I found the tone and communication style unprofessional and dismissive. It was a very unprofessional exchange of information.

I had the pleasure of working with Mina, and she was absolutely phenomenal. I will definitely choose her again if I ever find myself in the position of seeking another place to live--she is a true professional and very good at her job. Mina was extremely patient with me and my partner while we searched for our dream apartment. She would send us apartments and condos she'd found late into the night and worked with us to put together an optimal schedule for showings. While we ultimately didn't end up going with one of the places that she'd shown us, we are so grateful for her hard work and dedication, as well as the knowledge of Chicago real estate that she imparted upon us! read more

If I could give 10 stars, I would. I was in a tight time crunch, it was a Tuesday, I was starting my new job in Chicago on a Thursday, and I was only in town Wednesday to apartment hunt (Moving from Michigan). From the start Jon was very kind and assigned Mike to me to put together a list of apartments that fit my budget. When I arrived, Mike met me at the first viewing, he later learned that I did not have a car, so he offered to drive me around to the other places, he would not accept my gas money or money for food for my appreciation. Thanks to him, I was able to see the city and all my available options within 2 hours. Way more than I would been able to see on my own. Thank you so much for the help, I highly recommend to anyone who's in search for a new home. read more

Do not under any circumstances work with Jon Perlman or this company. Jon is a god awful realtor, and an even worse human being. This was probably the most unprofessional exchange I've ever had. I originally tried to schedule a showing through his leasing agent. When they were totally unhelpful in finding a time for the showing that worked with our schedule, I managed to schedule a showing with another agent, to which Jon said I will "never get approved" because it's not his agent. For some reason he also felt it was relevant to guess that I was a "liberal democrat," and then tell me that I would never get the unit as a result. He ended the call with an expletive and by professing his undying love for the republican party (again, not at all sure why his or my political affiliation are remotely relevant). I would say I am floored by this entire interaction, but it seems that Jon is lacking in not only human decency, but also brain cells. Highly encourage working with literally anyone other than Jon as I don't think it's possible to do worse. read more

My husband and I worked with Mina Slavtcheva to find a new apartment last month. She was incredibly helpful. She's one of those people who is really good at their jobs--thorough, friendly, responsive, efficient without being rushed...and really good at downtown parking. We appreciated her patience and energy as we looked at multiple properties. We also found her suggestions and insights incredibly useful in making a final decision--which was difficult, given all the good options we had seen. She was kind to everyone we interacted with (door staff, other realtors, etc.) and really made us feel comfortable. We love the new place and will 100% work with Mina again if we're ever looking for a new apartment. read more

Awful awful awful business to deal with. If you get an email from Jon P just straight up ignore it. These guys post fake ads for apartments and then try show you or lure you to see something else. Brad is awful as well and not responsive. Avoid these guys at all costs. read more

Similar situation to many others here, I inquired on apartments.com about a property that SSP had listed. Brad reached out to me, but had no idea which property I had inquired about, and asked for what I was looking for. He then stopped communicating at all, and would not respond to any follow up emails/texts. I believe the listings they had were the incorrect price to try and lure people in. Very frustrating broker, wouldn't use them ever due to terrible communication. read more

Trisha Frame helped me to find two incredible options (amongst other great options she presented) that truly fit what I was looking for. I spent everu weekend over several months looking the perfect apartment. It only took one day to find the right place with Trisha. the best part working with Trisha is that she is EFFICIENT! we stacked back to back tours. If early on a place wasn't clicking we moved to the next one instead of doing the awkward time waste of sticking around for the full tour. As someone who has become increasingly frustrated with the apartment hunting process, Trisha was a great match. On top of that, she worked quickly and diligently to present me with additional options based on my preferences in less than 24 hours. read more

My husband and I worked with Jon Perlman to buy a new condo in Old Town. Jon was fabulous to work with, was very responsive (within 2-3 mins via text), really knew his stuff and didn't pressure us to buy a place we weren't comfortable with. He took the time to show us multiple properties, explained the pros/cons of each and got us a good deal on the unit we chose. We're pretty surprised by the other reviews as that was not our experience at all with Jon...we're really glad we worked with him and would recommend Jon to anyone. read more

I have worked very closely with State Street Properties and Jon Perlman for the last 10 years. I've loved doing business with them, they have very knowledgeable agents that help their clients find exactly what they are looking for. Jon is very easy to work with and always returns my calls promptly. Would highly recommend. read more

Leah was incredible to work with. She answered all of my questions quickly and helped me find an apartment that i absolutely love.

