We had a great experience working with Maria. She was very responsive as we were working things out and overall just an awesome and friendly person. So often, in all businesses one encounters people in customer-facing jobs who really seem to hate people. Maria and John are super friendly, honest, and really seem to enjoy working with people in the community and helping them find the right home. A lot of brokers we met with made us feel like they were doing us a favor by showing us an apartment and made us worried about our chances of finding the right place. Maria made us feel good about ourselves and put us at ease. Moving is always hard, but Metroline truly made our move as stress free as possible. I would definitely recommend Maria to anyone--though I hope not to have to use her services again for many many years. :) read more

Thanks, Metroline for your quick turnaround in renting an apartment and your commitment to client service.

I worked with John who was very responsive and made sure that I felt comfortable at all steps of the process renting my apartment. So responsive in fact that he would let me know when he *wouldn't* be available so I didn't think he was ignoring me. I really appreciated the level of customer service he gave, even though I'm not the one who hired him - it was the landlord. read more

I don't normally leave reviews but am compelled to by the level of appreciation my husband and I have for Maria and John, and how amazing it was working with them in finding and signing a lease to our new apartment. As others have noted, not only are they professional, prompt, and thorough, they are also genuinely caring and great people that know the neighborhoods they work in very well. its clear they have trusted relationships with the landlords they work with from decades of experience. Plus they are just cool people that are a pleasure to work with. The level of expertise, straightforwardness, and genuine care they have for renters is a really rare combination to find. 10/10 recommend to anyone and everyone moving to or within Queens! read more

i am very happy with metroline realty as they got my apt rented out to a new tenant in less then a week after listing it. very professional and no bullcrap as they took legit pics of apt and not fake fancy ones that some realty places do to make apt or homes look nicer. i went to the office in person , gave all the info on apt and the rest was done by agent. i got a good new tenant and i didnt have to wait that long. glad i used this real estate agency this time around . read more

We wanted to make sure we were completely settled into our new home. We are so thankful to have had the opportunity to be able to work with both John and Maria. They were completely fabulous at listening and helping us see the vision of our new home while making sure we got everything we were looking for. I have and will forever recommend their services for anyone looking or needing help in finding their new home. Thank you so much for everything! read more

Had a great experience with John and Maria while looking for my apartment. Very friendly and sweet people intent on finding you the best living situation possible. Highly recommend, thank you John and Maria! read more

Maria and John were absolutely exceptional in helping us find and rent our current apartment! Would highly recommend anyone contact them when looking around Astoria and queens! Wonderful people with excellent communication skills! Saw the apartment and put down the deposit in 15 minutes! 10/10 read more

John and Maria are my new best friends. You'll never meet real estate agents like these two. They work together really well and they find you what you want, simple as that. What makes them special is, in Maria's own words, "we don't disappear once the lease is signed." They actually care. They'll call parents to ease them about their children's new apartments, they'll go apartment shopping with you, they'll give you a tour of your new neighborhood, they'll go get drinks with you once you're all moved in. I strongly recommend reaching out to them if you're considering a move to Astoria. Now on to move into my new one-bedroom and get cosmos with John and Maria to celebrate. read more

Maria and John are two of the finest real estate professionals I have ever had the pleasure of working with in the last 30+ years. They are both very personable and go the extra mile to make sure everything about your experience is optimal. I would give my strongest recommendation to them both if you are apartment shopping in Brooklyn or Queens, New York in the near future. read more

Maria and John were perfect. So perfect, my partner and I questioned if it was too good to be true! From the very beginning we were met with such a friendliness and personable experience, it was as if Metroline Realty had known us for years. The process with quick, simple, and honestly..quite fun. Maria went above and beyond for us to the point of dropping us off at the airport and buying us coffee (mind you, this was after our transaction transpired). We were introduced to the Landlord in such a welcoming way. We feel so happy to have done business with this family-like group of people. Saving all the contacts, because I won't be moving through anyone else! read more

