I've now moved twice with Michael Singer Real Estate. Both experiences were great. Maintenance is on any issues, the office is helpful and pleasant with anything you need. read more

I moved out years ago but I still remember Michael Singer Real Estate and the studio I lived in as truly the worst apartment experience I've ever had. There were truly so many issues but here are some that stand out: 1.The Claremont is 100% unsafe. My apartment was broken into because the front and back doors were never secured, and my actual room door had barely any security. Multiple packages were also stolen because it was so easy for anyone to get inside the building. 2. You never want to feel taken advantage of but that is 100% how they make you feel. When I was moving in I remember Tiffany said they needed extra time to clean up and that my rent would be prorated for the extra days they needed. So I waited until the verbally agreed upon pushed back date that I would move in, and when I reached her she basically acted like she had no idea what I Was talking about and declined to prorate rent saying it was ready on the 1st of the month. Among many other instances of being overcharged and basically lied to, there was a strong sense of being taken advantage of. 3. Maintenance let themselves into my room on several occasions without any notice!!! I remember coming home from work and seeing letters from MSE on my couch.....I was a single female living in a studio. This to me is insanity and probably illegal. Shame on them. In conclusion, as I look back, the conditions of this apartment aren't even something I would let my dog live in. read more

I have had an outstanding experience with Michael Singer Real Estate thus far. Linda is my leasing agent and she is nothing but helpful, kind, and responsive. The MSRE team feels like family, they are responsive, positive, and helpful. Maintenance always arrives the day of my request. I really could not be happier, huge thanks to Linda for always answering my questions. read more

If I could rate this company with NEGATIVE five stars, I would. Let me point out what you're in for if you rent from them..... AMENITIES OF Michael Singer Slumlord , mice, rats roaches in the Claremont, Prevalent sewage leaks backed up sewage into the bath tub, and rain pouring into your bedroom (soaking your brand new bed) through improperly sealed air conditioning units; -our refrigerator was like 100 years old and was full of mold when we moved in and spoiled food from the previous renters. Broken tiles with jagged edges and sharp nails protruding from the hardwood floor will not be fixed (even if it's promised) before you move in; -Toilet will sink into the floor (tenant below you hopefully won't mind) and then it will lean against the bathroom sink, making it difficult to reach the handle to flush the toilet, had to hold down the handle or it would stop flushing plus it leaked and ran constantly, hard to sleep with that constant noise ; -Part of the bathroom ceiling will suddenly cave in & rubble will cover the floor; -Spend time twiddling your thumbs waiting for maintenance to show up on the days you're told to expect them; when they do it's basically lauel and hardy comedy, looks like they found these guys on Kensington Avenue or under a bridge.-The living room window with the large crack in it (which is never replaced before you move in) will still not be replaced even if Philly is under a hurricane warning; -Every tenant you meet will have outstanding maintenance requests that are still not addressed weeks/months later; -Complimentary roach infestation, and agents will claim apartments are exterminated "every 2 weeks" before you move in; when they do exterminate, they spray some poison around your place, and the bugs go next door, until the spray that apartment and they come right back-Deal with one nightmare situation after the next as your apartment falls apart and patched-up, shoddy work reveals itself. Maintenance requests will fall on deaf ears. If you go into the office in person, Linda Toppi or David Singer will lie to your face.Linda will scream at you & tell you you're not worth her time and money. This all comes from first-hand experience! I moved to Philly from Seattle with my partner and we wrote a series of items that needed to be repaired on our lease. Few repairs were done after we moved in & most of these them were never made (some were habitability issues like no working smoke alarm and mice, roach infestation) even though we were repeatedly assured they would be done. Singer and his agents use intimidation, avoidance, and lying through their teeth to put off spending any money on maintenance. I was told they have 2 repair people (with constant turn over) for about 1000 apartments. Unless your apartment is on fire, don't expect anyone to show up and stay for more than 20 minutes. Singer has them on a tight leash and he tries to pinch every penny. I have compiled documented evidence of these items listed in my review. If you don't take my word for it, do your research and read other reviews. Don't make the mistake of thinking you are legally protected if you write mandatory repairs on your lease. It can take 6-12 months to fight this in court. Meanwhile, you're obligated to pay rent. Luckily, we escaped due to persistently attempting to hold them to our contract. We spent 5 months in this hell-hole on Clinton & 10th St., and if this case doesn't have "slumlord" written all over it, what does? Plus they deducted about half our security deposit when we moved as a "cleaning fee" We were glad to be out of that hell hole. read more

