the ball was nearly dropped between the bank, the seller's agent, and the managing agent about scheduling a firm closing date and time, but Denise went to work getting everyone on track to ensure that the closing went forward on time. Even my attorney commented on how much work Denise did behind the scenes to ensure that everything moved ahead. Denise also accompanied me through the final walk through of the unit and discovered an electrical problem that I was able to have addressed in the closing. I truly could not have asked for a better agent to guide me through my first home purchase. Denise was absolutely phenomenal. read more

I filled out their information and no one got back to me. It seems you shouldn't even bother contacting them unless you're making six figures or want to pay crazy rent prices. My interactions weren't completely horrible so that's why I'm giving 2 stars instead of 1. read more

As a first time homebuyer, I felt like I was jumping into the deep end of an ocean full of sharks wearing prime filet steaks as clothing. Manhattan is the most competitive real estate market in the entire world and I knew next-to-nothing about it. Walking into this market with Gea Elika was like flash evaporating the water, leaving the sharks flopping helplessly on the ocean floor while you stroll through to take your pick of the best coral on the reef to call home. Gea's unique insight in the market comes from his steadfast representation of buyers only, producing the kind of week-to-week market visibility no data tool, analysis subscription or premium newsletter can buy. His reputation compels the kind of credulity that propels his clients to the front of the line in every building they visit. It's an instant signal to the seller you're not here to mess around. His taste is so discriminating it cut months off the search saving us from lemon buildings every single weekend. So much could be said about this experience but it is not exaggeration to say that I've had a harder time hailing a cab in the rain, boarding the L train in the morning, and finding a decent burrito in Manhattan than I had buying a home with Gea Elika. Gea is the New York buyer's unfair advantage in the most treacherous market on Earth. read more

My wife and I met Gea by chance after walking into a random open house in the upper east side. A dozen or so properties later, he found us a new home in NYC. At first, we talked about what our budget was, and what was important to us and what wasn't. He showed us a range of properties, and after feedback on the first couple he really figured out what we were after. Practically every property that he showed us was one that we could have seen ourselves buying, which was great - and the one that we found was truly outstanding. Throughout the whole process, he was very professional. There was never any pressure to close quickly, and he repeatedly said that we would keep looking until we found a good place, and that sometimes it happens quickly, and sometimes it takes a long time. When we were closing, he worked hard to get everything done quickly and correctly, but again didn't set undo pressure. He reassured us that if it didn't work out (it did), we'd just have to keep looking. Throughout the whole process, he was always happy to spend time with us to explain the process, and to travel to meet us. I'm not sure what else I could ask for from a buyer's broker - I've recommended Gea to all of my friends. read more

I recently purchased a condo in NY using Elika, with Amy Rivers as my agent, and I couldn't recommend her more. I started looking on a Tuesday and wound up putting an offer in that Friday, closing two months later almost to the day. She gave me a great list of initial properties, helped me sort through exactly what I wanted, suggested important things I hadn't considered, helped to prioritize, and was always immediately accessible for all of my many questions. Since I'm in CA it was a little difficult to schedule viewings but Amy made it easy. Once my offer was accepted Amy helped me navigate the sometimes-labyrinthine approval process, and again as a CA resident some of these NYC details really needed some navigating. Every step of the way, from helping me out with a final walkthrough I couldn't be there for to details even after closing about getting keys, utilities, etc, Amy was always there smoothing the way. Buying property is never easy but Amy made the whole process about as painless as it possibly could have been, I wouldn't hesitate to work with her again and I recommend her unreservedly. read more

Working with Jillian Maslow was a pleasure and exceeded our expectations while buying our first property. She was very enthusiastic, knowledgeable, PATIENT, and personable from the start. Jillian was generous with her time and on our side throughout the entire buying process as well as after the fact. She even provided references for home design and decor and a lovely bottle of champagne to help us celebrate. We are so thankful to have had her help and highly recommend her for a straightforward and delightful experience! read more