My roommate and I recently used Metroline to find our current apartment in Astoria off Ditmars and we are very pleased. John is very funny and upfront with apartment matters. He'll only show you good places and not waste your time. After meeting with roughly 10 different brokers, seeing 7-8 different apartments over 3 weeks and not finding what we wanted, John was a blessing. He was very helpful also with coordinating all aspects of the move. I've never seen any broker like this and he is a busy busy guy. Always taking calls and always available for his clients. John-Do you need furniture, if so I know a furniture guy? John- Has Time Warner called you about setting up your new installation? No, well let me bug them again... John- The landlords agreed to paint custom colors in your place, ok, just text me the paint colors you want from Benjamin Moore. And they'll paint before you move in. Done John-6 hours after we moved on saturday. How was the move? How's the apartment? Now that's service!! Not to mention his driving tour of the area- what places are good to eat and and where to avoid. It'll make you laugh..... Let him help you and take some of the stress out of finding an apartment read more

I got fed up with my last landlord so i started apartment hunting on craigslist. I made an appointment with John Kalamaris and two hours later after that initial craigslist search, I had an apartment. John is a classic new york character - talks fast, does not talk bullshit and gets the job done. I used to not want to pay for a realtor and this is the first one that I forked money over, and I SWEAR IT IS WORTH THE MONEY!!!!!!!! read more

Moving to New York from a real-estate market that does not have brokers was a bit of a shock. I had a very hard time justifying and finding value in paying someone else ~$1500 to show me an apartment that I found on Craigslist by myself. I found John Kalamaris via an apartment I wanted to view that was listed on Craigslist. Not only did John show us the building/ apartment, he also gave us a tour of the neighborhood and bought us waters. We liked the apartment we saw, but he also mentioned there was another one in the building that wasn't listed yet, and we could see it if we wanted. The 2nd apartment was not complete; the maintenance guys were actually prepping the floors to be coated. We liked the 2nd apartment even more than the first and decided to take it. This is where I found the value in John. He took care of the paperwork and the application with very little hassle. He made sure the apartment was completed quickly so that we could move-in. He negotiated an earlier move in date so that we didn't have to wait until the first of the month. Upon inspection of the apartment, two windows were cracked. I called John, and they were fixed the next day. I needed a couch, and he recommended a couch guy. If I need something else, I'm sure he'll know a guy for that too. The best part about John is that he understands the most important part of a sale comes after the customer has paid the money. He is all about "Relationship Salesmanship" and continued customer service. Two Thumbs up. Friendly Tip: Don't sign ANYTHING until he makes you homemade ice coffee! read more

John Kalamaris is an angel among real estate brokers. He knows his business and he's very good at his job. He will make sure you find a place to live that you like. He will get things done quickly and correctly. He will do everything he can to make sure you're happy with the apartment you rent/condo you buy and he wants to make sure that you stay that way. read more

John Kalamaris will hook you UP. These reviews are not from his friends. Here is the email I sent my mom after he helped me find an apartment: "The broker, as promised, took me around the neighborhood and introduced me to a Greek guy at the neighborhood furniture store and a Greek guy at the neighborhood flooring store, who then introduced me to a Greek guy at the paint store. Guy at the furniture store sold me a new mattress for $295, guy at the rug store sold me two big rugs for $230. Both are delivering for free and told me not to pay more than $50 for the paint, just ask for Mr. Katzadakis or whatever. It was such a fun day, the broker made me the best frappe I have ever had, and I found the right apartment in the right neighborhood." Seriously, John K. will make apartment hunting in NYC actually be fun. It's possible, I swear to god. This is the best Yelp review I have ever written of anything (well, alongside Stogo, Kyra Sedgwick's brother's vegan ice cream place in the East Village, RIP.) What you spend on a broker's fee he'll save you in furniture and painting fees. read more