They saved my partner and i from a really bad experience with another company and I love their service. Always responding to our calls and make sure we are safe and good read more

UPDATE: You first told me to give you five months of rent upfront and then after getting approved you told me "ok, just give me four months upfront". That is not the usual in Philadelphia and I had proof I can pay for rent. So yes you approved me after you were racist to me and then I decided NOT to take it because I didn't want to pay for months upfront when other realtors asked me for the same money upfront you would ask to an American citizen. Read all the reviews and even when you deny it, the way you treated me wasn't right. I was looking for a studio (I'm not American) and came up to a cute studio on filter square from this real estate company. I had the chance to talked to Linda who didn't give me a good vibe from the beginning but I just ignored it. After that, I found it weird that I had to wait like 5 days to get in contact with her. I was really interested in the unit. I finally scheduled a tour (someone else showed it to me). It was extremely small but I didn't need that much space but I was in a a hurry and needed something fast and affordable. When I decided to apply I found out I needed to pay 150$ besides first,last and security deposit. I was like okay well, it may the application fee or whatever. Then when I talked to Linda I explained to her that I'm not American and that as a student I can't work and my parents are my sponsor (like EVERY international student, helloooo?) she jumped out on me and said that my mom can't be my co-signer. I kindly explained her that in my last apartment they accepted that and asked for all proof including bank statements and everything, I also told her she could talk to my current landlord as a proof that I do pay (I'm a graduate student, school is pricey, don't you think I have money to pay for you rent?). She jumped out on me VERY RUDE and said "I do nothing with your mom information, I don't need you mom's bank account information she's not American. You are going to leave the country and you won't pay me for rent". I was hurt and disgusted at that moment. That felt racist and you can't be racist if you are working on this industry, I could even report this company(did you know that? I know my rights). Then she pushed me to have an "American co-signer" claiming that I could just ask a friend to do that for me and asking someone random to do that isn't a good thing and nobody wants to do that. Also, I don't know if you know I am not from here, what makes you think I'll have someone American to do these kind of favors for me? I paid my last rent for a year WITHOUT A PROBLEM. Then, when I told her she was rude and how she made me felt she apologized and said "I had a stressful day, I am sorry I will be happy to approve you for the apartment". Not because you have a stressful day you treat people like trash, specially Someone from another country. Then, to make things worst, she told me that the only way I could move was by paying her first month, last month, security deposit and AN ADDITIONAL MONTH. At first I was like well I could do that until I found out (thanks to my good friends who knew what was going on) that this is illegal. Yes, I have a great credit score, never missed a payment of any single thing, have the proof I can pay for whatever I have to pay and even with that I was supposed to pay ten times more than an ordinary American would pay. This is called racist. I was two weeks away from my move-in date. I put my hopes on this place and decided to find someone else. I ended up being with robin apartments who approved me, never gave me any issue and were very NICE to me. While the apartment I am living at right now isn't all I wanted I literally had to look for somewhere else because of the way I was treated. Imagine having to deal with this person whenever I encounter an issue in my new apartment. Thanks to this issue I almost ended on the street without housing but God put the right people on my way. This is a complain, read all of the negative reviews. It is not a coincidence. You should re-consider the way you run your business. read more

My apartment sucks! At 10:30pm, my smoke detector started chirping because of a low battery. My ceilings are 14ft tall, and I don't have a latter to reach. I moved in a week prior--why did you not replace the battery when the last person moved out? I called the emergency maintenance line, and I was told that a smoke detector issue is not an emergency. Then what is?! Do you know smoke detectors are designed to be loud enough so that you can't sleep? The next day, the maintenance person said he came to replace the battery, but the following night the detector was still chirping ... so the following day he replaced the entire detector. Now, as I write this, there is a leak through the light bulb in the ceiling of my closet. This place sucks, and it's obvious that Michael Singer Real Estate is a big company with a lot of properties. read more

