This review is in regards to First Service Residential. If I could, I'd give this company the worst possible rating. I am honestly surprised that they still have a license to manage residential buildings. I am a disabled person with multiple very serious health problems. Ever since I moved into my new apartment in Cameo Towers, I underwent three different cardiac procedures within a year. The managing company was informed of my health condition multiple times. There are still many unresolved neglects that have been made by the management and maintenance in the building. One of the many ongoing situations is that the monthly association statements arrive in my mailbox a day before they are due. I checked in with the local post office, and they had verified that this is indeed true. It is impossible for me to mail out the payment on time to New Jersey. As a result, these crooks charge me late fees every single month. This is evident fraud. On January 11, 2021, the building manager confronted me aggressively to a point where an ambulance had to come because I had severe chest pain. After the paramedics checked my blood pressure, the local Police arrived soon after. The Police officer warned the property manager not to approach, speak, or have any contact with me. If this was to be violated, I was told to contact the Police immediately. After this aggressive attack, my cardiologist prescribed additional blood pressure medication. I'm still taking these pills everyday. Another serious matter took place when this year's Summer season was approaching. My AC was not working properly. The building manager refused to check my chiller, even when a board member notified him twice. He had no problem at all checking other AC units in the building (confirmed). A City Hall Official advised me to contact a qualified specialist about my ongoing problem. For safety purposes, I need to be situated in a cooler environment due to my heart condition. I realized that my blood pressure was extremely high and felt pain in my chest. I ended up taking my prescribed medication. Soon after, I felt lightheaded and fell hitting the coffee table with my side. On the next day I woke up with a huge bruise on my ribs, and gradually the pain worsened. It turned out that I had broken two ribs. To figure out what the problem with my AC was, I followed the over the phone instructions with a board member that were provided by a qualified technician. We discovered that the water valve (located outside of my unit door) that connected to my AC was shut off. This was done purposely by the maintenance and management of the building just because they want me to move out. I consider this as a conscious attempt to cause me harm, which turned out to be successful. There is a Police investigation pending in this case. Furthermore, for four months now, my life saving medication that gets delivered to the building is signed and left unattended without me knowing. With the last known incident, my pills were kept away from me for over twenty four hours. I am the only one who is supposed to sign for this package. I end up being late with my medication each month, and this shouldn't be happening under any circumstance. I feel like the management company is trying to cause me harm. An investigation is pending by the shipper (pharmacy). This is evidence of how First Service Residential treats disabled citizens. They are constantly finding a way to discriminate, stalk, harass, provoke, intimidate, disrespect, publicly humiliate, falsely accuse, and threat me. This evidently looks like a hate crime that needs to be stopped immediately. I feel like they are targeting me every single day. I'm scared for my life. I am surprised that no one has been arrested for this crucial treatment. Everything that I stated in this review is supported with indisputable evidence in the form of videos, pictures, audio recordings, witnesses, medical records, hospital records, and Police Reports. read more

To the FirstService Selection Committee, I would like to take this opportunity to recognize Ms. Michelle Kopach, On-Site Community Association Manager for Oak Brook Towers. Ms. Kopach is an exemplary professional who demonstrates exceptional communication skills, a strong work ethic, and a refreshingly positive attitude -- a welcome and much-needed change from our previous property management firm and property manager. I have been a resident of Oak Brook Towers since 2007, and in all those years, I can count on one hand the number of times I felt compelled to interact with the property manager's office. That changed after Ms. Kopach assumed her role. Her responsiveness and dedication have made it not only worthwhile but reassuring to engage with the management office. Let me share two examples that highlight why I'm so impressed with Ms. Kopach: 1. Responsiveness and Resolution: I brought to Ms. Kopach's attention an issue that had gone unresolved for over a year under the previous administration. Upon receiving the relevant documentation and photos I provided, Ms. Kopach acted immediately. Within three days, the issue was addressed, resources were allocated, and the work was in progress. Remarkably, she even followed up with me during and after the work to ensure everything was completed to satisfaction. That level of professionalism and follow-through was unheard of with the prior management. 2. Dedication Beyond Office Hours: In another instance, I had an issue with Comcast/Xfinity and was told I'd be without cable service for 4-5 weeks. After several days of frustration with the provider, I decided to stop by the property manager's office. Unaware that it had already closed for the day, I knocked on the door -- and to my surprise, Ms. Kopach answered. Not only did she take the time (after hours!) to listen without interruption, but she also took detailed notes and offered several thoughtful suggestions. She then reached out to her personal contacts at Comcast to advocate on my behalf. The very next day, my service was restored -- and Ms. Kopach even followed up to make sure everything was working properly. Who does that? Certainly not our previous management firm. Ms. Kopach exemplifies what professional property management should look like. She possesses a deep understanding of our building and demonstrates a level of commitment and customer service that reflects the highest standards. Her approach should be the model for all FirstService employees -- not just those in property management, but across the board. I respectfully recommend that a copy of this letter be shared with Ms. Kopach and placed in her personnel file. She deserves formal recognition for her outstanding performance and her exemplary representation of FirstService. Thank you, Ms. Kopach, for your professionalism, responsiveness, and for setting a new standard at Oak Brook Towers. Respectfully submitted, read more