I couldn't decide between 3 and 4 stars. I went with 4 because Maria and John are both incredibly sweet and thorough. They don't disappear once they have their fee and really see everything through. Unfortunately the whole process ended up being a headache for us regardless of their efforts. I think most of this fiasco was not their fault (it was some blend of miscommunication, movers, evil time warner, and lazy contractors), but you use brokers for simplicity and we didn't really get that. We saw one apartment with Metroline in early May and fell in love. Reasonably priced, rent stabilized, great location, May 28th move-in, and it was being renovated. They also have a deal with TWC so you get free installation and 1st month free. Sounded great, until each element got really complicated. Lease: We asked for our lease from both Metroline and the owner at least 15 times. We finally received an incomplete copy the 3rd week of July (Lease began June 1st and we signed May 15th). The owner explained that she was waiting to provide the lease until she was sure it was correctly filled out, but having no proof of address for 3 months caused us quite a few headaches. Move Date: We didn't get to move in until July 15th (yes, we were homeless until then). Maria did offer us (2 roommates, not a couple) a 1 bedroom sublet 30min from trains for $1900. While she was sweet to find us an option, it was just not feasible financially or space-wise. Instead, I ended up living in the basement of the new apartment. My roommate lived on her friend's couch. Rent Amount: We were told the rent would be raised from our initial offer due to the renovations but not told how much until lease signing. Rent ended up $100 more than we were initially told. The owner wanted more, but Metroline negotiated this down to compensate for our move-in trouble. Sounds great, we were happy. Until now...we might lose our rent stabilization soon but I guess that's the story of NYC. Renovations: The building owner went with contractors recommended by Metroline. They were months past deadline, cut a lot of corners, and broke 2 windows (one of which they never fixed--and for which we were blamed). You can't even put a thumb-tack in our walls without them crumbling around it. Not what we were hoping for after a true gut renovation. TWC: We were promised free installation and free 1st month, but got a hefty bill a week after the TW installation. John from Metroline followed up with them and they said they removed the charges. My account shows differently, but they said there may be a delay in posting the changes so I'll update accordingly. Movers: Metroline set us up with movers who were very sweet, punctual, and well-priced. Unfortunately, they lost one of our items (something purchased internationally with sentimental value) and broke another furniture item. Again, not Metroline's fault...but their connections haven't really worked out so well for us. So...5-stars for John and Maria being super sweet. 2-stars for their connections (movers, contractors, and time warner). read more

John and Maria are the best at what they do, in fact nobody does what they do because they are on a whole other level from most brokers! My gf and I found Maria's listing and set up a visit. As soon as we saw the place we knew we couldn't pass it up. Everything after us telling them we were going to take the place was such a pleasant experience! The signing experience, credit check, etc was a breeze, they even helped us out with a ride to the bank. They set up a call with the prospective landlord to ensure a great relationship from the start, they even helped coordinate meeting the other tenants in our building and communicate with the previous tenants to help us move our belongings in a few days early. Really they helped make finding a place (which can be very stressful), such a pleasant and carefree experience!! Anyone should do business with Maria and John. You can't do better!! read more

I had a wonderful experience finding an apartment with Metroline Realty. I had a VERY short amount of time to find a place, and needed one that was available immediately. I was not having much luck with other realty groups. Then I saw a Craigslist post by Christina Cricenti at Metroline and gave her a call. We met up literally 10 minutes later, as we both happened to be in the neighborhood and close to the properties at the time. She was happy to show me two nice places within my price range. I took maybe an hour to think it over and called her up to let her know I wanted one of the places. She came and picked me up like an hour later, took me to the realty office where I signed a lease. She even dropped me off where i needed to go after signing the lease. Awesome! I met the landlord and got the keys the next morning.The whole process was so fast and painless, and saved me so much stress. Quality people, and quality apartments. I would definitely work with Christina Cricenti, John Kalamaris, and Metroline Realty again! (They also hooked me up with a good deal on a mattress and frame, as well as a free month of cable + free installation!) read more