Bad customer service for sure. We called on a Sunday night regarding an apartment we saw on Craigslist. Left a detailed voicemail and the guy called back about an hour later. He said his name was John and he was the owner. Well I guess as a business owner, you can turn down service and be completely rude to potential clients because you can't fire yourself. But you can be sure of people who you are rude to, to yelp and tell everyone they know about it. John said he wouldn't call us back to see if the apartment was available, unless we gave him ALL of the information in what we are looking for in regards to what we want for an apartment. We clearly saw what we were interested on the ad and we calling about that apartment. We liked that apartment. He was rude. He was unhelpful. And so Smug. No thanks. You're lucky I had to give you a star. read more

I know most people think SSP is garbage, so one might look at this review as unnecessary. However, the overall star rating is still much too high, so hopefully this will help bring it down to what it should be -- one star. Basically, a unit became available at SSP that I was extremely interested in. I immediately called the number for the listing the day it was posted, left a message for "Jeff" and waited. And waited some more. Finally, I called Jeff again and actually got a hold of him. However, he had no idea what unit I was talking about, as I couldn't give him the address because, well, SSP doesn't list the address. Based on my description of it, however, he said he would check into it and get back to me later that day. So I waited. And I waited. And then I waited even more ... again. Finally, gave the number a call at about 9 p.m., left a message AGAIN. The next day, I noticed that SSP posted the listing for the apartment again. This time, I sent an e-mail. And then I waited. And then I waited some more. The entire day went by, and once again, I heard absolutely nothing. This morning, low and behold, the unit was posted AGAIN! So I sent another e-mail, this time a little more stern, asking what was going on, that they keep reposting this unit even though I'm interested and they haven't made ANY attempt to contact me. And what do you know, I received a phone call from my good friend "Jeff," who had informed me that he had been waiting to hear back from the landlord which is why he didn't contact me, and that the unit is no longer available... Um, so why was it re-posted this morning? Don't know for sure, but I can imagine it's because they want people to e-mail them so they have more e-mails on record... Then I come on here, notice how horrible the majority of the reviews are, and how most of the filtered reviews are 4 and 5 stars, yet all have similar writing style and most are from outside the Chicago area. Seems like SSP is trying to scam some people, and luckily, I found out before it was too late. STAY AWAY FROM STATE STREET PROPERTIES. I'm embarrassed that I got this deeply involved in the first place... read more

Stacy B pretty much hit the nail on the head. I could share my disaster experience with State Street Properties, or I can just throw out a couple of descriptive words so you can create your own picture. I'm feeling creative so let's go with the latter: 1. Unprofessional 2. Disorganized 3. Late 4. Inattentive 5. See #1 6. Not Free* 7. See #1 and #5 I also found their "service" on Craigslist and thought that they may be worth calling. If you find yourself in the same situation, step away from the phone and sign-out of your e-mail. Searching for a place to live in Chicago is already a difficult task, why add more stress to the moving mess? *Oh - and when they say "free," read between the lines. The service may be "free" upfront, but chances are your rent will be more than it would be if you visited the apartment/condo management office on your own. Trust me, I checked. Commission hidden in your monthly rent all unbeknownst to you ... nice. My advice? Well, you know. read more

I'm really bummed to be writing this review since I had high hopes after seeing so much positive feedback here! I couldn't even get them to give me the time of day. I emailed Liz in response to a craigslist ad for an apartment that was well within my ideal budget and the next day I received an email from Jon asking for a phone number where he could reach me. I had previously read the reviews on here and was nervous about dealing with him, and unfortunately they all turned out to be true. Jon called me first thing the next morning. It was a bit annoying that when I didn't answer the first time he called (it was 6am my time! I had told them I was in a different state) he didn't leave a message and instead called right back. Ok, he's persistent. Well, we talked for exactly 1 minute and 27 seconds. He asked what my budget was and where I was looking and then completely blew me off saying he'd call the next week to let me know if the apartment I inquired about was still available. That's not what I wanted and that's not how they market themselves. I needed someone that was going to help me look for an apartment from out of state. No surprise that I haven't heard back from Jon this week. I'd understand if they were looking for a more high end clientele, but the ad I responded to was well below my max budget. If they don't want to deal with people at that level, why advertise at that price?? I can't think of any other reason for him to blow me off than the fact that he didn't like the budget guidelines I gave him. I am always polite and I laid out the details of my situation in the initial email I sent. I ended up doing all the leg work myself and probably have more appointments than they could ever set up for me anyway. C'est la vie. read more

