I rented a unit for 3 years and always paid my rent on time, but was locked out of the unit a couple of times. The first was due to their new faulty lock which made me late for work -standing outside in the cold and the second was just prior to the end of my lease when I was in the process of moving out. Cindy (office manager) lied to me about needing in the unit and had the lock changed before my lease was officially ended. Overall working with John was great until he merged and became part of NXT. Under new management it was one issue after another. Right after the merge, NXT demanded I provide proof of renters insurance despite it not being in my current contract. This was fine since I had it anyway except NXT wanted to be listed on the policy in a way that allowed them to make changes on my personal renters policy which I was uncomfortable with. Additionally, I had to put in multiple maintenance request for the same things (mostly the garage door and the washing machine) because it was never fixed all of the way or correctly. Cindy would call and want me to be there to let maintenance in which is her job, not mine. Cindy is the worst to work with, she lies and is very pushy. She tried to tell me I could not sublease my unit with parking despite parking being included in my current lease. Even my attorney was stunned by this after reviewing our lease documents and emails. After the illegal things Cindy had done, it was a nightmare working with her and I am happy I never have to deal with her again. I'm adding an edit to this review because I previously mentioned how great working with John was. Well when I wrote this review 2 days ago I truly believed that, but now that he does not have the audacity to call me back despite multiple complaints about how his property manager is doing illegal activity that is not in compliance with my current contract it makes me believe he truly does not care how his business is run. I do not recommend renting from NXT Realty because they are only focused on how to take advantage of people. read more

I don't usually write reviews, but John Yousef was so particularly terrible, I felt it necessary to warn to all others to NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THIS MAN. John Yousef was my landlord for a little over a year before we were so frustrated we terminated our lease early. Well worth the money it cost too. A few of the more memorable violations of tenant rights we endured under John, were: a broken furnace in the middle of winter that took 4 estimates and 3 weeks before it was finally "repaired." Now when I say repaired, I mean 3 of the 4 mechanics said there was no way to fix it, until a 4th mechanic managed to get it "working" and limping along for the rest of winter. Our ROOF started leaking when there was too much snow. The fix to this was of course...shoveling the snow off the roof and declaring it fixed.....until the next day. Our chimney started leaking during even small rain storms, which was never repaired. The advertised 'fully functional fire place' was nothing more than a leaky brick tube that held a plastic bowl to contain the leak throughout our entire lease. I can only imagine the black mold that must be EVERYWHERE.... These were just a few of the things that were unlawful, I dont have time to delve into the lies, lack of communication, unannounced apartment showings, and SHADY practices that skirt the law... Not only a terrible company..a terrible individual. Just another young kid that's obsessed with flipping a quick illegal buck at their tenants' expense, than having a shred of human decency. DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I DID read more

This rental and apartment management company seems shady. I initially found an apartment on Craigslist and it referred me to this company for the listing. On the Absolute Realty Solutions website, I found a place I was interested in and called to set up an appt to see it with this guy, John. Loved it. Decent neighborhood. Large rooms. Updated kitchen. Filed application - an honest application. And was told I was all good to move in. We set a date to sign the lease and give the deposit, so I'm breathing a sigh of relief about having a decent home to move my family to...on the day we are set to meet, John emails me - the place is no longer available and some story about the old tenant moving back in (yeah sure - you move everything out, then back in...really?) What bums me out is that I had the peace of mind of a decent home and it being taken back. And the thing that really burns me is: he didn't return my call. I called right after the email and left a message and no return call. At least have the decency to lie over the phone and not just by email when you renege. It may have been for the best if that's the way he does business...so the search is back on. But I felt it was a little shady everything changed on the day of the lease signing and it was unprofessional not to at least call - I was about to give $2000 of my hard earned. Life goes on...I'll find better:) read more

We met John Yousef when we looked at our apartment, and everything seemed fine at first. Here's a quick list of things that have happened since. - When we first arrived, John insisted the back door was unlocked with the key inside. I told him it wasn't (I was standing there trying to open it) and he argued that it indeed was unlocked, as if i don't know how to use a door. basically told me I needed to figure it out on my own. I finally got the combo for the lockbox for the keys. - Upon moving in, we realized how poorly the remodeling work was done. The floors immediately began to split apart, most of the windows were unfinished. The bathtub was not sealed to the wall. There is still is a large gap under the front door that lets air in - Management had been notified about this 3 times over the winter and we were told to put a towel in it to seal the gap. In addition, most of the backsplash tile is broken, the dishwasher is improperly installed (backwashes into the sink - very loudly) - I also was leasing a parking spot in back for $100 a month. There was no mention of how difficult it would be to open and shut this large gate, and there was a padlock installed on it. When I asked John for the combination to the padlock, he told me "there is no lock on the gate, just push it open". This was obviously not true as I was looking at the gate at the time. - When the polar vortex came through Chicago, the basement was under construction, and not insulated in any way. The heating system that John had purchased for the unit was struggling to keep our tiny apartment in the high 50 degree range. The pipes froze, and when John showed up and we told him how awful the living situation was, he laughed at us and left. - There was an old metal electric radiator that was constantly being left plugged in the back hallway, tipped over halfway down the stairs. We contacted management and were told to unplug it but the construction/maintenance workers kept plugging it back in - On a Sunday, we noticed coming in that there was an open gas fire coming out of the pipes in the basement. There had been no workers in the basement since the Friday before. They had left an open gas fire in our basement for 2+ days and they told us that the workers responsible had been fired. We saw the same workers in the basement the following Monday. - They frequently entered our apartment without 24 hour notice (as mandated by Illinois law) and never apologized or said it would stop, simply blamed it on "miscommunication" - Building was sold to a private party, and I've still been receiving bills for the past 3 months from John/NXT even though I am paying the new landlord. They have not responded to my requests to stop being billed. Overall, not a great experience with this organization. The work they do does not imply any sort of concern for their customers. Note: Absolute Realty is now a part of NXT read more