John Kalamaris and Michael Cavounis are as 1st class as it can get they are the by far the best that there is. If you are looking for something in the Astoria area and you don't use them you are very very foolish. They showed me and my Girlfriend everything they had in my price range never once trying to get to go a up. After we saw everything ( and we were still undecided on an apt at this point) they drove me and my girlfriend around to show her what Astoria has to offer because she's never really been. When you go looking around with them it is literally like you are looking for apts with close friends that you know you can trust and wont do you wrong. They are so nice, and it gives you a good sense when you are with them. They never rushed us, we took our time at every apt we looked at not because we wanted to but because they insisted we take in the apt before we leave. our apt was under renovation when we saw it and i had to get back in to take measurements John met me at the apt, let me in, and helped me take all the measurement i needed even the ones i forgot i need. He gave me layout ideas on what to do and how the flow of the apt should be. Brokers don't do stuff like that in NY usually its in and out and you deal with all that after the keys are in your hand, and no one is going to help u lay out your apt like John help me. I have lived in a lot of places and never once have i had the joy of dealing with Realtors like them. like i said you would be a fool not to use them. i will keep there cards on me at all times just encase i over hear someone saying there looking for an apt. These are top notch guys who know the business inside and out. You cant go wrong with them they WILL find you the place you love. Take it from the guy who didn't have the joy of finding them on his 1st try. read more

Maria helped us find our perfect apartment! She got us a great deal and helped us through every step of the process. She is so friendly and even got us a house warming gift! She is the best!!! read more

Maria recently helped me find my new 1 BR apartment off 30th Ave in Astoria. She already had an established relationship with my building's landlady and she was a great liaison between the two of us, making us both comfortable with one another upon our first meeting. When I decided I wanted my apartment (2 hours or maybe even less) after Maria first showed it to me, Maria was kind enough to pick me up in her car (in the pouring rain!!!) and take me to the rental office to put down my deposit. The process of reviewing all my financial documents in order to sign the lease was easy and pain-free. This was my first time renting an apartment for just myself, and Maria genuinely cared about finding me a nice, safe home that I would be happy in for many years to come. She was readily available to answer any questions and was fair, honest, friendly, and so helpful during the entire process. Thank you Maria - I love my new Astoria home!!! read more

First off can I just say looking for an apartment can be one of the biggest headaches you'll experience. No seriously, after it all I think It would've been easier to get approved for a mortgage than for some apartments we looked at. My roomate and I are first time renters, recently graduated and getting our careers started. Originally we wanted to find a by-owner apartment so we wouldn't have to pay extra fees. Well, after going through some of the sketchiest listings on craigslist we decided to listen to the people on yelp and contacted Metroline Realty. Oh and can I also point out that if you see a for fee-broker putting a listing on the 'no fee, by owner' only section on Craigslist that should be an instant red light not to do business. Anyways, I called up and spoke with John Kalamaris, mentioned to him our situation, what we were looking for and what our price range was. The next day he had set us up with one of his brokers Savvas Koudellou who had a whole slew of apartments lined up already. Savvas drove us around town showing each apartment and giving tid bits of insight into each area. Heck, the man even showed us where A Bronx Tale was filmed - who actually knew it was done in Astoria hah! Long story short we looked at a bunch of apartments and actually put a deposit down on one until we realized how crazy the landlord was. Savvas and John immediately expressed their concerns and we all agreed to pull out - they themselves went to the apartment and got all of our paperwork and full deposit back in our hands the next time we saw them. In the end we found an amazing apartment, right int he middle of Astoria and we even have back yard access. I couldn't have been happier with the decision and I move in a week from when I'm writing this review. I can honestly agree with every 5 star listing on here that these gentlemen, and women (Christina!) know what their doing, are good at what their doing and care about their clients. Savvas is an amazing broker who really earned his broker fee, I can only hope to continue working with him when my lease is up. The guy is a character and I mean that in the best way possible. He'll pick you up and drop you off wherever you need, join you in your frustrations with the Knicks and share his unfortunate experiences with pickled watermelon. P.S. I think the cappuccino John makes should get it's own yelp review too. Another 5 stars. read more

John at Metroline is a fantastic broker for those looking in Queens for an apartment. He will look out for you and work hard to find you a place that fits your needs. In my case, a fairly tight budget as a student, and good transportation. John found me the perfect spot, and as a bonus, the apartment is both beautiful and spacious, a real gem. His personality is honest, friendly, and he is full of great stories about people he knows around Queens. It is difficult not to like him immediately, he's just that sort of person who makes you feel like family. However, he's not just personality, and really know his stuff, having been working as a broker for many years. He knows the business and he knows Queens. In summary: Experienced, fun, and personable broker who won't jerk you around. Very reasonable fee and found me a great place. Definitely recommend. read more