Update: After another few years later, I can say that Micheal Singer Real Estate should be avoided at all costs. Maintenance is a serious issue here and made worse by their incompetant staff. Their buildings are either old or cheaply made. I switched over to one of their "renovated" units and boy was that a mistake. A couple of things that happened during my stay: - First week, my entire kitchen and living room flooded because their plumbing is very old and convoluted. Long story short, the 4 floor above units' dish water flooded into my apartment because of a blocked pipe that only goes through a single pipe in our unit. Maintenance took days to come since it happened over the weekend so we had to beg people not to use their dishwasher and use a bucket to empty water out. What a nightmare! When a plumber finally came and fixed the pipe, they left a mess of drywall, muddy boots, and rusty pipe water trails all throughout the workspace. Said it wasn't their job to clean up that mess and someone would come from maintenance to clean up the mess. And you guessed it, no one ever game. -Whenever they needed to enter my unit, they entered the door after one knock and minimal heads up completely violating our privacy. A leasing agent also did this when showing to prospective new tenants, but at least she was apologetic for it. -Maintenance constantly comes in and out through the building courtyard. They don't take the time to make sure they close the surrounding courtyard gate or back door behind them. As a result, someone stole our $300 road bike along with other tenants bikes in the building. -Through Covid-19 Quarantine, property management posted letters to urge tenants to wear masks throughout the building, however, none of the maintenance guys coming in and out of the building, multiple times per day, ever wore masks on a consistent basis. Here's the kicker, I never like to leave bad reviews unless it absolutely warrants it. I moved out and left Michael Singer. I would have left my positive review up, but maintenance strikes yet again. THEY HAD THE NERVE TO CHARGE ME $250 FOR A BROKEN MICROWAVE HANDLE. One day, I was trying to open the microwave and the handle loosened and popped off. I called and told them, no one came. No big deal, it was still 100% operational and I don't like to deal with maintenance as is. It was a Frigidaire microwave, so it's not like we're talking high end appliances here. To my surprise, when I received my security deposit check, I noticed they charged me $250 and I'm completely fuming. I called to speak with maintenance and they say it was an act of negligence since they never seen it before. Best they can do is reduce the charge to $125. That's not good enough. I can clearly google this to see this is a common issue and that spare handles cost about $10. I also ask them how can using the handle as intended be negligence, he doesn't have an answer and basically tells me buzz off. I can't believe it. I paid these guys at least 100k through my time stay and even left a glowing review to help them out since Tiffany has been pretty decent to work with (although there was an incentive attached, full disclosure). However, this charge really was the last straw. They kept saying, "there is nothing we can do", as if it wasn't solely their decision to charge me in the first place. I didn't even care so much about the money, but more the principle. If they treat long term, easy to work with tenants like this, I wonder what they do to others (Despite my complaints listed above, I've never made a big fuss about anything). They have over 100 properties in Philly but here they go essentially stealing my money, in the middle of the pandemic. I guess they need the money more than me. They can have it. The only thing I can do is warn others to look elsewhere. Their apartments are small, old and cheaply made. Maintenance is rude. You've been warned! read more

Rented from this company for 2 years and have no complaints! The leasing agents were very nice and able to answer all of my questions. Maintenance requests were completed promptly and efficiently. Have no complaints with this company and would recommend them to anyone looking for an apartment in the area! read more

If I could give Michael Singer Real Estate 6 stars, I would! I was moving on a tight timeline, and working with Tiffany Delio I was able to view, apply for, and move in to one of their rental units within 1 week. The apartment I moved into was "no frills," but the rent was priced accordingly and the location could not be beat. Any time I had an issue, maintenance would come out immediately to fix it. All of the staff are super friendly and helpful, and the management company even sent tenants gift cards to a local restaurant during Christmas-time. I moved out because my fiance and I were moving in together, and my place was just too small. I already miss renting from them, and will definitely consider renting from them in the future. read more

I lived at one of Michael Singer's properties for several years, and was able to rent a great unit in a prime location at a below market price with minimal hassle, so I have no complaints. Part of the reason rent is so affordable, I'm presuming, is because the building I was staying in was built in 1910 - if you want to live in a new building in a location like Rittenhouse, be prepared to spend the big bucks. To me, the building's history added to its appeal, and I'll add that it was very well maintained while I was staying there. Linda and the entire staff were a pleasure to work with, and when I had to leave Philadelphia due to external circumstances, they worked with me to help make the process as painless as possible. read more

I absolutely loved leasing with MSR! The only reason I am leaving after 2.5 years is because I wanted something new because I love change. Would absolutely recommend renting with MSR! read more

Rude Staff/Agents, aren't assistive & attentive, try elsewhere if you know your worth.

