Very poor customer service. Manager is not responsive and not attentive to owners' requests.

IF they respond to emails, it takes ages. But you'll have to reach out several times. Issues such as fixing an intercom issue in the building... I was advised that it will take 1-3 business days. That was in May. It's July now and it's still not fixed. However, if they needed something, I'm sure they'd be knocking on my door every 5 minutes. read more

I recently had the pleasure of communicating with Zak Pekovic - Community Administrator, for our condo association. He was both responsive and courteous...and frankly a breath of fresh air. First Community please take note of this individual....! read more

The WORST property management company I have ever experienced. I received a second notice email from them the other day. They warned me that if I didn't file a required document, they would continue to send me the document and then charge me $50 a month for every month they didn't receive the document after the third notification. A second notice threatening me with service fees when I haven't even received an initial notice? I know, it's my fault. Much like it was homeowners' fault when the heat went out for two days and they posted a notice in the elevators blaming us and couldn't be bothered to return a phone call asking when it would be returned. Much like it was the homeowners' fault that the laundry room (don't ask)hadn't been winterized and pipes froze putting it out of commission "until further notice." After three weeks, I'm still waiting for a return call from them about the heat (not that it matters since the heat was eventually restored). All they seem able to do is blame and bully/threaten. Nothing is ever their fault. read more

I've tried several times to get their help on issues I have in my condo and building - work orders, emails, phone calls - and nothing. One issue has been going on for 3 years. I pay an exorbitant HOA fee and I practically have to beg them to help me and they still don't help. read more

I just wanted to give a shout out to Bianca at First Community. She was very prompt in answering all of my questions, and responding to all of my emails concerning the sale of my condo unit. I have a very aggressive time line for closing on the deal and had to get answers to a lot of questions and getting documents updated in the 22.1 disclosure. Bianca really help me to get this deal closed on time. read more

Elevator still not updated with expired 2015 sticker. Snow is never removed on time and salt is never put down in front of the building. Fire extinguishers all expired for over a year before switched out. They allow other units to rent out air BNB but not others. People do illegal construction without permits outside of legal hours and complaints are not addressed. People are sent to work on things with 0 notice to tenants and those people knock on doors for no reason. Terrible management and anytime I've tried to Reach out it takes multiple times to get things done. Spoke to the "owner" or whoever he is who tried to threaten me and tell me I was wrong even tho I have plenty of emails and communication as proof and he had the audacity to tell me not to call again. That's OK I don't need to call I will just keep listing things that are wrong as they come up. So other people can stay informed of your terrible management and business practices read more

Terribly unprofessional behavior exhibited by one of their agents today, Louis. As a property owner, I called Louis today to have a simple matter with my neighbor resolved. Louis didn't even listen to the matter fully. Instead, he was argumentative and talked loudly right over the top of me on the phone. I'm a property owner who helps pay for his salary every month with my dues... and that's the best professional behavior Louis can muster? What a sad, disgraceful representation Louis's behavior is for all First Properties LLC employees. Louis doesn't have any respect for his job or the property owners he is supposed to serve every day. read more

This management company is a joke. We had them for about years, and nothing was ever done on time, or even legit. Want a call back from them? Wait weeks. Want your move deposit of $400 back? Forget it because they will conjure up some excuse to keep it. un-fucking-real. If I could give minus stars I would. Please steer clear of any building that has this shit name associated with it. read more

Building is kept up well enough however I have been having issues with unauthorized HOA payments. It is almost impossible to get a hold of anyone, they have no sense of urgency. read more

Can't give zero stars or that would be my choice here. There are several issues. I bought a foreclosed unit and when I did, First Properties and the local property manager were useless in assisting in the transition. I asked for help in locating my mailbox and in obtaining a key. The manager told me that should have occurred at closing. I BOUGHT A FORECLOSURE, I was lucky to get a front door key. Currently, I have been "ordered" to replace limited common elements with a hefty price tag. In the "order" there was no basis for the reason why I had to replace the LCE, just that it had to be done as it is within the sole discretion of the Board to make such a decision. On numerous occasions, I have requested any information, documentation, test results, etc that support the decision to replace the LCE. To date, no response. When I call/email the local property manager it takes more than the promised 24-48 hours for a return contact. There was a landscaping issue earlier this year. I was told by the local property manager that I was going to be billed for the landscaping. When I reminded the manager that the landscaping was being done to a Common Element, I was met with attitude. He questioned me as to why the Association should pay for the landscaping. Again, I reminded the manager that the landscaping was to be performed on a Common Element and nothing to do with my property! The property manager assured me that the landscaping would be done in a matter of weeks. Approximately three months later, the landscaping was completed. The company does do a good job with the finances of the Association, but I'm finding out that's because they tend to put off Association issues on the individual Unit Owners. I will not stand for that! read more

First Community, and especially Brittany Welter, are an excellent choice for condo association management!

