A listing via Padmapper (I think?) led me to Jessica Wagner, who emailed me about a "related" listing in Washington Heights. At the time I was working with agents at Bond and was less than thrilled with their services. Our general search was upper Manhattan (anywhere from 125th Street north), but Inwood was always where I hoped to find something. Inwood was the "unicorn" neighborhood. And as it turned out, Bohemia Realty Group and Jessica Wagner, our agent, were the "unicorn" team that found us the perfect Inwood apartment. Jessica Wagner was an amazing rep for Bohemia. She was friendly, genuine, positive, patient, organized, efficient, honest, & even-handed during our month-long search. Her communication was constant and 100% transparent. She was realistic about the pros & cons of every rental we looked at and the different neighborhoods they were in. Unlike other agents/realtors I never felt pressured by her into saying "yes' and closing the deal quickly so she could move on to other clients and commissions. That personal attention was supremely important, and a notable positive difference between Bohemia and other realtors. Our "degree of difficulty" was higher in that 1) one us was working/living in China during the search so the logistics were tricky at times. Jessica was super-patient and understanding. Our first application was for an Inwood property that seemed at the time to be the "perfect" apartment. We were warned by Jessica W. that the management company was very strict and particular about applications so we worked to cross all the T's and dot all the I's with her help. During the application process Jessica communicated daily via email and texts. She also advocated tirelessly for us to the landlord. After a weeklong wait we were denied. I was crushed, thinking the last best chance at something "perfect" passed us by. Jessica immediately scheduled more apartments to show in the same neighborhood, and was undeterred. And that's when we found the "true" perfect place. Finding a great apartment with all the requisite filters (quality of life, location, commutes, amenities) never gets easier. Through it all Jessica W. was a godsend as she helped us navigate the search and process. Even after we signed our lease, she followed up numerous times to see how we were doing in the new apartment. I can't emphasize enough how lucky I was to have found Bohemia and specifically how hard Jessica Wagner worked for us. She was tirelessly working to find us the perfect apartment and did so always with friendliness and confidence. I recommend Jessica W. and Bohemia to anyone and everyone that's looking, especially in Upper Manhattan. They were, and are, night and day compared to other realtors and agents with which I've worked. You won't feel like a tiny ant scurrying around in the city throwing away your money at a nameless, enormous realtor "factory" that resembles a cold caller from Glengarry Glen Ross. In the end we didn't settle or compromise in any way with regards to price, location, or amenities. I was looking for a unicorn apartment/neighborhood and in the process found a unicorn realty company and agent as well. Thanks to Bohemia and endless gratitude to Jessica W. and the entire Bohemia team for making our dreams a reality. read more

I didn't work much with the other realtors at Bohemia or really have much exposure to them at all, but I can certainly attest to Jeremiah Wiggins being fantastic. I was not interested in paying a realtor fee at first. I thought that I could get away with finding my own apartment through Craigslist and by walking around looking for "Apartment For Rent, No Broker Fee" signs. Yeah. After multiple weeks of that I was no closer to finding a feasible apartment than when I started looking. I even had a couple strange experiences. One Craigslist ad that I responded to ended up leading me to another broker who showed me around for the day. Let's just say that his ideas of decent apartments within my price range were entirely unacceptable. I also was close to signing another lease that required a broker fee even though I had found the apartment myself and the broker did absolutely no work. At the last minute, though, the situation became really sketchy; the lease was not what we had agreed upon, so I didn't sign. And then my new roommate suggested Bohemia Realty. Someone she knew had used Jeremiah a few months before when looking for their apartment in New York and recommended him. Like I said before, I was hesitant to use a realtor, mostly because I'm cheap. But Jeremiah was worth it. He was extremely friendly throughout the entire process. He was super easy to communicate with through e-mail, and once the ball started rolling on pursuing an apartment, he was always available through phone and text. I felt as though he was in the process with me. And he ended up finding an apartment for me that was better than I had even expected. He took all of my wants into consideration when making a list of apartments to look at. After each apartment visit, he was ready to both talk and listen--basically whatever I needed from him. As we looked at various apartments he adjusted future visits to fit my direct feedback. And then he ended up showing me the perfect apartment. Literally. It was more than I wanted. Now, I don't mean to suggest that everyone can have the perfect apartment since they are hard to come by in the city, but Jeremiah certainly made my lease possible. Once I confirmed that I wanted to put down an offer on my apartment, Jeremiah was ready to go. Even when we had an issue with our application process, Jeremiah was by us the entire time helping us through the process very quickly so that someone else didn't get the apartment first. He showed up to the lease signing to ensure everything was in order and even gave us a packet of information about our new neighborhood. So long story short (--too late--), if you're looking for an apartment in New York, you should get a broker. Although the fee seems like a lot of money to pay up front, the apartment quality is much better than anything you're likely to find by yourself. And I definitely recommend Jeremiah Wiggins if you are looking for a place anywhere in the northern half of Manhattan. read more