Only giving this company 1 star because I cant give 0 stars. I recently inquired about an apartment at one of their locations and set up a showing. Normal. The people on the phone seemed annoyed that I was calling but I was still optimistic. on the day of the showing, the agent called right before I left to tell me there was an application but there was another unit available so I could set up a showing later in the week. Fine. I get a call an hour before the showing confirming my appointment. Great! I show up to the appointment 15 minutes early because I like to be timely, with nobody in sight. The clock strikes 1:31pm and the agent calls me to tell me someone had applied (within the hour and a half of confirming) and she had to cancel. after I had already been here. Thanks so much Linda. read more

I rented a unit on 201 S. 12th Street from this company last year. I had a very good experience overall. I worked with Tiffany Delio in looking at the apartment. She was great and didn't put a ton of pressure on me to rent. The apartment: My location was loud because of bars across the street, but the unit itself was great. Clean, insulated from other units, and great central air. I complained once about my shower head having low pressure and they took care of it right away. Convenient website for maintenance requests. Ample basement storage. Company: Anytime I had a question, Tiffany or the staff helped. I asked to stay on an extra month after my lease was up and they facilitated that request. They gave me my full security deposit back well before the deadline. I really enjoyed renting from this company and would have stayed if I did not move out of the city. read more

I rented with this company for 3 years. I had a good experience that I did not fully appreciate until I began renting with other Philly real estate companies. Tiffany in the office was my main contact person and she was phenomenal. They were very understanding when I wanted to move down the hall to a bigger aprtment and maintainence was usually always handled quickly. Actually most all concerns I had were addressed (I am not the easy type tenant that will hold back on complaints and/or issues) so, it is nice that someone actually replies promptly to issues and fixes them. The hallways are kept clean and the apartments are kept safe and locked. The laundry room needs a quarter machine but, that is my only complaint. Also, I too had to give 5 months rent in advance even with a cosigner probably because i am a student with not much established credit. This wasn't a big deal to me but, might offend some. read more

I want to give one of staff Michael Singer Real Estate, Linda Toppi, 10 stars~~~ I move on a very tight time but Linda helped me though the process. Linda is very responsive, respectful and very kind and easy to work with. Any time I email Linda for any issues, she put it in work-order right away and maintenance comes out immediately to fix it. The location is very nice and safe, and I will definitely consider renting from them in the future. I recommend Linda Toppi to those who look for an apartment. read more

The short: The properties are nice, the maintenance is responsive and the office staff are very friendly and easy to work with; I've lived in Center City for 10 years and that is not the norm. I would hands down recommend them to anyone or do business with them again. The long: I have rented two different apartments from MSRE and had a really great experience each time. The first time I moved in the unit at 22nd and Spruce which had just been renovated with a brand new kitchen; it was a beautiful place with a great skyline view. The building was well maintained and whenever anything needed servicing they had someone out the next day. I lived there for two years and was very happy. I got a job out of the city and when the time came to move out, I followed their instructions, had an easy transition, and endingup getting my full deposit back. Six months later, I found myself coming back to Philadelphia with a tight timeline to find housing. I called them to see what they had available in my price range and was able to get a place in another well maintained building quickly. read more

I recently contacted Linda Toppi for a house rental. It was an underwhelming experience. She did not provide options to accommodate my schedule or interests. When asks for scheduling a viewing at a different times, she replied with a "No so sorry" email. There are definitely better services out there. read more

Coming from college and dealing with slumlords, I've had very low expectations for the shittiest of the shit management companies, ones that didn't give two shits about you or your needs unless you skipped a months rent. Needless to say, I was really expecting the worse. Fortunatley, my experiences with Michael Singer has been the exact opposite. The manager, Linda has been extremely helpful with every question and very accommodating with my weird requests on when I needed to start my lease. I really recommend them in Philadelphia. Will update with more information as things develop but for now I'm pretty content. read more