I live in the Emerald in West Loop and I have to say that any issues I find and have taken up with the property manager are mitigated almost immediately and with the utmost sense of service and care. I've met with the HOA board before and they really do listen to resident concerns and take action on them. I've had repairs done which were covered by the HOA reserves, then later on seeing improvements to the building to prevent further occurrences of damage to the property based on an investigation put together by the property manager. I'm always seeing more improvements and safety measures put in place that only improve and boost our property values as well as convenience, which is really really great! Sometimes things you don't even think about are brought up and it's because of concerns by the board and property manager, and I'm always thinking to myself, "This is awesome that they keep on top of this." The property manager always answers back any of my questions through email in a very timely manner and always answers to the best of his ability. I realized lately that he's been doing a lot more than people actually notice. He's always putting up with lazy residents/renters, but doesn't lose his cool; just sends out a building wide reminder to use the services of the building correctly and to respect other residents, while cleaning up after others. Much respect to him. The door staff and maintenance folk do a very good job at keeping the place tidy and running smoothly. I can always count on the staff for receiving my packages and making notes for accommodations and the like. Very top notch. They've almost grown to be family at this point for everyone in the Emerald and it's very nice to see. This is what makes the Emerald great and I wouldn't change a thing. read more

I want to express the wonderful experiences my family and I have had with Rhonda Allen. We've lived at 1211 S Prairie for 12 years, managed by the FirstService Residential Chicago team. I believe Rhonda's been with us in the management office for about the last 6 years or so. She has been a great asset to the OMPE family-like team. Always willing to lend a hand. Even if she's leaving late for the day or arriving, before she can even take her coat off. The office has a glass door, to which Rhonda seats behind. When you check your mailbox or pick-up packages you see her infectious smile, welcoming you home, by name. I know she has to have bad days, like anybody. However, she never shows it. With the many demands, emergencies, conflicts from owners, living in our high rise, luxury, well run, clean, beautiful condo. Rhonda remains, the calm to our many storms. When we have concerns, I know we can count on her to respond quickly with patience, determination to resolve issues, provide suggestions, calling upon the team to answer if she doesn't know. You can tell, she really loves serving, assisting, adding value to our lives and her teammates. The turnaround response for emails, calls, questions is quick. Rhonda's explanation always goes above and beyond to not leave you guessing or leave you in the dark. What a wonderful and pleasant experience it is working with and seeing her positive disposition. My family loves her. Living at OMPE, managed by FirstService makes us feel safe, respected and cared for, a priority. Thank you, Rhonda, our OMPE family team player! Best regards, The Petrus family read more

I have lived at Shoreline Towers for almost 25 years. We changed management companies and have been under FirstService Residential where thankfully Jodi Middleton is the manager at Shoreline. Over the years we have had several managers and I have to say that Jodi is the absolute best! And other residents feel the same. The communication and awareness of the on-goings in our building delivered to the residents is outstanding. We receive memos and emails advising us of upcoming events. This was never in place before Jodi. She keeps us in the loop of what goes on in the neighborhood as well. I totally appreciate this. Jodi is not only professional she is amicable and approachable. There has never been a time where I have emailed her and not received a reply almost instantaneously. Ever so omnipresent she responds and resolves the many issues and problems that result in a multi unit building with such a calm reassurance. She never puts the residents off, she gets things done! Her staff respects her as well, I know this for a fact. And their pride and diligent care for the building and for the residents is a reflection on her. This is, and never has been before in my time here, a happy place where we all feel like family members. While some managers made promises they never intended to keep, the amalgamation of her smile along with her assurance of inspecting and completing multiple issues makes her what management should be about. I love and respect Jodi and pray that she is happy here and will continue to be a great asset and blessing at Shoreline. read more