I truly could not have asked for a better agent to work with me in my journey to find a three bedroom apartment for myself and my roommates in a whopping two days by myself! It was a gift to have Arron Lloyd's assistance throughout this process. On the first night we saw the apartment, which I am sitting in as I type this now, and after nailing down our final decision we began the application process the next evening before I got on a plane in the morning. Since we were all fresh out of college we needed guarantors in order to get a decent place. So, the paperwork and waiting game began, but Arron was there every single step of the way. He literally held my hand through everything. Which, honestly, being someone who really had a limited clue of what I was doing, I would have drowned without him. I spoke with him everyday on the status of our application, as it took about a week to find out whether or not we'd been approved. He walked me through everything that was happening when there was another tenant already living in the building who was showing interest in the apartment, and constantly assured me that he was doing everything he could to make sure we'd be approved. Arron was always incredibly positive and forward thinking, consistently checking in on our status and the process even after he handed us over to the liaison between ourselves and the landlord, who was not nearly as helpful or attentive as Arron. Even though we'd already been approved and we're just left to meet with the landlord and sign the lease, he called me the night before i left to return to New York and reassured me that he would be at the lease signing in the morning to make sure that everything went well and simply provide myself and fellow roommate with support. As I said before, I truly could not have asked for more. As a young artist moving to the city for the first time, Arron was the exact person I needed to be working with. He not only had an extensive knowledge of the neighborhoods we were looking at, but he was able to provide guidance on possibilities for employment and avenues for artistic connections. He is a well rounded agent with knowledge that is extremely beneficial to any newcomer with limited funds making the transition to New York. I'm sitting here now absolutely in love with the exposed brick, gorgeous hardwood floors, and big open kitchen with a brand new stove/oven in our apartment just five blocks from the subway; and although we don't have laundry in the building it doesn't even matter. Arron new how to find us a place that felt like home, and let me just say my friends, this must be the place! Thank you ARRON!!!! read more

We had a good agent so things worked out for us in the end. But I feel it's important to warn everyone of some issues with Bohemia. My hope in writing this is that Bohemia reads this as well, and makes some changes. First of all, they overcharge for credit checks ($125 a person. insane). Second, their guarantor form demands far too much from a guarantor. Firstly in that according to the contract, guarantors are liable for anything that happens in the apartment with no cap on cost. The lease is far more detailed in terms of the landlords insurance etc... Bohemia needs to rewrite this form so it is more detailed. Secondly, the guarantor form states that the guarantor will remain on the lease despite any changes to the lease. So, let's say your dad is a guarantor for you and your roommates. You get a new job and move...when the lease is renewed, you request to be off of it. Your dad could technically still be kept on there as a guarantor, and according to Bohemia's Guarantor Form, without his knowledge! How many leases in NYC have someone else's dad on them as a guarantor, I wonder. In my case, my dad was signing on as our guarantor. He brought all these issues to my attention and we tried to speak with Bohemia about them. The supervisor my dad spoke to at Bohemia was inflexible and pressured my dad to sign right then despite his discomfort. He said if he didn't sign the form as is, I'd loose my deposit. Ultimately, the only reason my dad was able to sign this form was because we went around Bohemia and their crooked form. We did some googling, called the management company directly and worked out what the guarantor form was actually holding my dad responsible for. Thirdly, we had Bohemia try and change the lease after we had already moved in. They got in contact, said they messed up and gave us the wrong lease, and asked us to resign. We had been given a Rent Stabilized lease and they wanted to switch it to a Free Market Lease. We said no...but again, it seemed like a situation where they were trying to take advantage of us. It's tough. It's NYC. Housing is so competitive. And if you're an artist (like me) with less than amazing credit, people make you feel like you have to play exactly by their rules even if it makes you uncomfortable or doesn't make sense...that's bullying! I think Bohemia needs to change their guarantor form to be more reasonable. Stop backing people into corners, overcharging for credit checks and using fear to take advantage. CHANGE YOUR GUARANTOR FORM, BOHEMIA! And WHY are credit checks that much!? read more