I've been a tenant with MSRE for 6 years now. I have had the good fortune to work with Linda Toppi as my leasing manager, and Angelo as the maintenance manager. I have met several handymen throughout my tenure with MSRE, who have all been great to work with and quick to respond to problems. I can tell you, after years of living in MSRE buildings, that my experience has been 5 star service. The apartments are affordable, without frills. I liked the old-style brownstone, and my apartment had new appliances and finishes. These apartments are simple and quaint and perfect for those who appreciate good architecture and living in history. The folks in the office are immediately responsive to any maintenance or payment problems. On several occasions, I have paid a rent check one or two days late, and Linda Toppi waived the penalty fee. Angelo is good about responding to an emergency same day. When there is a common area problem, I let them know immediately and it is usually fixed within the week. We had a major tenant problem in one of the buildings I lived in a few years ago, and Linda and the rest of the management team worked diligently to bring security to the building for the sake of the remaining tenants, and worked with a team of attorneys to evict the problem tenant. This management company works hard for its tenants. At the end of the day, MSRE provides a much needed service in Philadelphia: affordable, clean, simple housing, with good quality services and responsiveness. This is not the Ritz Carlton, but I am proud to have called it my home for the past six years. read more

I've been a tenant of Michael Singer Real Estate for nearly 6 years. That is because of the charming nature of the building spaces they offer but even more so because of those who make up the Michael Singer team. In my time I have encountered my share of tenant issues in an old world building but Linda has always been very diligent, helpful and understanding in resolving these! As an example this week there was an issue with PGW and Linda went above and beyond to continue to push them to finish getting a gas repair made before the weekend. We were all very thankful in the building! I really appreciate working with her and have sent many friends her way who have also been happy to work with her! Ask for Linda! My praise for Linda doesn't discount the many others at Michael Singer who I thoroughly enjoy working with. The Maintenance team is excellent to work with. Keep up the good work! read more

I found a house with Michael Singer 2017 summer (I relocated to the city from NJ). Here is my story: my fellows, please keep in mind the nightmare I have experienced before making your decision working with MS. The first day I moved in, there was a DEAD bird lying on the floor of the bed room: many windows were left open, with rotten woods and missing blinds, and that is why bird fly in and died. I was badly shocked and called them instantly, each time I was told to wait; I called a few times, finally one of their male staff told me in the phone: shut up! I felt angry; later that day, I noticed a 4-story house being built from scratch literally right across the street (10 meters away): the process started already the first day I checked the house, but I was inexperienced in finding rentals in large city so I did not realize at that time that those workers are preparing for the house base. The Michael Singer staff, Linda, who showed me the house should be pretty clear about what was happening, and she kept silent. I decided to move out, and here came the nightmare. Linda told me the house owner is not in the city, I asked to contact the owner, she said I cannot. then she told me I can rent other houses from their company, and showed me two places, both of which unacceptable (dark, windows right facing walls, strong smells, and cheap though); finally, she told me I have to pay the penalty of 1800 dollars if I can find someone else to rent this place when I move out. So I started posting ads and ended up with showing more than 10 people about the place, during which time I could not focus on work and was almost like a full time realtor. I found someone to take the place finally, but Linda told me she already find anther one to rent, and asked to move out. I was thankful and moved out instantly. Then the next day Linda told me that guy disappeared, and so I can not move out. she said that is not her responsibility that I moved out. So I have to continue the process. Until finally, after two weeks, they found someone to rent, and let me go. I paid about 750 dollars penalty, thanks to their mercy, plus all the rent when I already moved out the house. Plus I left a set of wood table and 4 chairs worthy 200 dollars just for the place to be rented more easily. Throughout the process, I lost all my esteem. The day when Linda showed me the two alternative house which was clearly unacceptable to me, I tried to talk to her on the street that I have to move out and find a place on my own, she said then I have to pay penalty and rent. I felt very bad and complained, and she was to leave right away on her car. I put my hands on the door of the car to talk to her more, and she shouted out: you are harassing me! I will call the police! note that I did not touch her at all and I was just holding the car door. At that very moment, I realized what kind of person I was dealing with. It is the first time in my life till now, that a female screamed in front of me saying I harassed her. Throughout the process, when I was trying to contact owner, I was never able to. I believed Linda was the person to make decision, but she told me the owner did not allow that to happen, what a ridiculous thing. Also, I have reported numerous times about the missing blinds, broken windows, broken tiles in the bathroom, they said they will fix it but they never did. they do not quite care the problems you report about the place. Folks, consider paying two hundred dollars more each month to find a truly descent house (as what I did after this terrible experience), do not just try to find a cheap place: in case the rental company was like what I have described above, you will be in trouble. read more