Me and my boyfriend went through some hard time to find an apartment this fall. Using different agencies i can responsibly state that metroline realty- Georgia and John- was the most professional and helpful company in our search. Showed us some great deals and thanks to their work and support we found a new amazing home! THANK U! Karina and John read more

Let me start by giving accolades upon accolades of praise to John. He is seriously one of the best brokers I have ever met. Upon meeting him, he was kind enough to pick us up from the train station in his car and drive us directly to the apartments he was showing us. He showed us one studio that wasn't in the best condition from the previous tenant. He was completely honest that it wouldn't be the best fit for us and showed us the apartment my boyfriend and I are moving into. He wasn't pushy, no bullshit about the apartments, gave us our space as we viewed. He showed us the apartment and we fell in love and decided to move immediately. He was quick to tell us what information we needed, and with talking to the landlord. We saw, and rented the apartment in about three days. The fastest I have ever seen or heard of. John also gave us loads of information about the area we were moving into. He even gave us names of people to contact to give us some good deals on furniture, electricity, so on and so forth. Absolutely a stand up guy. I am recommending him to all of my friends looking for a place in Astoria. This was a great experience. read more

I did not have a Yelp account before meeting John from Metroline Realty. His business was so out of this world spectacular, that I knew I had to make a Yelp account JUST to review him. Metroline Realty, and John, is easily by far the best moving experience I have ever had. John is hysterical. He's the type of guy you really don't get anymore. He's honest, no BS, and actually cares that you're getting a home that you want to live in. He will not lie to you, and DON'T lie to him. His fee is pittance compared to Manhattan real estate thieves (I only paid one months rent. All my other realtors in Manhattan wanted an arm and a leg). I don't know if I could've done this move without John. He was so great to me and my roommate and he stayed with us through making sure every single thing was in order (he'll tell you, he's a bit OCD, and this is one area of work where that comes in handy.) I would recommend John to anyone, anytime. Please give him your business. read more

Maria and John are two of the most genuine people I've ever met. Sometimes you just get a feeling upon meeting people that you can trust them and that's how i felt with these two. They didn't play any games and really just cared about my hunt. They took the time to drive me to different apartments on my search and came to my office in the city to pick up the checks to close on an apartment. Maria was a sweetheart and was always updating me and making sure the building was perfect for me to move in. They treat you like family here and I am incredibly grateful for them helping me find my new home. You won't find anyone else to serve you better than them read more

Let me be clear-- if you need an apartment in Astoria or any of the nearby neighborhoods, Metroline Realty is your first and only choice. I had to make a rapid relocation for work and I didn't want to wait around for my company-assigned realtor, so I gave the office a call on a Tuesday afternoon to set up an appointment for the following day at 11am. I met with Michael Cavounis and he immediately drove us through the neighborhood and showed us a couple places-- the second place was a perfect 1 bedroom and way nicer than anything else we'd seen in the price range. After checking with another realtor and being offered a studio for $50 cheaper, we decided to take the place Metroline had. We met with John Kalamaris that evening. He took us into the office, made a phone call to the landlord, and 20 minutes later we had the place guaranteed! We signed the lease the next day and got the keys. The process could not have been easier and between Michael, John, and the office manager Savvas everything was taken care of. You can't go wrong with these guys. They know everyone there is to know in the neighborhood and they will get you deals on anything you need. Call them first and you will not regret it. read more

I cannot recommend John from Metroline Realty more highly. He's exactly what you want in a broker. He listens to what you want, shows you only apartments that will be a good fit, and doesn't pressure you to make a decision. He's extraordinarily flexible and low pressure. He's a stand up guy. A few examples: I vacillated between two apartments he had shown me, took one, and then, after thinking about it, changed my mind and wanted the other. He let me back out of the first deal no questions asked. When I needed a few days to get money transferred to my account, he agreed to wait to deposit my checks. After the lease was signed, he kept calling me, giving me progress reports on how the renovations were going in my new place even though he had already made his commission off me. Unlike many brokers, he didn't drop me and move on as soon as his check was cashed. A great broker. Give him a call. You won't regret it. read more

