Let me tell you a story. Once upon a time, my wife got a job in Chicago. She had 2 weeks to find a…read moreplace to rent that was close to her future work location. I started looking for agents on the internet. You would think that being one of the top-5 biggest cities in the US, Chicago is an easy city to find an agent in. WRONG! Every agent I called turned out to be a either a douchebag who "did not do rentals" or an asshole who "had nothing in my price range". After a few hours of looking for an agent, I was convinced that I will end up having to rely on outdated Trulia data and take my chances with open houses during our 1-day house-hunting trip. I ended up cursing at myself, Chicago, and all its real-estate agents and did what I typically do when I want to cool down: filled a bowl with plain yoghurt and took it to my bed to eat in peace. After devouring the first spoon of plain yoghurt, I came across Stephen's number on Yelp. I was pessimistic, but that one spoon had un-pissed me enough to give another agent a chance, so, I said, what the heck, I'll call this one too. Now, this was a cold depressing Sunday afternoon, so, nothing could really cheer me up and I wasn't expecting anyone to answer anyways. Still I called anyways. He answered the phone asking me the exact kind of questions I was expecting "how close do you want to be to the loop?", "how do you feel about spending $100 more to get a place that's closer". He then took time to explain to me how real-estate market works in Chicago (it is VERY different than Boston and San Francisco!). We exchanged emails and he put us through the smoothest apartment-hunting experience anyone in continental US has experienced.

Had an awesome experience working with Steve at Missirlian Properties! He had contacts at every…read moreproperty and ensured I was totally happy with my new place. Will definitely be working with him in the future.

I was referred to Alexandra Vanella from a person that worked with her in the past, I truly wish I…read moremet her a month ago before my deadline out of my hotel. After our introductions Alexandra provided efficient and fast service that I did not get from the other 4 agents I was working with trying to move here to Chicago. I did tell her i was running out of time and needed to move within the next week, the quality of options and the variety if options was exactly what I needed to see as I was getting stressed with the whole "moving in the summer to Chicago". She was very transparent and when we were dealing with difficult realtors she was not hesitant on reaching out for me to find out what the hold up was on their end to really get me in a place that I was interested in. Alexandra would send me morning texts to check on statuses if I was getting emails replied and getting in touch with the home owners. She did a really amazing job delegating my stress and communication with everyone I needed to all the way until i was officially moved in. At times I felt i was probably annoying her and I apologized for being antsy and she told me that everything was ok and that there was no need for me to apologize. Her goal was set to get me through this process as smooth as she can make it for me.. I will be sending all my friends her way and i will not use another agent as long as I live here in chicago!

If you're navigating the Chicago rental market, especially from out of town, work with Asiye, I…read morecan't recommend her enough! From our very first conversation, she took the time to understand exactly what I was looking for never lost sight of it. She understood what I wanted from the start, never pushed anything that didn't fit, and kept sending me options that were actually relevant. When it came down to it, she advocated on our behalf directly with the leasing teams and helped us land exactly what we were after. Every question, every concern, Asiye is always on it! If you want someone who is responsive, patient, and focused on getting you the best result, work with Asiye!

After viewing an apartment in person, I decided it wasn't what I thought it was and I didn't want…read moreto pursue it further. I had submitted an application, but I hadn't signed a lease agreement. After waiting 3wks for the $300 refundable deposit, I reached out to the president, Eric Scholl, who had been helping me with the process. Attached is his response. Ultimately, he accuses me of working with the landlord to cut the ApartmentPeople agent out if the deal. He was supremely unprofessional and vindictive since I didn't choose their apartment. I understand everyone is having a tough time right now, but it's terrible to pass your losses onto potential clients. Thankfully I'm very happy in a different unit that I found through a different company. Unfortunately, based on my experience, I advise that you take the easy route and go with the many other good leasing company options in the Chicagoland area.

I worked with Michael. I submitted an application, paid the fee, and he conveniently had an excuse…read morefor why I did not get the three properties I applied for, saying my application was strong and that there is nothing he could do. I used another broker with the same application info and was accepted to my first property, idk what Michael did, but it was sketchy

Khala Bridges is the real deal. Patient, professional, and genuinely cares…read more I will be honest. I was a difficult client. Khala showed me multiple places, I went and looked at options through other channels, and at one point she probably thought I had moved on entirely. She never made me feel bad about it, never pressured me, and stayed professional and kind throughout. When I was ready to commit, she came through immediately. I just signed a lease for me and my son, and I could not be happier. This is exactly what I needed and Khala made it happen. If you are apartment hunting in Chicago, especially in the South Loop, ask for Khala Bridges. She will take care of you. And Cassie, thank you for building a company with people like her on your team. It is rare. 10 out of 10. I will recommend to everyone I know. Best, Christian S

I reached out to Smart City for assistance with my apartment search and was divinely paired with…read moreUri. He was attentive and knowledgeable which put me at ease initially. Uri was able to find excellent apartment matches that fit my needs and wants. So much so, I was able to apply for apartment on the first showing. I would definitely recommend Uri and the Smart City team.