I've lived in Oak Brook Towers for just over a year now and MUST provide feedback and kudos to the First Service Management Office managed by Richard Krilich, Property Manager. The first time I met him, Rich was walking the property at 9PM, leaving materials in my mailbox. When I asked him why he was here at that late hour, Mr. Krilich stated that it was important to him that we receive our materials well in advance of our meeting. His positive attitude, leadership and guidance has been instrumental in the improvement I'm seeing here at this property. It's no small feat due to the fact of the "old guard" which has not budgeted maintenance over the last 50 years of OBT's existence. The first time I laid eyes on OakBrook Towers was in 1993. I thought that if I was successful I would live here some day. I now live here and I see the positive impact Mr. Krilich has had in the year I've been here. He's a positive force for change here, which is no small thing, IMHO. I've seen a definite improvement in the year or so that he's been here and I'm looking forward to the future. I'll continue to post as time passes. In the meantime, THANK YOU RICH KRILICH for being the dedicated professional that you are. In the time that Phil Jackson with the Bulls had a full bench of exceptional talent. You, on the other hand, had a depleted roster, little support, lots of resistance when you took on this property. You are a hero! Despite the resistance, you've made change happen here and I thank you! read more

I'm not the kind of person to give a review, but I really want others to know how much I truly appreciate Kristin Ward and Laura Burlacu for stepping in and changing my experience for all the best. Long story short, I was in the process of selling my condo. The current onsite property manager and her assistant were very unprofessional and non-user-friendly, offering little to no assistance at all. However, after reaching out to the regional director, Kristan Ward, the process became much smoother, as she reassured me FirstService Residential does value its residents and that she would do everything in her power to assist me in the closing of my home by ensuring the process was not delayed- I am here to tell you, Ms. Ward did just that! Shortly after, Laura Burlacu worked with my team, and provided exceptional assistance to myself, attorney and realtor- we were all thrilled to have her onboard, as she not only assisted us during normal business hours, but would also reply back via email during after hours, as well. Laura became well known for putting "fires out" and getting the job done! To others who have experienced a similar situation, I encourage you not to become despaired and give up...reach out to higher echelon if you are not being treated fairly. Your Kristan and/or Laura is most likely just a phone call away too! Anita T read more

I purchased my home back in March of 2018 after a hectic move from Florida to Chicago. Being the new kid on the block, Jeffrey Morris really went out of his way to make me feel right at home. After meeting him in the lobby, he gave me a list of suggestions of places to explore and of course it being Chicago, the best places to eat. As a PR professional, I'm lucky​ to be able to work from home doing what I do. That being said, working from home can get a bit lonely sometimes. So, Starbucks runs are something I look forward to every day​ to get me out of the house for a ​quick minute. Every time I have run​ into Jeffrey on my way to grab a coffee, he has always made it a point to interact with me and have genuine conversations, listening to any concerns I may have and overall caring about how I am doing. This type of service from a management company is something I've never experienced before and a reminder that there are a lot of great people out there in the world such as Mr. Morris. In addition to his hospitality, Mr. Morris has made minor changes that have made a significant impact on the appearance of the building. His attention to detail has improved the curb appeal of our building not only on the outside​ but on the inside as well. Kudos to FirstService Residential for a hiring such an exceptional team member. read more

Julie Zordani has been the Property Manager for Kingsbury on the Park for about 3 1/2 years. Julie immediately made herself available to meet and connect with the residents. Julie is friendly and cares about our building, residents and staff. She is very responsive to the residents' questions, concerns and needs. Julie and our staff are a large reason why KOTP is so well respected in the community and by Alderman Reilly. In addition, during all the major events continuing to unfold this year, Julie has provided the residents with additional regular updates, sometimes daily. My family feels informed and safer knowing Julie and our fabulous staff are working together for everyone's well being. FirstService Residential bought and absorbed our last management company about 1 1/2 years ago. The transition has been seamless and the 1 time I called, I was treated politely and the agent was able to quickly and clearly answer my questions. I feel FirstService Residential communicates well with the residents and they quickly put into place measures for the resident's and staff's safety earlier this year. People often underestimate the critical value of having a great management team. Even guests regularly comment positively about and compliment our staff. Julie and FirstService Residential add value to KOTP. read more