I cannot say enough amazing things about John! I have lived in Astoria for 8+ years, but only moved twice, so I was nervous to use a broker after hearing all these nightmare stories from friends + colleagues. However, I knew from the second I got on the phone with John, I was in the right hands! John knew the landlord and his family, so he served as a perfect liaison for both of us and really formed an amazing relationship for us! He honestly looked out for us, supported us and was so excited about us finding our home, that the process was fun! The original apartment wasn't super dog friendly, but John saw a photo of our loving dog, Ellie, and showed the landlord, and it was agreed that Ellie could move in, as well as our cat and me - pregnant with our babe due in July. It's hard enough to find a pet-friendly apartment, but a pet-friendly apartment who also welcomes a young, growing family - we would have never found this without John. Within 15 minutes of seeing the apartment, we were in John's office leaving a deposit and filling out paperwork. He truly made this process so effortless, I couldn't believe it! The next day we had a lease in hand and he even got us a super early move in date - something we weren't expecting! We have a great relationship with our landlord, which is hard to come by, and I seriously owe it to John for making us all comfortable! We are SO grateful for the ease, patience and honesty we got from John. It was a pleasure working with him and I cannot recommend him enough! He's quick to respond, on top of all paperwork/questions/issues and he's a great resource for all things Astoria! I would feel comfortable giving him a call in 5 months asking for a amazing resturant recommendation, because he's that sort of human - so generous and warm. Much gratitude to John - please come visit us at the park! :) read more

At 6:30pm today, I discovered the office location has been padlocked, with an outdated phone number listed on the awning. Curious, I called the number listed on this Yelp page but, not caring to leave a message, hung up before voicemail kicked in. However, a gentleman immediately returned my call... but would not respond when asked about their office location situation. I asked whether they were still in operation, but was not given an answer, instead being told that he was "closed for the day". This definitely screams "red flag" to me, as does the absence of any available website, and makes me question the validity of recent reviews. Be wary if choosing to deal with this real-estate agency. read more

Renting can be a great hassle, and i have come across many Realtors who just don't make your life any easy. I used to be the among ones who thought one should not pay broker fee for renting. I have come across Realtors who hustle you into a lease just to get a fat commission. But my views about the realtors changed when i came across Metroline Realty. John and Maria had great listings and made it really easy to get the place me and my roommate liked. Once we liked the place and they knew we were serious about getting the place they even negotiated with the landlord to get the price within our budget. Their broker fee is very reasonable and i say this because i have come across realtors charging some crazy broker fee. They made me feel really comfortable about the deal. I would highly recommend Metroline Realty if anyone is looking for a place. I read some negative reviews about John, but i believe some people can't take brutal honesty. I am a good judge of a person and feel he is an absolute gem of a person. Precise to the point, always willing to give an honest opinion about the listings, he really works for you rather than for the landlord. Maria is also very welcoming and a nice person and they compliment each other very well. read more

Maria and John are freaking AMAZING!! My friend and I were looking for apartments in Astoria for about a month and a half, and between the frustration and dealing with sketchy, lying brokers, we just felt so lucky to finally come across Metroline Realty. Maria and John made everything so easy. Such a breath of fresh air, and the total opposite of what we experienced with other realtors. They're hilarious as well :) Just good vibes all around! We are so happy with our apartment, and we can't thank Maria and John enough! read more

Maria Maria!!! Such a wonderful woman! Everything was so easy and quick with her. This is the first time I've gotten an apartment and thought, "wow. I'm actually never moving." And John! He is so kind! I know you'll be an actor one day! #brando Seriously the best experience I've ever had in getting an apartment. Thank you so much guys. Feel at home for the first time here:) read more