I'm going to be honest, I only interacted with this company very briefly after emailing about one of their properties. I must have responded to one of their posts online and they called me to follow up...the conversation I had with the broker was ridiculous. First - he didn't even know what property I had specifically asked about and wouldn't look it up for me which leads me to believe they probably lied about the price. He then proceeded to tell me my budget wasn't possible for what I was asking for, which I knew to be untrue as I had already seen properties within my budget. It was a very short conversation but at the end I felt like had I agreed to go view properties they would've tried to scam me into paying more than necessary. Just wanted to write this review in case there are any people out there who are on the fence about these guys...there are better brokers. read more

I had the same experience that Stacey B had, but instead of canceling 10 minutes before the appointment, Todd canceled 1h 49m before. How considerate! And he even canceled by text, the best way to professionally communicate something. I had emailed on Tuesday afternoon to try and look at properties on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday of that week. Brad called me back within 30 minutes and said that Todd would be contacting me to take me to look at places on Friday. So far, so good. Todd called me later that afternoon, I told him what I was looking for, he said he had several that fit and we could look at all of them on Friday afternoon, starting at 3:30p. Great! I get a text from Todd on Thursday to confirm my price range. Still looking good. I then get a text at 1:41p on Friday (we have an appointment for 3:30p) saying that only one of the buildings will be open due to the holiday, so we should reschedule for next week. The holiday causing issues? Good Friday. Perhaps he should tell my building it's a holiday because they're still open. And if he had been contacting these buildings on Tuesday and Wednesday to confirm a showing, wouldn't they have told him then that they were closed? I have a text from Todd claiming that the buildings that are closed are only telling him today that they are closed. So the buildings are closed. There is no one there to show a unit or let us in. But there is someone there today to tell Todd there are closed? Logic tells me that isn't right. So I now have two appointments on Saturday (on a holiday weekend no less) with two agencies that represent buildings that aren't closed and were able to confirm that during my phone call with them. And these agencies work on a holiday too! Amazing. read more

UPDATE: I would have considered removing or adjusting my review if your response below was close to what actually happened and you apologized. Not only are you rude - you're a intricate storyteller. Honestly the fable you have as your response below is sickening... Too sickening to even point out everything false. Even still, I wish you well- Initial review: Jon Perlman has to be the worse broker I have ever come across. He literally harassed me through email for my number and didn't provide any information on what I would be viewing. He just has you call so he knows your budget and tries to upsell you at any cost. DON'T WORK WITH THEM!! YOU WILL FIND A MORE AFFORDABLE AND APPROPRIATE RENTAL ELSEWHERE!! He literally hung the phone up after I said I'm looking with a budget of 1800. He then asked if I have pets I said NO but would prefer a building that would allow pets so I have the flexibility. He then says it's IMPOSSIBLE to rent a studio, convertible or 1bedroom at 1800 if pets are allowed in the building. WHAT?! I proceed to state that it's false and not true due to the fact that I live downtown now in a one bedroom for 1700 and I was working with a broker who had listings based on what I'm requesting and he says "good luck" and HANGS UP THE PHONE ON ME! THIS IS ANOTHER CRAIGSLIST SCAMMER!!! (That's where I found him) I would honestly advise you to stay away!! read more