Our condo association started using First Service Residential after some frustrating interactions with a previous management company. As owners, we could not be more grateful. With our previous company we felt like they were there to stand in our way whenever possible - everything felt like a 'battle'. Every time we called them we were tense and ready for push-back. With our FSR property manager, Lisa, we feel like it's a PARTNERSHIP. She is eager to do what is best for us (and the building) and is ready and willing to help with anything we need. The building has a lot of rules and regulations surrounding leasing and selling of condos. We have done both. When our renters needed to move out early and had tricky timing with their move, Lisa was able to work with them (and us) to make things go smoothly with the least amount of disruption for the building. Once they moved out, we listed our condo for sale. Lisa has worked closely with our Realtor to make the process go smoothly. She was also helpful and very flexible when we ran into some issues with Staging the property - she helped us get things organized and settled quickly. Any time we need documents or paperwork, she is immediately responsive and very organized. Our experience start to finish with FSR has been excellent and we would absolutely recommend them. read more

My name is Mary Daddono and I am on the Board of Directors at OakBrook Towers Condominiums, Oakbrook Illinois, as a director and have to say that we had a pretty rough time with First Service as our management company. No one can deny that, so I will speak for just myself. As far as I am concerned, I would have done anything to end our contract with First Service and it appeared to be going in that direction. First Service Management continued to send unqualified temporary people to step in as temporary managers and that was it. We had no full time manager for months and the candidates that First Service sent over for interviews continued to come in; then Shelly Kopach, OUR Property Manager, arrived and I think that everyone was in agreement to hire Shelly. Shelly Kopach has changed the entire atmosphere in every area of our property. All of the residents love her. She is kind and helpful to the residents, something that has been missing here for years and is incredibly organized and very bright. By some miracle, Shelly has been able to organize just about everything in such a short time. Shelly Kopach, thank you for going above and beyond as our Property Manager. I look forward to working with you for many years to come!!!!!!! read more

I would like to recognize Rhonda Allen with FirstService Residential for the property located at 1211 S. Prairie, Chicago. I have been a resident at this property for a couple of years and I have had the opportunity to see how well Rhonda deals with any issues that may arise from minor issues to more significant issues that need to be addressed. Rhonda is always kind and considerate and willing to listen to any issues or concerns that residents bring to her attention. Rhonda quickly prioritizes what needs to be accomplished and always does her best to resolve and respond to any issues that are brought to her attention and no issue is too small or is ever dismissed. Rhonda is excellent at helping clarify building rules and regulations and will spend time helping residents understand what needs to be done properly per the rules. Rhonda is excellent at communicating and always has a smile on her face and see's it to her best ability to make things operate as smoothly as possible at OMPE. Rhonda has a genuine interest in each resident and the safety and continued high level of care that goes into maintaining OMPE, and her thoughtfulness and caring attitude is always present. read more

I have been a condo owner at Harbor View condominiums since it was built in 2009. This building has grown and blossomed into such a wonderful community since it was first built. All of the staff (property manager, door staff, and maintenance) are top notch professionals that take pride in their work to make this building home to so many residents. The property Jennifer Triezenberg is the "foundation" and "glue" that keeps everything together and strong! Jennifer has not only gone above and beyond to assist me, but I see her doing it to so many other residents. Even the 4 legged residents feel the love from Jennifer as she always has a treat for them when they go in her office. Managing over 280 units is enormous undertaking in itself. But, to keep the building running so smoothly and constantly bringing new innovations and updates, really sets her apart from others. I own other condominium units as rentals and see how truly blessed we are. I have sent several emails to her manager Daniel Valdes to let him know how amazing Jennifer and her staff are. First Service has done an amazing job managing Harbor View and I HIGHLY recommend them to manage your's!!! read more