These two are THE best. After an exhausting struggle to find an apartment, we found Maria and they made the experience so much better for us. Maria was sweet and amazing from the very beginning. We saw her one bedroom in Astoria and she was very upfront and honest with us about what it did and didnt offer. She offered to push back her afternoon appointments to give us a little more time to think. Once we decided on the 1 bedroom, they drove us all the way into manhattan to get to our bank for the deposit so that we didn't have to take the train. They worked with us and got us approved same day. We hung out all day and fell in love with them in general. You can really tell that they care. I would 150% refer my friends to them. They took the stress out of this process. Absolutely amazing. read more

I cannot emphasise how hospitable, professional, easy to work with, and straight-forward Michael and John were with my roommate and I, two Canadians in NY for two days to find a place. If you're looking to rent in astoria / ditmars get in touch with Metroline Realty. read more

My boyfriend and I were looking tirelessly for an apartment within our budget. At the time he lived in Jackson Heights and I lived in Astoria. For months and months we searched everywhere for our first apartment together to start our life and had no luck. We were starting to get discouraged. Then we met John and Maria. After telling them what we were looking for, they showed us one place and it was like it was meant to be. It was perfect, within our price range and exactly what we were looking for. We are so thankful to them. They were very professional but really down to earth. They helped us to get everything done and we signed the lease and met the landlord that day. Anyone that is looking for a realtor should definitely call them. You won't regret it. We are now happily married and extremely happy in out new home. Thanks so much John and Maria. You guys are the best!!!!!! read more

Amazing! John Kalamaris is everything a broker should be and MORE! He's professional, knowledgeable, friendly, and honest. He genuinely wants to make his clients' moves as easy and painless as possible. I had been looking for an apartment in Astoria for a month, going through three different brokers prior to John. One broker was giving me the run around on an available studio I had seen at the beginning of the month, another broker was somewhat helpful but very cold, the next was wonderful but had already filled her prime apartments for the time. Then I met John, and in one evening had secured an amazing studio, right in my price range. At the broker's office he walks me through the standard paperwork while whipping up an delicious Frappe (coffee, water, milk, YUM!). We go through application, credit report, lease signing as he informs me on the best places to eat in Astoria, best places to buy furniture ("Tell them John Kalamaris sent you and they'll give you a discount."), and even refers me to a Man with a Van that he knows. Ever ready, he's organized all of his recommendations on a spreadsheet and prints it out for me. Before I could even ask where the nearest transit was suggesting nearby buses and trains, but then decided to drive me home rather than have me deal with MTA. I'll say it again, amazing! John anticipated all of my moving needs before I even knew myself. This kind of intuition can only come from decades of experience and a good heart. Great guy, great service, great frappe. Thanks for everything John!! read more

I'm glad other reviewers who I'm sure all actually rented from Metroline had great experiences, but I found them to be typical nyc brokers - fast-talking, bait-and-switch kind of thing. We saw an apartment on Craigslist and contacted them - the apartment was listed at a reasonable price and the pictures were pristine. Seemed too good to be true. Christina would only give us cross streets to meet at, which is fine, but based on the pictures we easily figured out which building it was. Christina was nice enough, but then began with the bait-and switch..."This apartment is $1600" (it was posted on Craigslist for $1545) "but I think I can get it for you for $1580." Strike one. The apartment itself was kind of a mess. Tiles broken, dirty appliances, scratched floors, electrical outlets askew - quite different from the pictures posted online. Christina promised that it would be taken care of before the imminent move-in, but I've seen how that can turn out. It was also billed as a two-bedroom, but that was only with a sincere stretch of the imagination. Strike two. We discussed it privately for a few minutes, then let Christina know on the way out that we weren't interested in the apartment. The friendly salesperson switch was flipped, and she barely said goodbye before booking it down the block. Strike three. We've lived in nyc for long enough, and have rented enough apartments, to know good service and professionalism in a broker when we see it. If you're asking me to pay you a couple grand fee to unlock a door and handle some paperwork, the least you can do is be honest and professional. Otherwise, it's a waste of both of our time, as was this experience. read more