Elika Real Estate - Champagne. Thank you Jillian! - Real Estate Agents Near Me - New York, New York

My wife and I just purchased a co-op in the Village with Gea Elika and we couldn't be happier with his service. Gea was the PERFECT partner in a daunting process. Here are some highlights of our experience: - Gea knew the aesthetic we were looking for and didn't waste our time with anything else. - Gea won TWO bidding wars for us, but was always careful not to overbid (he even kept us in line when we were tempted to bid too much). The first property fell through on the seller's end. - Gea never showed us properties outside of our price range. - Gea provided recommendations for us for other necessary parts of this process including mortgage lender and real estate attorney. - Lastly, whoever you hire for your home search will be spending a lot of time with you - pretty much every Sunday from the time you get serious. You want to be comfortable with this person and enjoy their company. Gea is a dream in this department. Gea is the consummate pro at the NYC market. We can't thank him enough for helping us secure our new home. I will recommend him highly to every friend looking to buy in New York. read more

We had a great experience with Gemma & Elika! Not only did she find the perfect apartment, but was also able to negotiate the rent down $600!! She was extremely knowledgeable and helpful along every step of the way through signing the lease paperwork. We'll definitely recommend Gemma/Elika to our friends. read more

Gemma found our dream home. She was extremely helpful, professional and she immediately understood what we were looking for. She showed us multiple fantastic options and took care of everything to make the otherwise pretty painful process a walk in the park. read more

I used Elika Associates to purchase a coop at 140W 69th Street back in November 2012 and used Ben as an agent. I am very unhappy, because I was told an inspection was not necessary. After the closing I found many electrical problems. I attempted to rectify the issues on my own, but eventually Iwas caught, and now am in the process of an Eviction/Holdover preceding... read more

As a first time buyer someone should hold your hand and that's what I thought I was getting by having a buyer broker, however, I would have been fine on my own. I am a Native New Yorker and was a first time buyer looking to purchase in Brooklyn or Queens, I had very specific parameters for actually making the purchase. I submitted these to the team at Elika and every time I would get back suggestions to look at places out of my price range, with too high a down payment, with too high a coop management fee, etc. I ended up finding places on my own and visiting 85% of them by myself, never with my buyer broker. It was a miserable experience that took 6 months. The brokers have little to no experience dealing with purchases in Queens therefore if you want to buy in Queens do not select Elika. As I was a first time buyer, as I had no contacts, I used the suggested support teams from Elika including my Lawyer and my Mortgage bank. I was taken advantage of by both, I later discovered two on-going issues that should have been found in the board minutes and through the inspection. The Elika agent, came to my final walk through and found so many issues that could have been identified even before signing the contract. She acted as if it was my fault that my inspection didn't uncover these problems. I did have a complaint against the inspector, however, had she taken the time to actually inspect the unit with me before I signed my contract I would have known to include those issues in my rider. If you need a recommendation for a lawyer go through friends (not anyone recommended by Elika), had I gone that route, I may have been happier. The recommended Mortgage agency immediately sold my loan and refused to give me credits they had promised, making it up by sending me a $400 check after the closing. I didn't get my list of final costs until 11 AM the day of my closing, when I was closing at 1PM. That was unacceptable and again something that my Agent didn't even bother pushing for. I felt completely abandoned in this purchase. I am happy where I am now (I found the apartment, came up with the offer on my own), but I know that overpaid considering all of the work that I've had to do. I finally had to get a lawyer for another issue that came up after the purchase (I also hate my management company they have gotten so many bad reviews, another item that could have been known before closing). If you need a recommendation, I'm using Ross Levine at Schwartz, Levine & Kaplan, PLLC. He's more expensive than the lawyer recommended by Elika, but you get what you pay for, and I'm still paying for it. read more