I wish there was an option to give this company "zero stars" because I have had nothing but problems with both apartments I have rented from these people. Quick-fixes on appliances and building sctructure that lead to continual problems for myself and future tenants. In edition, my last apartment had black mold, and this current unit had a rodent infestation and no hot water. The hot water in my unit goes off every other week for days at a time. I call and complain, and no one follows up to let me know if the issue has been resolved. Very poor customer service. read more

great company that is fast abd a very great real estate place Also was replied to pleasantly by someone who works there. really admire Michael singer , even though i got evicted they let a person with complex ptsd from his moms suicide live there with his husband and the realtor, Tiffany was super professional and caring to all her tenants :) read more

Just wanted to share that I recently left Philadelphia to take a new job, and miss this special place very much! My previous comments on this forum remain as true today as they were eight years ago -- the Chatham is a wonderful place to live. I miss the staff very much, and look forward to visiting the building next time I'm in town. Thank you, MSRE, for a fantastic experience! read more

I have lived in one of Michael Singer's apartment buildings for 2 years. My experience with them was by far the worst experience ever. First of all, their maintenance services is very poor and literally close to nonexistent. For example, it takes hours for the dryer unit to dry the clothes. I asked them to repair the dryer unit several times but it never happened. I am friends with the person who had rented the apartment before me and requested to repair the dryer as well but they didn't fulfill his request either. Another example is that the glass in one of the windows was broken and has few cracks and since it's next to a busy street any vibrations from the cars on the street makes rattling noises all the time. This issue was never addressed in my 2 years of being there. Secondly, the managers are disrespectful of the tenants. They brought in huge pile of hardwood floor boxes 2 days before I moved out despite my disagreement saying that they rented out the place already and need to do some renovations. That caused a lot of problems during my move out. Lastly, after I moved out they charged me a cleaning fee. I contacted the office few times asking that why would I have to pay the cleaning fee after a substantial renovation of the apartment. They said this was as per the inspector but no one could say that what did they charge the fee for. One would imagine that after a major renovation a comprehensive cleaning needs to be done. They didn't give me any satisfying answers and literally charged me for cleaning the apartment after the renovation. All in all, If I could give this zero stars I would. read more

I never rented from Michael Singer Realty, but I felt the need to write a review after having several interactions to set up an apartment viewing. A friend of mine sent me a link of a listing for a one bedroom for $1085. I thought it suspicious that something could be that drastically low in Rittenhouse but decided to give it a shot. I had the misfortune of speaking to Linda, who told me that the current tenant was paying $1100 (still abnormally low for Rittenhouse) and that he was moving out mid May. What was my move-in date? I told her May 26. "Sorry the tenant is moving out mid May," she responded. "Goodbye." I thought that was incredibly short and rude, especially because tenants are often willing to pay an extra week or even month just to reserve an apartment. I was turned off by her rudeness but called the agency again. I spoke to a different woman (much nicer) who told me this was a "special situation" and that the tenant was leaving their lease early. I asked if I would be signing on as a subletter. She said no, that I would be put on a new lease. She put me in contact with Linda again, and who then unethically told me to set up an appointment WITH THE CURRENT TENANT, and gave me his first name and number. Now, I have been a renter for 8 years. I have rented in NYC, a more competitive, expensive market, that had a lot of shady deals going on. In my 8 years, I have never had a broker or real estate agent tell me to call the tenant directly and set up a date and time. As a woman going to a strange man's apartment, I did not feel comfortable. A couple days later, I called Linda to confirm the unbelievable price of $1100. Would the rent be going up? She told me no, and then asked if I had an appointment. I told her yes, tomorrow night. "With me?!" she asked, flabbergasted. "No," I snapped, "With the tenant. You gave me his name and number." "Oh, well I don't know who you are or what your name is," she said, defensively. Perhaps she should remember since she unethically has her tenants set up appointments, when they aren't even subletting. After reading all the reviews of this company, I cancelled my appointment, and renewed my current lease. Folks stay away from this realty company. It's worth it to pay $175 extra to have piece of mind. If something is drastically under market and not snatched immediately, then something is terribly wrong. read more

