Had you asked if I rec Broadcast Apts just 6 months ago, the answer would have been a resounding and unequivocal NO; however, I am SO THANKFUL Madrona took over management in Jan 2024. Good on the building owner for making this switch. For context, Blanton Turner was in charge prior and I had the absolute WORST move-in/living experience you could imagine (August 2023). I am sure some Broadcast residents felt happy long ago under PREVIOUS BT agents (Keith also managed a previous apt of mine and he did a fantastic job...but he's no longer working in the field and seemed to be an amazing outlier with BT), so current residents who did NOT ACTUALLY MOVE-IN under the latest BT management in 2023 may not be aware of the dreadful state of affairs for new residents (that have since been rectified by Madrona).
Things Madrona fixed during their 1st week:
1) Had a locksmith come out to fix a broken stairwell door. This door had to be propped open and the knob would not turn or open. Talk about a fire hazard. It's fixed now though, so don't worry!
2) Had the stairwell carpets professionally cleaned. I actually didn't know this was possible! There were numerous puddles of dog urine on every landing prior to this cleaning. It looks like a new carpet was installed!
3) MADE A SECURE PACKAGE ROOM!!! For anyone new to the Seattle area, package theft is VERY common. I have had 0 issues under Madrona, but I'm sure a few cases will invariably arise here and there. No matter where I live on The Hill, this is an issue. Under BT, WE HAD NO ACCESS to the overwhelming majority of our packages (save for a handful that can fit in the small Luxer locker) from Fri afternoon to Mon afternoon (management usually left directly after stuffing the packages in the office on Friday). One time, I was left waiting for my medication all weekend! If I had a delivery at 12 in the afternoon on a Friday, I'd miss it if I went looking for it by 12:30. BT also had this complete lack of access to one's packages as far back as a decade ago...sigh. They don't seem to change with the times. Literally no one else operates this way. Stay as far away from BT as you can.
Other issues Madrona fixed:
4) Had the mildew professionally cleaned off EVERY balcony. I also fully expect them to keep up with this cleaning periodically. This was huge for me! I asked the BT agent during my tour if they would have this cleaned before I moved in. I got a (fake) enthusiastic "yes!!!" yet moved in to see the same massive chunk of mildew that had likely been sitting there for possibly 7 years. I have a condition called MCAS, where I have severe allergies (up to anaphylaxis) to many foods, fragrances, and mold/mildew. My doctor has advised me to stay away from mold/mildew. I realize mildew will grow back EVENTUALLY, but no one should expect me to risk cleaning that off myself, esp when I was up front about my condition. I legit need an EpiPen, so BT's lack of care was really frustrating and, honestly, concerning.
5) Had the exterior windows professionally cleaned.
6) Madrona is HIGHLY responsive to emails. BT literally never answered ANY emails/phone calls. I only knew I had secured my apt 3 days prior to move-in, after calling the office over and over again. Imagine if I'd had to cancel my movers!? You can imagine my panic! Also, Madrona's office is literally a 1 minute walk away from Broadcast. If you miss them during office hrs over at Broadcast, they will be super easy to reach at their official location. I have to say though, I have never needed to reach them in person BECAUSE they are highly responsive VIA email.
7) Fixed our water bills so they were no longer arriving in the mail at incredibly random times, after we had already paid the small online service fee for rent. P.s. the service fee was higher under BT (it's less than a dollar for Madrona). Now we can pay BOTH water/rent bills at the same time and not wonder when our next water bill will be arriving.
8) THE PEOPLE! Charlotte, Andrea, Chad, and STEVE are all AMAZING! Super personable, professional, reliable and timely. Which brings me tooooo....
9) TIMELY maintenance requests fulfilled. BT literally had NO MAINTENANCE STAFF ON HAND FOR 4 months after I moved in. I was in utter shock, considering how many things were broken BEFORE I moved in. I was pleasantly surprised when Chad came out to fix my breaker the VERY 1ST WEEK Madrona took over. He also fixed the handful of other residents' breakers in need of repair work for months (hopefully not longer, honestly), so you won't be moving in with the same issues I faced.
10) Professional cleanings on a regular basis. I always see a friendly cleaning agency in here cleaning the common areas and the apts currently up for lease. I had to wash my clothes in an unleased apt (bc BT left me a toxic moldy washing machine) and the dustiness/uncleanliness of the unused rooms was visible. That's definitely not an issue now, far from it! Broadcast finally feels like home! read more