Loved working with Elika for my condo purchase! Elika is a small boutique buyers-only firm. It made such a difference in my experience buying my first home. With Elika I felt that the whole team there were really invested in my specific situation, and in my corner throughout the experience. That was quite a difference from how I felt when I dealt with the big real estate firms in NYC (you know who they are), where I felt like a cog in the wheel, and that the agents there are sometimes playing all angles. The Elika team protects their clients and their integrity like you would expect from a small business. My agent was Jillian - she is amazing! Jillian is experienced, professional, and intuitive about what I would like in a property. I never felt rushed, despite my lengthy search, and she kept me going through the inevitable hiccups everyone encounters when buying in NYC. She made me feel confident through the purchase, and made it fun. Thanks Elika and Jillian! read more

I just closed on a condo on the UWS. It was a tricky closing due to a difficult board but with Elika I always felt as though I was 100% looked after. They know the market and making buying in NYC as easy as possible. Highly recommend their services. read more

I worked with a buyer's agent from Elika, Megan McGinn, for my Manhattan co-op purchase. As a first-time buyer, I found Megan's advice and guidance invaluable. She made what initially seemed like a scary and daunting process a lot less complicated. Buying a co-op can almost seem like having a second job at times. But with Megan it was a lot easier because she handled so many details that I would have never had the time for had I been doing this on my own. I also had to leave town for 2 weeks right before my board application was due but I still made the deadline solely due to Megan's assistance. For anyone looking to buy an apartment in NYC, I highly recommend that you call Megan first. read more

My fiance and I worked with Elika, particularly Amy Rivers, to buy our first home (a co-op in Manhattan) and we could not be happier with our decision. From the start, Amy was extremely invested in helping us find the perfect home. We were out-of-state through much of the process, and Amy went above and beyond for us despite the distance - she took the time to truly understand what we were looking for. She worked hard to set up showings for us that fit into our tight schedules when we were in town, allowing us to see every apartment we wanted to see (all of which were completely in-line with what we were looking for). Eventually, we found our perfect home in the West Village - an area Amy knows very well (she, along with the rest of the Elika team, is truly an expert when it comes to Manhattan real estate). She made sure to go to bat for us every step of the way - her main concern always was to find us our dream apartment, for the fairest price. Amy made the process smooth for us and took so much stress out of it. She was on call for our many questions, and was always there to our answer our calls/texts/emails. Amy and the rest of the team value relationships first and foremost, making them such a great partner to work with. They are truly invested in their clients, and are not "transactional" in any way - I know my relationship with Amy will continue, even now that we've settled into our home. I highly recommend working with Amy Rivers and the Elika team! read more

I just purchased an apartment in West Village and Gea was a huge help during the entirety of the process. From the beginning of my search he put in a lot of effort researching apartments that fit my criteria and during apartment viewings he always asked the right questions and had my best interest in mind. From being in New York for so many years and having so much experience with what he does, he was very knowledgeable with the process from start to end. Even after closing he was able to recommend great contractors and movers. I highly recommend Gea for anyone who wishes to move to New York! read more

After a while of looking for a place with various agents who work for buyers and sellers, we felt that their only goal was to raise the price of the properties in the neighborhood. As first time buyers that became quite frustrating. That's why we did some research and found Elika who represents only buyers, and started working with Margaret, who was very kind, responsive and proactive. She answered patiently all our questions, and helped us navigate through the research process. Margaret understood our needs and was constantly sending us options. When it was time for presenting offers, the property and market analysis she prepared for us were an invaluable tool to understand the apartment price and make an informed decision. I would definitely work with Elika Real Estate and Margaret again! read more