Seem to be a lot of negative reviews, but I think a lot of that may have to do with the agent. Spent a long weekend in town from San Francisco looking for places with Ryan Rader 2 weeks ago and his knowledge of the city was second to none. He took my list and matched it as well as he could over the course of the places we saw. One thing I liked is that although I was leaning more towards Lincoln Park (more on that later) and River North he showed us South Loop, West Loop and River West. I had no intention of considering those areas, since I was unfamiliar, but he showed us some great places which were always focused on our "List" (we watch way too much House Hunters on HGTV). In the end, I happened to stumble across a Craigslist posting for a carriage house in Lincoln Park which my wife loved, and since we are moving cross country for my job, figured the best bet would be to go with her first choice. As far as Ryan, he is 5 star. The only reason I put it as a 4 is because they do work with building management and some larger landlord buildings it seems - wish the one we found could have been something he was able to work with. Regardless, will definitely reach out to State Street again and would refer Ryan in a minute...who knows, with the commute I have to the Burbs from our place, may be calling him up in a year. read more

I have to agree with the majority. I contacted them through a craigslist ad and received a call within 15-20 min. They were going to arrange for me to see the apts. I asked about the next day. Someone called me back and asked me what time I was available and the next day called and only had one available for me to see and it wasn't either of the ones I saw on craigslist. I told her I was open to seeing it, but not that day. Never heard back from her. They are the worst. read more

Horrible horrible experience!!! I came across their website while apartment searching and had a broker by the name of Brad, reached out to me on a property I was interested in. After Brad asked me the typical questions (Move in date, budget, and Pets) he completely stopped communicating to me after I told him I had a pet. I reached out to him multiple time asking if he had any properties available that match what I was looking for. No response at all, very unprofessional and I highly recommend to stay far away from this company. read more

Moving is a stressful process itself but this company makes it worse. They list prices incorrectly and when you call and give exact listing numbers they deny the listings existing. No matter what price limit I gave them they said they had nothing for me in the area I was looking for (the very next day I signed a lease in the West loop for less than the rent I had given SSP). Basically they lie and falsely advertise, at the same time make you feel like crap for not having a big enough budget. I won't name any specific names of the realtors I have had to deal with, but overall I would avoid them. I will concur with the rest of the reviewers that Craig's list should ban them. Everytime I see them advertising a place I just close that tab! Not worth even reading... read more

Unlike many of the reviews for SSP, I thought the company acted in a very professional manner and was helpful in my search for an apartment. I dealt with Liz Swirsky and she showed us a number of fantastic apartments that were absolutely breathtaking. My wife and I ended up choosing the apartment we live in only a couple hours after she showed it to us. We couldn't be more happy. My single issue (which is why I only gave them 4 stars) is that they showed us apartments that were $200 over our initial budget. It's a good thing I low-balled my initial budget amount. read more

Like other reviews mention, I found out about State Street Properties by replying to a Craigslist ad for an apartment in Gold Coast. Within afew hours (keep in mind the email was sent on the night of St Patricks Day in the city -- I was couch bound after wisdom teeth removal) I heard back from John who was friendly, actually listened to what I was looking for in an apartment (something that other companies did not do --example: if I say I don't want to spend more than a certain amount...don't show me apartments that are $200 over that -- you Aren't going to make a sale that way!) We set up an appointment for the next morning with Scott Holway, a leasing agent. Scott called me right when John said he would, and set up an appointment for afew hours later to see some units that were Exactly what I had asked for in price, location, amenities, etc. We ended up chosing one of those 3 apartments (after viewing at least 10 with another company with zero success) that day, and were very impressed with how well State Street Properties listened to our requests, and really narrowed in and found us some great places. I would highly recommend them, and Scott, to anyone on the hunt for a new apartment. If they could satisfy me and my overly picky, sometimes contradicting and confusing, unrealistic requests.... they can totally help you too :) read more

This is a review from my sister, who doesn't yelp. I offered to post her review since she was adamant-- she insisted I had to post her review since she had such a wonderful experience with Jill. I contacted Jill from one of her ads in Craigslist. She answered right away and was eager to help me with my apartment search. I was moving to Chicago from out of state and wasn't too familiar with the Chicago neighborhoods. She spent some time on the phone with me to help me narrow down my search. We set an appointment up for the following week. She followed up with every few days about new apartments that came available on the market. She spent about 3 hours with me and drove me around the city to show me different places. Jill was very knowledgable and a pleasure to work with! I recommend working with her if you need to find a place in the Chicago area! read more