2020 I wish I could give zero stars if I could. They are by far the worst management company I have dealt with. They charge $250 per year regardless if my tenant is new lease or same tenant with continuing lease. There is no direct phone number to reach the community manager only a call Center number to voice your concerns and grievances. If you would like to appeal your grievances and concerns they just say oh please go to the next homeowners association meeting. First service also sends their own plumber from Horning without my authorization to just take a look at the leak from my tub without doing any repairs . They charged me an unreasonable $280 just to come out to take a look at it. First service "claims"that they reached out to me multiple times and lied to me that they already paid for some of it. They also lied to me "claiming" that my contact phone number that they have on file is disconnected which is not true. Poor communication all around. They only interested in sucking money out of your pockets. Also, they send annoying micromanaging emails. read more

I would like to express my sincere appreciation to one of the top notch First Residential Management Office Staff employees - Rhonda Allen at OMPE. I would like to recognize Rhonda for her remarkable skills and exceptional attitude while she has been in our Management Office for the past few years - she is truly an amazing employee. She is very friendly, organized, professional, caring, happy and very fashionable. Rhonda goes above and beyond to assist the needs of our residents. Over the years while I was the Social Director in our building she was always very supportive and helpful with the events that were planned - she is a great team player. Rhonda is very caring and thoughtful, and I have been a recipient of her kindness many times over the years. She volunteered to make masks for the residents with a committee from our building which benefitted all the residents when COVID-19 began. I feel it is important to acknowledge Rhonda for the great job she has done for our building over the years. Thank you Rhonda for making our home a special one. read more

For the past 2 and half years, I have been living at the Granville Tower Condominium at 6166 N Sheridan Rd which is managed by first service residential and I must say that the management of this building is really great. the property is managed by Marla Stiefel and assisted by Krisztina Hynes along with a great team, the property is always clean, well maintained, we always get a quick response in any urgent or non urgent situation, we are always well informed about any scheduled work or events, and I know the building have been upgraded and improved a lot through the past few years. I have been living in other buildings ( and I used to think those were well managed) , but the Granville tower is much better than I ever experienced that when I decided to get a bigger apartment I didn't bother to look outside, I just waited for another unit to be ready and they assisted me a lot to make my transfer smooth. finally I would like to thank Marla, Krisztina and every single member of the team. R.N. read more

We lived in 2000 N Lincoln Park West for 9 years, My husband and I found the staff to be very Courteous and helpful whenever we needed help from the front door staff with mail, packages, helping filling out work orders to recommending different companies to hire for any work that need to be done. The maintenance staff was always onsite and very prompt to come take a look and give us quotes or fix whatever needed for free, all the staff would even help with the carts when my hands were full. The Property Manager, Laura Slubowski went over and beyond to keep the owners and tenants informed of everything going on in the building, be it tuck-pointing times and dates, cleaning carpets, windows to setting up yearly Christmas lobby party for all of us that live there. Nice walking in on a cold December night to Christmas songs, punch and catered foods. She gets to know her owners and tenants and you feel most welcome coming home because of her Nice having a well managed condo building to live at! Km read more

I sell real estate in the city, and have had great experiences with FirstService. Katelin Dorsey and Rhonda Allen at 1211 S. Prairie/One Museum Park East are a phenomenal team, and it is always a pleasure working with them. They are responsive, patient, and exceptionally helpful with their communications, and make the closing and leasing processes simple. I have helped 4 clients in the building this year, and they my clients always comment on how great these ladies are to work with! Eric Pounder at 123-125 S. Green/The Emerald is also equally as professional and helpful. I am currently working with him on a deal now where we were having trouble obtaining condo documents online. He went above and beyond by sending us everything we needed in a timely manner, and took the time to answer our questions on a special assessment for facade work. Thank you to FirstService on streamlining their processes, and making the purchase/sale/lease of real estate easier, more efficient, and more fun! read more

I have lived in my community for about 14 years during that time there have been several property management companies. While some of the companies were better than others the current one FirstService is by far the worse. Their employees are slow to respond and when they do are borderline rude. They have a call center that seems to answer all calls regardless of time of day or day of week. The call center has yet to take an accurate message. In our common area trees seem not to have been trimmed to the standards that residents are held to. Potholes have not been filled in a timely manner. Overall, I think that property managers have a difficult thankless job, but some companies do a much better job than others... and in my experience this is the worse. I will be encouraging my associations board to replace this management company. If you are in the market for a management company, I would definitely think twice before hiring this one. read more