I've called on two different years to inquire about an apartment. Both times I had the misfortune of speaking with Linda who has an amazing knack of being condescending in a very short amount of time. I was looking for a two bedroom apartment. She asked me my price range which was $1500 to $2000 a month. She said she didn't have anything for me and pretty much hung up on me as if I had wasted her time. If that was supposed to be sales or service then it is hard to imagine how they are still in business. Spread the word and stay clear. read more

If I could just record myself screaming and turn it into this review, that would perfectly suffice for how I felt about renting under Michael Singer. First, they neglected to tell me prior to moving in that they would be building an apartment under me for the ENTIRETY of my year lease. This meant having to live next to loud, cursing, smelly, smoking construction guys for my entire stay in Fitler Square. What a nightmare. But what made it worse was having to interact with their maintenance manager. If he was any less intelligent the company would have to water him twice a week. He had terrible customer service, argued with me multiple times in denial of what I was experiencing, and neglected to rectify any issues I was having. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. We were only tenants two months and already started looking for people to take over our lease. I had a bedroom window that leaked ... We're not talking trickle were talking a geyser coming down my window. I had I contact a lawyer to determine this is a breach of contract and even still it took 4 times reporting the problem, numerous calls, calls to the "emergency" hotline. Customer service is always terrible from signing to maintenance to everythinggggggg. They try to change you for things that are not your fault. They don't give you a water bill just a peice of paper that says how much you owe (soooooo shady). When we called and inquired about that we got a very weird and cryptic answer. I wish someone would have told me before I had moved in how much of a nightmare it would be, so hopefully people take this warning. read more

STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM THIS COMPANY!!! I lived there for a year. At one point, I didn't have heat in my bedroom for about 2 months in the middle of winter. They kept saying they'd fix it, but really only got around to it after 2 months of me freezing. I should have called the Fair Housing Commission or filed a complaint with the city, but I felt like I should try to resolve it without resorting to the authorities. BIG MISTAKE. I should've just complained and taken them to court. Also, they lost one month's rent from me and took out a late fee from my security deposit. The fun part of this is that I know they got the letter that included the rent check because that's how I informed them that I would not renew my lease. They lost my rent check, are incredibly disorganized, and very unprofessional. In the end, I actually decided that losing $100+ was worth it to not have to deal with them ever again, and moved on. DO NOT EVER RENT FROM THESE PEOPLE. THEIR BUILDINGS ARE OLD AND YOU WILL FREEZE TO DEATH. read more

STAY AWAY! If I could give a half star rating I would. I am one of their tenants and every time get treated incredibly rudely. Not only are they condescending and unhelpful, I asked to talk to the woman who had handled my lease (it is a rather confusing sublet) and she happened to be out of town. When trying to explain my question about extending my lease a month the woman I talked to told me I was "clearly confused about everything" and informed me that my lease actually went one month past what I had signed for. What? I'm looking at my paperwork that they signed. Says my lease ends July 31. She says no it ends August 31. I say I am actually looking at the paperwork you signed that says July 31. Her response is that I am quite clearly confused. Avoid them if at all possible. read more

Prices are ok, availability of apartments is mediocre, apartments are somewhat decent for the most part, the customer service is usually good... maintenance however, is horrible. As soon as you put in a maintenance request, be prepared to wait up to a week for anything to happen even if it's urgent (such as your ceiling leaking). They don't communicate well at all and the guy in charge of everything will occasionally have a really bad attitude. Maintenance of the buildings in general errs on the side of inadequacy. You probably will get the same sort of quality anywhere else in center city if you're looking for an apartment that's less than $5000+ a month. Most real estate places are difficult to deal with, so overall I'd say Michael Singer Real Estate gets 3/5 stars... 4 is too much and I feel like the workers generally at least pretend to care enough to warrant more than 2 stars. If you have to deal with them, do it before 4pm Monday through Friday, as they often tend to leave early. read more