I can't say enough good things about Liz Sternberg. After contacting several other apartment placement firms and realtors, State Street was the only one to call me back within 15 minutes of sending my online inquiry. Liz is a great communicator: prompt, responsive, and very tech savvy. And accommodating, even after I had to cancel last minute and reschedule. It's worth working with State Street -- they set up all the showings for you. And Liz asked great questions (that I wouldn't have thought of) and acted as an advocate for me, pointing out important features and asking about specials. She picked me up at work and drove me around the neighborhood, so I could concentrate on selecting a place, not navigating. And she even drove me to an ATM to get cash for my application fee when I forgot my checkbook. Liz made the whole apartment-hunting process 10x easier than if I had done it myself. I highly recommend State Street and Liz. read more

The five stars are based solely on my dealings with a State Street Properties Leasing Agent named ANDRIA SMITH. She was simply amazing. I had been searching in vain for a new place to rent, and when I was to meet her at a property that had been snatched up earlier in the day, she swooped in and quickly had about ten alternatives ready to show. She was incredibly patient with my stubborn demands (dishwasher!), and even offered to help me get from showing to showing. Her knowledge of the places she showed me and of the neighborhoods was impressive enough for me to narrow my search down to one area and within 3 days sign on the dotted line. Now I am moved into what I hope will be me new home for quite awhile thanks to her patience, professionalism, and kind nature. Oh, and I forgot to mention she has a great smile and infectious laugh. Thanks, Andria! read more

Not reliable whatsoever. I was in the middle of texting someone from here about what I would like in an apartment and they never responded.

STAY AWAY - it's a scam. They show pictures of units with unbelievable prices, but when you try to see that unit they'll tell you it's not available and try to hook you into a less desirable more expensive place. DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE. They'll try to get you on the phone and con you into a tour. Don't believe me? Tell them you'd prefer to communicate via email and only want to see the unit listed. And see what happens ... I bet they'll have an excuse and claim they don't do emails. Because that makes sense in 2014 ... read more

As someone that works in a building where outside brokers bring clients to us, State Street has quite a few exceptional agents. They are professional, screen their clients to match the buildings with their needs and are fun to be around! Jason Fenstermaker is definitely one of those agents! Showings with him are always lots of fun and is knowledgeable about the buildings he takes his clients to. Shout out to Mollie & Regi as well! Both really great about notifying us if they will be late and none of these agents provide false/puffed up information about the building or what your electric bill might be to try and close the sale. read more

I can only relate my experience working with Jeff at State Street Properties. I needed to move from Southern California to Chicago for a new job. I had a relatively small window to find an apartment (about 2-3 weeks) which made looking for one a little difficult, never having lived in the Midwest. I contacted a few other companies and was either brushed off or never received a response. Jeff did call me back within a couple of hours of my initial call to SSP. He asked me the usual standard questions: range of rent, location, move-in date, etc. and when I would be in Chicago to look at apartments. When I arrived in Chicago, Jeff showed me a few selections all within the range and details I specified. What was an added benefit for me was that Jeff was local and I was able to learn more about the history of the neighborhoods. I had a good experience with Jeff and would work with him again. read more

I just worked with Jon Perlman to sell my condo and he was awesome to work with. He gave great suggestions to stage the apartment, did his research, found an appropriate listing price, got a ton of traffic the first weekend itself, AND got a full price offer within a week. The other reviews are really surprising to me as my experience with Jon has been nothing short of stellar...this guy really knows his stuff and gets you the best deal. He was also very responsive (responds within minutes) and was willing to answer any questions that I had. I'm really glad I worked with Jon and would recommend him to anyone. read more

I don't usually write stuff but I had to weigh in here...I worked with Liz Sternberg earlier this year when I was looking for my first place on my own. I responded to one of her ads on Craigslist and we looked at a few places together pretty much within a week. The point is, I had a very positive experience with Liz. We saw some good places and I am happy with where I ended up. I don't understand the other folks who are all up in arms. Liz is friendly, professional, punctual, and on the ball. I would definitely work with her again. read more