I've lived in many rentals over the years (I am old shhh.) John (the owner) is the best, hands on landlord. I ask for the smallest repair- it's fixed in 24 hours max. The rent payment system is super easy as is logging service requests. If you text- help is there on the spot. I wouldn't leave this unit except for work. Please feel free to message me with questions, I'm happy to talk! If you're lucky enough to grab a rental from here you better run- not walk- to get it! read more

John has been my landlord for over a year now and I could not be happier with the way I've been taken care of. Any maintenance issues I've had have been addressed promptly and the house I live in has been really taken care of nicely with a bunch of upgrades in the past year. He's very responsive to any concerns I've had and overall just a really great guy and a good businessman. Seriously, it's been so great I actually felt compelled to write a review. That's saying something. read more

Unlike the previous reviewer, I found Absolute Realty to be very professional and not at all "shady" or duplicitous. John was fantastic to deal with and worked with us extensively in creatively drafting a payment plan on the security deposit and 1st months rent--I don't know many property managers that would have done that. Anyways, I hate it when 1 bad review on Yelp tarnishes the image of an otherwise good small business in the Chicago community... just my 2 cents. read more

Absolute Realty Solutions was very flexible from the beginning to provide for me all that was necessary and had a professional attitude. Every problem which occurred has been solved in very short period of time. I can really recommend ARS for anyone who is looking for nice and affordable apartments! read more

My roommate and I were in desperate need to get out of our living arrangements and ARS really made it easy and affordable for us. They had a place for us in the part of town we wanted and the process went really smooth. I never had problems with the place and ARS always made sure everything was fine. 5 stars my friends. read more

I recently leased an apartment through this agency and have so far really enjoyed the experience! Our agent, Jill, was very helpful and flexible with our busy schedule. She really took the time and effort to make the experience an enjoyable one! The application process was a breeze and the fine print was highlighted to help protect your own safety and security. We are looking forward to making the move-in this month and hope to keep Absolute Realty Solutions around in our future. read more

I have lived in two different units that John managed and he was the best landlord I've ever dealt with. Any issues were always resolved immediately and he was quick to reply. His staff was always extremely nice and I would recommend his properties to anyone. read more

My boyfriend and I first moved to Chicago two years ago. We found John's listing on Craigslist for an apartment in Hamlin Park. We reached out to him in the morning and he was able to accommodate a showing the same day. The living room was huge! Kitchen was updated with granite/stainless. And the rent was the right price. We loved it! The application process was easy and inexpensive compared to a lot of competitors. We applied Saturday and found out Monday that we were approved for the unit! John also made time a few weeks later for us to come back and take measurements of the interior. A few weeks after that, we moved into the apartment. The walls had been freshly painted, everything cleaned, wood floors were refinished, and the move in process was very easy. We lived there for almost two years and loved it! Rent payments were easy through their online portal. The landlord, John, and his management team were always available if we needed them. We didn't have many problems during our stay, but when something needed fixed or replaced, the work was done right away. We once locked ourselves out, they were there to let us in very quickly. And our neighbors were great! I highly recommend renting with Absolute Realty Solutions. Their business model seems honest and the people are really genuine. read more

I have lived at the same apartment for almost 5 years. I am going to be moving to my fiancé's condo which is exciting but am sad to leave John and his team. John has been the best landlord I have ever had. I found the place on Craigslist in Roscoe Village in 2013. The apartment was in great shape and he connected me with the other tenants to purchase furniture. The best quality is how responsive John is. It doesn't matter if it is a weekend or an evening, John will respond to any concerns that you have. He also has a great team around him who help with the maintenance and upkeep of the house. He will do upgrades or repairs even if they aren't a necessity. John always is willing to send someone out very quickly. There was even a time on Christmas that I had an issue and he made sure to have it resolved that day. I am very impressed at the speed that things are fixed. Any issue I had was resolved within 1-7 days in most cases. Lastly, John always kept rent at a fair price given how many years I stayed here and recognized that it was good to have a strong tenant so didn't raise rent a lot. I would recommend John and his team and would gladly live with him again if I wasn't going to a high rise. read more

If you are looking for an apartment or listing in Chicago, I highly recommend working with Absolute Realty Solutions, Inc. John was my landlord for almost two years and I have nothing but good things to say. John (The President) and his staff have helped my friends and I get great deals on numerous places to live in the city even on short notice. They are very professional and responded promptly to all my email. Absolute Realty Solutions, Inc. really knows the ins and outs of every building and neighborhood in Chicago. They listened to what my roommate (at the time), and I were looking for and were able to find us the exact apartment within our price range and location that we wanted without wasting our time looking at places we didn't like or not looking for. Working with Absolute Realty Solutions was efficient, stress free and made the process exciting, not overwhelming. read more