I have been engaged in residential real estate in Chicago for nearly 20 years. Dealing with management companies is often frustrating at best. In recent transactions, this company has proven the rule rather than the exception. Information was hard to get and, for one of the transactions was, incomplete and inaccurate. The property manager was not particularly responsive. The fees they charge sellers for required sale documents is high and is available only on a website. Can't say I'm a fan. Update. Michael, the owner, did call me. He expressed concern, listened intently and seemed genuinely interested in resolving the issue. I really appreciate the fact that he took the time to contact me directly. He did address some of my concerns and I will keep an open mind in the future. read more

This is the most unorganized group of people I have encountered in many years renting in Chicago. They asked me to move my car from my assigned parking spot and temporarily move it into a vacant one while maintenance was done on the garage HVAC (which hangs over my spot). When I went to move my car back, it was TOWED! Thinking this was clearly a mistake, I called the management company, only to be told that nothing can be done since the car has already been towed. We're still fighting over getting fees reimbursed. Stay away! read more

My complex has a lot of problems, but none of that is due to First Properties. Let's face it-- Chicago has a lot of crappy recent construction. Leaks, pipes, improper construction, etc. Given all of these challenges, I think First Properties does an amazing job handling the things thrown our way. Every time there is a problem, I call or email Jeff. Without fail, he replies within two days at the latest, but usually within one. He even replies on weekends! When my garbage can was stolen, he actually went and got it back. When pipes burst, he is here to check on the damage ASAP. He always knows the right person to call, too. He keeps us informed and is as responsive as we could hope to get out of a management company. No, I don't think they are perfect, but I've had other management companies, and they weren't even in the same ballpark as First Properties. There are always going to be problems, and when dealing with so many people, not everyone will be happy, but these reviews are missing so much of what goes right. I love our snow removal, waste services, landscaping, etc. First Properties keeps it all running. Out of the companies I've dealt with, I would recommend them hands down. read more

First Community doesn't do anything to help the community. They don't answer the phone, emails, or letters. FCM is only good to collect your payment but not to help improve your community. read more

Our building is generally maintained and clean, but they do not take renters seriously. There are MAJOR issues including rats and common area painting that affect current tenants (and not out of state owners). This company refuses to call back renters and take their concerns seriously. Just because someone rents doesn't mean they don't care about their living conditions. After leaving eight messages with various First Community employees, in which their machines promise a call back in 24 hours, this shows their lack of care. VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. read more

Vanessa Rodriguez was so helpful and genuine when helping me with my noisy neighbor problem. The tenant above me would keep me up at all hours of the night and cause constant noise - not something I've ever experienced before. When they didn't respect my courtesy knocks, I reached out the First Community Management. Vanessa was with me for every step of the way as she was determined to put fix the issue. Since working with Vanessa, the noise hasn't been a problem. Thanks Vanessa! read more

I have only good things to say about First Community Management, they are always responsive and helpful. I own and have owned other properties and while all management companies take care of the board, not all are very responsive to owners much less tenants. First comminity takes care of all constituents. I"m not on the board but from my perspective the building is well managed. read more

The management team is always being caring and acting quickly. Good work!!

Management company failed to notify residents of storage room break-ins immediately after the first resident reported the initial incident to management. Finally, after over a week's time and after another resident called to report ALL BIKES HAD BEEN STOLEN, were WE THEN all notified of the break-ins. Most of the theft could've been prevented, as it occurred over multiple days, if the residents received a prompt notification upon the initial report. REACTIVE EFFORTS FROM FCM! read more

This is my first review on Yelp as I have never felt the need to share my feelings about a company's practice before. I want to warn everyone against working with First Community Management. They will not answer questions by phone or email as they do not ever want to take the blame for any issue. They will simply charge your account, even if it is against your association's bylaws. Do not do business with this management company... you are better off hiring your imaginary friend from childhood, cause at-least they will bring a smile to your face. read more