So, I have been looking for an apartment for 6 years and have been unsuccessful in finding the right place. I came across a listing on Craigslist and sent an e-mail. Within a minute I had an e-mail from Jeff asking for a good number to reach me. I replied, and as soon as I pushed "send" I had an incoming call. Sure enough it was Jeff. He talked with me for about 10 minutes and really focused on what I was looking for. He told me that he would send me listings and we could go view the apartments the next day. Sure enough, within 15 minutes I had listings and there were numerous that were exactly what I was looking for. Jeff set up all the showings and told me where to meet him the following day. We met at the first property, he drove me around to the rest. Each one got better and better. and I don't think I stopped laughing the entire time we were looking. After looking at four Jeff said, I think I have the perfect place for you. He called and was able to get us into the apartment, but he had to pick up a lunch for the agent. We arrived at the 5th apartment and immediately I fell in love. We viewed the property and the amenities, everything was perfect. I finally had the place of my dreams and it only took a couple hours thanks all Jeff. I'm planning on buying a place early next year, needless to say, I have found my realtor. read more

This has to be the worst, most unprofessional apartment-finder service I've ever dealt with. I've lived in Chicago for 10 years and have moved around a lot, so I have worked with a lot of finder services - both for condos for rent and apartments. I saw an ad on Craigslist that looked intriguing (of course now I don't even know if I believe the property advertised existed). Liz Sternberg at State Street Properties called right away in response to an email asking for more information. She avoided the question when I asked about the building on Craigslist, but she did offer to send me listings for a number of properties fitting my criteria. We made an appointment, confirmed that day and then TEN minutes before she was supposed to pick me up - after I had cleared the afternoon to do nothing else but this - she sends an email "Sorry to cancel, but I wish you the best of luck!" ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! Not even a phone call, and I reconfirmed that number for her. The absolute WORST service. The most UNPROFESSIONAL. I will NEVER work with this service or Liz Sternberg again - and I advise you not to either!!! read more

They need to be banned from Craigslist. Posting a apartment for 1/2 what it is actually being rented for is just really shady.....Its pretty hard to typo the price of an apartment on craigslist. You go through multiple checks before it gets published. They kind of typo is not an accident. read more

I was very interested in a unit and called them and spoke to a guy named John who said he was the owner. The guy blew me off on the property, lectured me about contacting him off of Craig's list (the add was on Craig's list???). His emails were rude, and his in person tone was totally unprofessional. I ended up not getting called back and never seeing the unit - which I was very interested in. Worst experience I have ever had. My second experience with these guys was seeing a condo on Dearborn and Ohio. John did not even show up for the apt. He also did not let the door guy know we were coming. Luckily this had happened before so the door guy let us up. The owner was there and we knocked and told her what had happened and she let us see the unit. She told me that she had to deal with John on a few occasions and that she now refuses to speak to him on the phone because she "absolutely can't tolerate him". To rush home from work, arrive at a building where the seller agent is not there, does not inform the door man, or the tenant is ridiculous. DO NOT DEAL WITH THESE GUYS! read more

I really wish I could give SSP no stars. This place needs to be banned from Craigslist! The SPAM the site with apartments that aren't available, or put list prices that are significantly less than the real price to get people in. Do not waste your time with them! read more

The MOST unprofessional company. I agree whole heartedly with the other reviewers...Craigslist should ban them. I have been responding to Craigslist posts looking fora rental and with the last inquiry, they sent a rude response...no name...attached; and when I called to find out the managing broker name, they didn't want to give me any info. Calling the BBB on this company and contacting Craigslist as well. I would never want to say negative things in the event this were a fluke and involved one bad employee, but it is obviously their mode of operation. BEWARE! read more

UNPROFESSIONAL! I called regarding a CL posting and a man answered the phone with no identification as if he lived on a farm. I asked if it was Jonathan he said yes.... his voice was short, harsh, and abrasive the entire time. I asked if I could submit an offer slightly below asking (which I've done several times in this market). He said no he wouldn't do it, not in this market, that no one does it. Also, not accurate. Especially for a winter move-in, I've had great success offering $50-100 less/month than asking. He said he couldn't help me and went on to insult me for another 30 seconds. I couldn't believe the way he was speaking to me so I said "you've got a bit of an attitude on you." his response was "so do you." Not the type of people I would want to do business with. I called the same number again, which is listed on the website as an office line. A gruff man answered again and he said he just talked to me but now his name was "Jeff." I asked if he was willing to give me more information on the property and if any other companies were showing it. He said he was the only one and wouldn't give me any more information on the property. I would never allow this man to represent my property and find him a disgrace to the industry. read more