I've been renting from MSRE for a little over three years now, and I just moved in to my second apartment with them a month ago. They were easy to work with from day 1. Very communicative, helpful, and thoughtful. Maintenance requests are always taken care of in a timely manner, and the staff is very friendly and professional! I've been working with Linda as my leasing agent, who is everything I could ask for in an agent. Professional, but real and won't lie to you. My rent raised slowly but surely at my first apartment with them at 21st and Locust (Locust Commons building). The apartment was gorgeous, and was everything I needed when i had first moved in. Unfortunately the space in my opinion wasn't worth the price it was being raised to after 3 years. I called to let Linda know I would be moving out, but would still like to rent through them if there will be anything available. This was 3 months before my current lease was up. 2 months before my lease was up Linda calls, asking if I've found a place yet, because she has two she would like to show me that are a block away in either direction, and $100 less than my budget. I viewed one apartment, went home and told her I want it. She sent me the lease over immediately, answered any and all questions I had and even went out of her way to further accommodate me in more ways than I knew were even possible! Instead of scrambling and stressing, I was able to have peace of mind 2 whole months before my lease was up, knowing that I have my dream apartment all set up for me. Renting with MSRE makes my life a dream, no more rushing two weeks before my lease is up and taking whatever I can get! Linda was able to find me an apartment that had everything I wanted/needed, location, price, amenities (all utilities included, say what??), and all in a very timely manner. I hope I am able to stay in this apartment, or in another apartment through MSRE for as long as I remain in Philadelphia. read more

My experience with Michael Singer so far has been ok. I was very hesitant to originally sign a lease with them because of the poor online reviews that I read. However after snagging a one bedroom apartment in Center City for $500/month less than other apartments on the same block, I was willing to take that risk. The building itself is outdated, old, and a little smelly. My apartment is small but I have a lot of storage space. It is also a true one bedroom with a separate bedroom and living room. Most apartments on the block were studios and much more expensive. It was freshly painted when I moved in and I do have beautiful hardwoord floors. The oven stopped working and it was very quickly replaced with a new one. Maintenance is a bit of a hassle. Sometimes they are great and respond quickly, or with other issues it takes a few months for them to get out here. If you call the main office for help the outcome of our issue really depends on who you talk to. I've really enjoyed all of my experiences with Colleen and Ashley. It all comes down to being persistent. I do plan on staying here for awhile. My apartment is centrally located, rent is reasonable, utility costs are low, and my apartment is cozy and comfortable. I will definitely update this review is any of this changes in the future. read more

Have rented the same apt since 2010 (9 years)- am only leaving to relocate near family out of state. Apts are reasonably priced in beautiful neighborhoods (check out Fitler Commons!)- Linda is incredibly easy to work with for all leasing and day to day rental questions. Secured entryways mean you don't have to worry about Amazon packages being snatched! In at least some properties cats are allowed and heat/hot water included. Maintenance is efficient and communicative- ive made very few requests in all the time I've been here. if I come back to Philly one of my first phone calls will be to Linda. read more

My roommate and I have been living in one of their row homes in center city for two years and have had a great experience! They are always very quick to respond to maintenance requests if you submit a request using their online form. If I call with a question and I leave a message, I always get a call back quickly. In sum, they are easy to deal with if you use the appropriate forums to contact them, and educate yourself about the lease. If you are respectful to them, they will be very respectful and responsive. I'm sorry to hear that others have had negative experiences, but I would venture to guess that we are not getting both sides of the story from these negative reviews. I would highly recommend living in one of their properties! read more

I have lived at a Michael Singer property for about 6+ years now - and a shout out to Linda Toppi. After living in an apartment for a few years I wanted to see if I could find a better apartment within the same building or another Singer property...Linda worked with me for about 2 years (!) looking at different apartments at different times until finally I found one in the same building that had was larger with a better layout and I knew would work well for me. Linda was very patient with me as I was calling her every month or so to see what was available and to make arrangement to see the different apartments. Now that I moved to this larger apartment, I couldn't be happier - thank you Linda!!!!! read more

What a great experience Linda took the time to show me different units, until we found the perfect one, her follow up was truly professional, And I could not be any happier with my new apartment, thank you Linda and the whole staff at Michael Singer read more