There have been minor to major disappointments with company. 1, I am the unit owner's spouse and have never been added to emails after multiple requests. Most recently, and most infuriatingly, we called with a question about our renting protocol. We were given incorrect information, which we confirmed after reading the dec amendment and consulting with the board president. We wanted confirmation from FC as we will need to let them know if and when we do rent, so wanted to hear from the horse's mouth that this was fine. We have been waiting for over two days for an answer to a simple question with no response from our manager. This is terrible customer service by any industry standard, but entirely unacceptable when your business is providing people with accurate and timely information about something as basic and important as their housing. read more

I do not recommend this Management Company. While they advertise having a facsimile machine as well as a mailing address, employees do not respond to facsimilies sent nor do they respond to mail sent. read more

I was the board president, until resigning to move to CA, and was very pleased with the management of our building. Aimee, in particular, has been fantastic. She is, by far, the best mgr we have had in this building since First Community took over. She is always on top of our projects from getting new back doors to working with the project manager on our new roof. read more

IF YOU'RE AN HOA OR HOMEOWNER LOOKING FOR A MANAGEMENT COMPANY, DO NOT HIRE THESE GUYS - Your homeowners/residents deserve better! This is not my first issue with this management company in 7 years of owning this condo. Each time has gone about the same. Since getting completely blindsided by a $500 MOI fine recently, after MANY MANY attempted e-mails and calls, I finally got a hold of someone. After several lengthy phone calls to explain the situation and trying to work with them... I still got ripped off, just less. These guys just refuse to take responsibility for their failures as a service provider or recognize when a customer has gone above and beyond what is reasonable. The employees I spoke with, Luis and Stephanie, their actions and responses have come off for the most part lazy, incompetent, or jaded - haven't decided which yet but probably all of the above. Regardless of how many of these band-aid fixes from the owner Michael, the bad reviews will continue from frustrated customers until they start making some significant changes in the way they operate at all levels... sadly I am stuck with them until I sell this condo. Read on for more on this specific incident... (apologies in advance for venting) Why they failed: 1. failure to provide proper email/online service or confirm that I had received any or their physical mails... 2. complete lack of responsiveness time and time again --- when I first reported the e-mail issue before all these issues; when they received multiple (at least 5 they say) returned mails; or when I was racking up fines $50/mo without any response for over a year... 3. had complete contact information the whole time for both myself and my unit property manager (whom they claim to know well)... 4. I (the customer) took all the proactive action this month through the non-responsiveness to fix the issue... and as if that weren't enough DESPITE claiming to be a conscious service provider... they still claim that I owe them $150 when I have received nothing, saying this is because I did not explicitly call them and provide my change of address - and it took them quite a bit of help to find that excuse. I have diligently put in my change of address via the USPS, they even received my recent change of address through this again on my move 2 months ago, and I've never even received any proof that mails were sent properly or address on file was wrong to my fault. The returned mail they claim to have aren't even from the months after a past move. Stephanie tells me "I have very little faith in the postal system"... but she apparently feels that it's acceptable to fall back on it, knowing the e-mails are broken, and charge me a fine based on it. They charge you $50 every month per person but can't even send you via certified mail? Or call once regarding returned mail? I have e-mails from these guys during that time for a few other items, so I know that they can, but did not take the extra steps to do so. Had they had properly working e-mail notifications, responded proactively to my report about the email issue, followed up on a returned mails, made a phone call, reached out to my property manager, mentioned it in one of those other emails I received... they failed at so many levels that would've prevented all this, but they seemed much more interested in finding some excuse to fine me still. Stephanie insisted that I shared the fault and their service would be much more expensive to support individuals in such a way. So unprofessional and completely flawed customer service philosophy... any moral company would have recognized that they have failed enough and the customer is trying to work with them... not find reasons to still fine that customer somehow and act like they are doing you a favor. Perhaps I should have ended up with a credit for all the things they missed if we're all about paying for missed things. Happy Holidays to you too. read more

Just like many others, I have had a poor experience with this company. My requests are ignored and emails/phone calls unanswered. However, if owners do not comply with First Community requests -- $50.00 admin charge added to your account. There also seems to be a lot of turnover at this company. New people are introduced to owners on a regular basis. Once I was working with someone on an issue and when I emailed him for an update the following week, I was told he left the company and I would have to start over from the beginning with someone new. This company is unprofessional and border line unethical, but unfortunately there is not much one can do about it. If you own a condo and like where you live, then you have to accept that a management company comes with the territory. If you are lucky you will get a responsive and competent company. I am not that lucky. read more