A month ago my husband and I received a letter from our landlord letting us know that our rent is being raised by 50%. We were given a one month to move. We have lived in our apartment in Williamsburg for 8 and 1/2 years so we had no idea what is available. I immediately got on line and started checking out different neighborhoods. When I searched Harlem, Bohemia Realty had the most attractive website (good pictures and description of apartments) and quite reasonable prices. One particular apartment caught my eye and I showed the pictures to my husband. He said " Sure, if its real". It was 8:30 pm and I dialed the number of the realtor attached to the apartment hoping to leave a message. I was surprised when Lara Allen answered the phone. She said she was on a subway and heading home but she will let me know in the morning if the apartment is still available. She called me the next morning saying the place is available and she arranged for us to meet and see the place few hours later. She told us what papers to bring and we immediately went back to the office to fill out the application. Lara also took us to an amazing local tea place. She told us that the building has an excellent landlord. When we went home Lara send us an e-mail with very clear directions about what documents, letters of recommendation we still need to send. She made sure we did not procrastinate as there were other people interested in the apartment. To sum it up, I saw the ad on Tuesday Evening and Friday morning we were signing our lease with Shamzi, the landlord. I was so relieved that I did not have to figure all the paperwork myself and research what kind of landlord this was. One could say that it isn't too smart to go with the first place that one sees but we trusted Lara that this was a great place. 3 weeks later I am happy to report that all that Lara said was true. This building has a great landlord and a great super, Pedro. It's very well maintained. Pedro washes the halls every morning and the backyard where the garbage bins are is spotless clean. It got cold outside but our apartment is toasty. There was a little leak in a toilet and after we called the super we immediately had a visit from a plumber and Shamzi's son. I am not exaggerating when I say that I wake up every morning and say to my husband " I just love this apartment" Looking for an apartment in New York can be a trying experience from what I hear. Ours was a great adventure with Laura in Harlem. I hope when we are ready to purchase something Lara will take us again through the process. Danusia Trevino read more

We had the pleasure of working with Sheffield Chastain. I reached out via their website regarding a listing, and he got back to me the next day. A few hours later we were visiting apartments together. He is so incredibly easy to communicate with and doesn't leave you feeling like he's pushing you to make a choice before your ready. We put our deposit on the place that night and submitted the application. It wound up being the first place we had looked at together, granted I had already been looking at places in the Central/West Harlem, so I had a good idea on what I wanted and what I could get for the price. I can't recommend Sheffield strongly enough. He was so incredibly genuine and took all of our concerns seriously, especially with the negative information that we were discovering about the management company. He assured us that we could continue to contact him if we ever have issues, but that he wouldn't work with this company if he didn't trust them. We've been in the apartment for a week, and I can already tell that the updates that have been done weren't those shoddy updates done quickly to sell a place. This is a quality apartment in a great neighborhood that met all of my needs and fulfilled wants that I didn't think could be fulfilled for my budget in the city. Sheffield's no miracle worker, so don't go expecting everything you've ever dreamed of, but he will work extremely hard to make sure that he gets as close to your biggest asks and needs as he can. We will definitely work with him again if we decide to move again, but that's a big IF, because we're pretty in love with this place. Thank you Sheffield. Anyone thinking of working with Bohemia Realty should seek to work with Sheffield. I don't want to work with any other broker again. We spent such little time together considering how quickly the rent market goes in NYC, but I felt that I could trust him from the very beginning and everything that he has done since from patiently waiting and genuinely answering my questions as I actually read the full lease to his fun but professional personality built up that trust and made what could have been a very awkward couple of hours running around the city with a stranger looking at apartments authentically enjoyable and fun. Please. PLEASE work with Sheffield. read more

