If you have ever rented an apartment in NYC, you already know how depressing and demoralizing it can be. I actually count myself pretty lucky over the years even though previous to working with Jesse at Nooklyn.com for my next move (coming up in May), I did have shady/odd experiences with a different, random broker (from a much larger brokerage).
But as soon as I met Jesse, I could tell he was the real deal. He is relaxed, honest, and rightfully a little "busy" seeming. But he multitasks with aplomb. Even though he seems to be in near constant contact with handfuls of people per hour, he is simultaneously efficient and generous with his time.
Jesse met me at the first place we were to look at together on time, he took his time with me there, then drove me around to four other showings all over Williamsburg, Bushwick, and even one in Ridgewood(!) that I was interested in seeing. Throughout the evening, he remained neutral, helping me to weigh the pros and cons of each place. He was also fun to talk to. It was interesting to learn more about the NYC rental industry, his background, and to hear how hard he works at doing what he does now. He has a great, down to earth sense of humor, while remaining professional throughout.
Then, after seeing several other places, when I decided that I really, probably wanted the first place we looked at, he drove me all the way back, picked up my girlfriend at the subway on the way, drove us over to see the 1st unit again, and spent more time with us there while we made a decision together.
Jesse did advise us that the place was going to be very desirable and would very likely be gone by the next day because of its location/price/quality balance. Some people might have thought that was a ploy to rush us to pull the trigger, but I can tell you with absolute certainty that was definitely not the case... at least not this time. There was no pressure whatsoever from Jesse. To me, he felt like a good friend. Not to mention that he was right... It was easy to tell. I had looked at many others, and this apartment was special, and in a great building, in a great location, at a pretty damn good price; ...you so rarely find that anywhere in NYC unless you are operating at the most stratospheric levels of real estate.
We decided within five minutes to "take" the apartment. Jesse then drove us right over to my bank to take out the "good faith" deposit to get the paperwork rolling right away, he gave us the receipt for that, and the broker's agreement, explained everything, and then digitally handed us off to Andrew at the Greenpoint office to finalize all the paperwork. This was all done at about 7:45 p.m. mind you... Then Jesse drove us to where we were headed next: The Blind Barber for Taco Tuesday's, of course!
Within the hour, Andrew followed up with a comprehensive, detailed, hand-written email to me, outlining everything else (paperwork) that they needed from me, and what the next steps were to be. He also included a PDF of the actual rental application with that email.
I had all the materials ready ahead of time as PDFs of my own in a Google Drive folder, so I completed the application, digitally signed it (Google that), and replied with all of the other materials attached to my reply email.
Today (the next day) Andrew let me know that the landlord of the building had approved my application already--Woohoo!--and I hand delivered the remainder of the deposit to the Nooklyn Greenpoint office. Andrew wasn't there at the time--as he had warned he might not be--but Dennis there took good care of me. The other brokerage staff in the office were friendly and seemed like generally good peeps... politely chatting me up while I waited a couple minutes for copies of something.
Later that same evening, Andrew let me know that the building's mgmt. company would be available to get the lease signed in about a week and he would be in touch to schedule a specific time to get it done in a few business days. Nice.
My move-in is still another six weeks out, but it is such a relief to have everything taken care of so far in advance. Did I search StreetEasy.com like a crazy person every single day and night for over a month before happening upon Nooklyn.com Yes. Did I scour Craigslist and Curbed NY daily to familiarize myself with current inventory and price points in different areas? And did I have all my paperwork--you should Google "NYC Rental Paperwork"--ready to go and share within an hour's notice? Of course I did.
At the end of the day, it takes an informed & prepared renter + an experienced & reputable broker to have a non-dismal--and possibly even downright positive!--conclusion to an NYC apartment hunt. This is how to conquer the woes of New York City real estate. Thanks for all your help, Jesse and Andrew at Nooklyn.com. I look forward to recommending others to you guys as often as I can.
(Note: This review was also posted to Nooklyn Bushwick since it applies to both.) read more