We contacted Gea Elika after 3 months of conducting our own search in Manhattan through Street Easy and going to Open Houses on weekends. We were originally thinking that by going to Open Houses, we would eventually meet an agent whose style matched ours and whose knowledge of the market was suited for what we were looking for. Finding the right agent in New York City turned out to be a tougher task. Buying your home any time anywhere is one of the biggest decisions you make, but it becomes that much bigger in NYC where you're making a sizable investment especially in a hot market. Getting the right advice over saving a few thousand dollars or shaving a few months to rush into a decision was very important to us. The process for us was much more about working with an agent who was patient and consultative to help us through our own thinking about this decision. We didn't know this going into it (as much as we thought we did) and that was one of the most invaluable parts of working with Gea and his approach. After getting a bit of experience going through Manhattan open houses and interacting with several agents, I decided to search for buyers' agents and found Gea. Since he didn't require us to lock into any agreement with him right away, we saw it as low risk to work with Gea for a few weeks to see if he was the right fit. Gea worked with us through our initial set of requirements and spent the time to listen and help refine our search. One advice I would offer to any home buyer, especially in NYC, is to stay engaged in the process and regularly offer feedback to your agent (assuming you have one that listens well!) Our search once we started working with Gea took 6 months before we entered into contract. We started out looking in lower Manhattan but ended up buying a brownstone in Brooklyn. The inventory was low so any properties we were interested in often had multiple offers from the first open house. We put in 3 serious offers (in both Manhattan and Brooklyn) that we lost out on to higher or all cash offers. We had numerous places that we considered putting offers in on but the savvy advice of Gea, backed by his experience as well as facts and data he would research and provide us, helped us avoid the wrong investments or places that ultimately wouldn't meet our wants and needs. This was really important and helped further establish our trust in Gea. He wasn't in it to make a quick commission which became apparent when he advised against certain offers. Gea's circle of recommended references from mortgage brokers to home inspectors was another invaluable part of the experience of working with him that helped us put together the right team. I'm happy to say that we've been living in our new home for a month and a half. We are happy with our decision and couldn't have done this in a very hot market without Gea. In summary he top reasons we recommend Gea are: - he invested the time to look at properties with us and listened to our feedback - he invested the time in researching the right price when we put in offers - he advised against the wrong investments based on his experience and knowledge of NYC real estate - he never pushed a property for a higher price or a higher offer just to close Gea earned our trust and future references. read more

An excellent choice if you are looking to purchase a home in NY. Very professional and experienced. I followed their advice and it paid off read more

Gea is even better than what we could ever imagine. We found him through NAEBA. Very nice guy. He doesn't require any upfront commitment, which is a huge risk for him, AND he was not pushing any deal. Gea is very professional in dealing with all kinds of people. But what we value the most, is his honesty. He is not just trying to say something that we want to hear, but what he thinks is right, based on his experience. Over the three months, we've gone through tons of different apartments. Even though he's very busy, he was always there. He also patiently and promptly answered all of our questions. During the negotiating process, he was very professional. For the first apartment we bid for, we walked away because Gea told us that the price the seller asked for was ridiculous. Finally, we found our dream home, with Gea's help. I don't know what else you could expect from a broker. read more

I had a great experience working with Elika Real Estate . Gea is a highly skilled professional who helped me through the property buying process from start to finish. As a foreign buyer I had additional issues to work out and Gea was very helpful and generous with his time. Whether a native New Yorker or foreign buyer I'm sure you'll get top notch advice.. I couldn't be happier. read more

Buying real estate in NYC is an extremely daunting task. With Jillian Maslow and Elika's help, however, our entire process went seamlessly. Providing expert guidance in every aspect, Jillian attended a number of open houses with us, readily armed with dozens of questions that we didn't have the expertise to ask ourselves. After finding an ideal apartment for us, she helped negotiate a fair price and even connected us with an excellent lawyer to help push through the paperwork. Jillian devoted weeks to the truly staggering task of assembling our board package, her calm demeanor and helpful attitude proving essential to getting all the pieces together in a timely manner. She coached us through our board interview and finally accompanied us to closing to make sure all loose ends were tied up. She was absolutely essential and a joy to work with every step of the way - we would not have been able to do it without her! read more