I had an incredible experience working with Brian and his team as a first-time homebuyer, and I…read moretruly cannot recommend them enough. From day one, Brian made what could have been an overwhelming process feel manageable, clear, and even enjoyable. He took the time to walk me through every step, making sure I understood what to expect and felt fully prepared at each stage. No question was too small, and his guidance gave me a level of confidence I didn't think I'd have going into this. What stood out most was how much of a true advocate Brian is for his clients. He consistently had my best interests in mind, provided honest advice, and made sure I felt supported in every decision. It never felt transactional, it felt like I had someone genuinely in my corner. If you're looking for a realtor who will guide you, educate you, and advocate for you every step of the way, you're in the best hands. Five stars all the way!

Brian/Team Review To…read moreWhom it May Concern; As late-arrivals to Home Ownership, our nervousness and naivete were demonstrably abundant. We had scores of questions, many obvious or simply dumb...and plenty legit as well. We were acquiring an education on the fly. Thankfully we had as Allies, the kindest, most thoughtful, thorough, professional and forthcoming Band of Sherpas one could hope for in Brian Somera and his Fantastic Team at Coldwell-Banker. Their responsiveness was metronomically dependable. Their Service was sincere and utterly consistent (And I know something about Great Service having run Zingerman's Delicatessen for 11 years). Our path to our 'Forever Home' was circuitous. We looked at over a dozen properties. We bid on 3. Didn't get the first, backed out of the second after a scarifying Inspection, and Happily So, because the 3rd, the 'Just Right' place, checked every single box and felt like 'Home' the second we stepped in the door. Brian squired us around to all of them, gave astute advice and insight, gently nudged us towards resolution if we hadn't responded to a query or an E-sign, always with a comforting lightness and smile. We felt cared for. We confidently shared our Trust with He and his Team and could not have hoped for a better experience through this process. You couldn't wish for a better Advocate than this crew.

Austin was great and was wonderful to work with. I…read moreappreciate how friendly and professional he was and when he did not have the answer he got right back to us.

Vince found us our dream apartment! We are so grateful! He sent over an amazing array of properties…read moreand was attentive at every step of the way. Made finding an apartment a breeze!!! Will continue to recommend him to friends and family!

Joe and Jeff? Gems in a sea of duds. I once texted Joe that someone was trying to get into my…read moreapartment, and he not only pulled all the security cameras and FOUND the tenant doing so, but he'd called her, figured out the issue (she thought I was laundry, I thought she was a murderer) and walked down from the office to my apartment to tell me in person. Every single maintenace issue I had he texted me within the hour to tell me the plan for how they were going to fix it. I once got locked out of the bathroom (old building problems) and he came with Pablo and Pablo CLIMBED IN MY SECOND STORY WINDOW to get it fixed for me. Start to finish from when the door locked it took 45 mins until I could get in. I adore Lakeview Associates because of Jeff and Joe. I am no longer in a building they manage but still with Lakeview Associates and it's still good, but not nearly as good as it was in their buildings. Joe and Jeff are bros who care.

Lakeview Associates seemed to be an apartment manager that genuinely wanted to help its tenants,…read moreversus just extracting a rent check and imposing rules and conditions. As the cosigner on a lease, they did a lot to help us with a sub-let situation when we needed to be out of the apartment earlier than planned, first by helping us evaluate a leasee we suggested, then finding us a new tenant in a week when that didn't work out. On top of that, 2256 N. Cleveland was well-maintained, the staff was helpful with questions, they were always responsive to communication.

Recently, had the pleasure to work with Chicago's Best Rentals, and their team to find me a new…read moreluxury apartment in Chicago. I had work with Gui from CBR and he was such a caring and thoughtful broker who was attentive, detail oriented, and listened to my needs. CBR accommodated my needs and listened to me on such a level that really made me value my time working with them. I felt like I was seen and listened to. Gui handled all my paperwork for arranging the tours on my behalf to several buildings throughout the city, -- making for a seamless and stress free experience so I could focus on touring rather than the paperwork to arrange tours. I signed my lease the day of after viewing multiple properties. The experience was pain free, and a delight to feel like my voice, needs, we're valued and respected. 1000/10 would recommend and I can't wait to work with CBR again in the future.

Kit and Ashley were absolutely amazing in helping us to purchase an apartment for our son. We are…read morefrom Texas and were not able to attend much in person. From start to finish they helped us through the process. They did virtual tours with us, walked us through every step of the process (which differs from state to state), helped with recommendations for each step, were available for inspections and basically anything we needed. I would highly recommended them for your needs in the Chicago area as you will not be disappointed.

They really understand the Chicago market and know what strategies work best in every situation,…read morewhether selling, buying, or renting. We were guided through the selling process with great advice on updates and connections to get them done quickly. They also handled negotiations on our new home with our best interests in mind. The whole team was knowledgeable, supportive, and truly client-focused.