Kyle Graae is Exceptional As anyone who has ever gone through the scramble of trying to find an apartment in New York City can attest, it is no easy feat. The time window is small (the windows in each apartment even smaller), the spaces go quickly, and it can feel nearly impossible to find a place that one can happily call home. Enter Kyle Graae, our representative from Bohemia. Throughout my searching, I met agent after agent whose emotional investment was sparse at best. One gentleman who showed us around properties wouldn't even take his Air Pods out, and gave us a flippant, "So you in, or what?" after we viewed one of his properties. This seems like a caricature from a movie in description, but it is a common attitude taken in a market where agents are showing a large number of people a large number of properties. In most cases, you are just a potential buyer, not a human being with specific and nuanced housing needs. What is unique about Kyle is that there is a genuine interest in finding you the best possible home. He takes the time to show you each property with care, discusses the pros and cons with you candidly, has a seeming eternal well spring of patience, and is always excited to dig up any properties that might fit your needs. The fact that he went out of his way to traverse multiple boroughs on more than one occasion speaks volumes to his dedication to his craft and his exceptional sense of service to his clientele. I can't adequately explain how comforting it was knowing we had someone doing the detective work for us in finding a property when we were busy with our jobs and a myriad of other obstacles. Despite several "misses" in our search, never once did Kyle get short with us, nor did he show the slightest hint of frustration. He had an "on to the next" mentality that assured me that we would find a place we loved. After searching throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan, we finally found our space, and the closing procedure was made seamless. We didn't have to badger him for information; he was always diligent in keeping us in the loop. Closing was an utterly stress-free process thanks to him. Kyle was proactive, enthusiastic, intelligent, and caring. Simply put, he is a rarity in New York, and I would venture to say, anywhere else. read more

We worked with Nick (Nicholas Brown) and he was absolutely phenomenal. First of all, we had contacted a million people on Padmapper and Streeteasy so we had dealt with our fair share of brokers by the time we met him. He approached his job completely different than everyone else we had worked with and it was so refreshing. He immediately made us feel confident that he wanted us to find a good place, no matter who it was with, and this made us really trust him. Looking for apartments in NYC can be really overwhelming and he helped us breakdown how to think about it and figure out our priorities. He should be an apartment-hunting advisor! I think we were a bit lost until we got to talk to him. He was very knowledgable about the neighborhoods and the buildings and he only showed us high-quality apartments. He was very easy to get ahold of via text and email and he never pushed things on us that were out of our criteria or that he thought we wouldn't like. For example, when I originally contacted him about one apartment on Padmapper and he asked what my criteria were in response (and at this point, I was sick/skeptical of having been told that apartment isn't available but here are 6 others by other brokers/companies), he was very perceptive. When I gave him some vague criteria, he just said "why don't we go see the one you originally contacted me about and we can see where we go from there"? It was exactly what we needed to hear. He is very in-tuned (and empathetic) to the apartment hunting process. In fact, after visiting 5 apartments, he said it would only make sense to go for 3 of them and explained the different advantages and disadvantages of those 3. All three were exciting for their own reasons and it was nice to hear him break it down without feeling any pressure whatsoever. It was a very transparent process and we never felt unnecessarily rushed (whereas some broker's tell you "I need to know by tomorrow or it will be gone"). We felt that we had multiple awesome options after visiting things with him. If the rest of Bohemia Realty Group is anything like Nick, we wholeheartedly recommend working with them. Their inventory is also fantastic and varied so that you'll end up with something you love. read more