Yelp should have a zero star option. This has been my experience with First Properties: I am renting from a person who owns several units in one of FP's buildings. One day a few months after moving in I lost my keys. I had been doing laundry and left them in the laundry room. By the time I hunted day the person I was renting from (I'll call K), got the spare key and went back to the laundry room the keys were gone! I put up signs with contact information but they never turned up. I called FP twice and never got a call back. Finally, K suggested I just go make a copy of the spare keys. Great idea right? Nope, the copies didn't work except on my back door. This meant I was still out a laundry key, mailbox key and could not use my front door. So I call FP again, and sent a email. I finally got a call back. A man left a message and was nice, he explained that they could give me new KEYS (notice the "s" as in plural) but I would have to come a pick them up and pay $50. Ok, that a bit of a headache but not that big of a deal. I called back and left him a message stating, "Great, how's Friday? Also, I just want to confirm that I will be getting a full set of keys, mailbox, laundry, front door, and building key. Please call me back and confirm." He did call back, and he did confirm. So today I drive down there and am told they can only give me a copy of the building key. Its one thing to have to call three times and send an email to get a response. Its a whole other thing to be lied to. read more

Very good management company. They manage my building and are on top of things and provide valuable advise.

Jeff Sidor manages our building and he is the most difficult person to work with. He never responds to requests by phone preferring to send condescending intermittent emails. He doesn't show up when he says he will. When we had water leaking from our bathroom he had to be convinced to send someone out to ensure there wasn't going to be mold and that our bathroom fan wasn't affected. It took weeks before we could even get someone out to repair things with barely any communication about what was taking so long. He does the absolute bare minimum with an incredibly bad attitude. It's some of the worst customer service I've experienced from any company ever. I would not recommend this company to anyone. If I could rate zero stars I would. read more

I have only had the pleasure of dealing with this property manager from the standpoint of a real estate agent brokering a sale transaction in one of First Community's properties. My experience was very satisfying. Jaclyn was responsive, thorough and accurate in all of my dealings with her. I appreciated her professionalism. It made my job servicing my client easier and for that I am grateful. read more

Michael took the time to meet with us and graciously understood the complexity of the situation and produced a very commendable resolution. Not all businesses would go the extra step, but he did and that's noteworthy. Thank you First Properties. Michael: Not receiving the communication notices were the proverbial iceberg tip. Yes, I sat with Jeff at the last meeting. It was by no means a Board meeting as mentioned, but rather a meeting with various homeowners to discuss building issues and needs. And I'm certain Jeff explained the litany of our concerns. Interestingly, three other homeowners who also had completed email notification lists were not notified of the meeting. The communication breakdowns are not resolved and are merely symptomatic of a much larger problem. We've still not received copies of the required building annual financial statements. We tried for months to work with First Properties, got no where and then received the official court order. The phone records and email transactions are compelling to this effect and First's lack of response, neglect, or simply lack of caring was in our opinion a ludicrous way for a business to behave. So my mission is to make certain others are aware of with whom they're dealing. Again, we work with several other Property Management companies and all will recite our exemplary dealings over many years. So "no", not much is resolved read more

I give Community Manager Alan Majeski a 5-star rating! He's been kind, responsive and competently addressed my questions. Thanks, Alan!

I currently live in a homeowners community managed by First Community Management. If you have ever lived in a condo building or home community, that you would understand how undervalued a good HOA management team is. I used to live in a 3 flat where each unit basically managed the entire HOA - and that was a lot of hats to wear. I have heard nightmare stories from friends who live in high rises with 50+ units where their HOA is terrible. So far I am very impressed with First Community Management. They really provide great knowledge, timely communication, and overall customer service to our HOA. I would strongly recommend to any multi unit buildings in need of HOA management to consider FCM. read more

We've been renting at the Jarvis on the Lake complex through First Community Management for about 7 months of our 1 year lease, and let's just say that that September 31st move out date CANNOT come quickly enough. There's been a leak above our kitchen sink since we first moved in, and we were told by the tenant below us that this leak actually was happening this summer when he lived in the unit temporarily, and that he too informed both the direct landlord and the management company of the issue, but nothing was done. Emails upon emails upon voice mails upon voice mails and NOTHING will be done to fix the issue. FINALLY, more than two weeks ago at this point, Management sent a maintenance man over who cut a huge hole in the ceiling, dumped our trash bag on the floor, hoisted our trash can on to the counter and let it fill with water, and then draped a huge, dirty blue tarp across the counter surface, covering our sink. And that would be fine - if they had ever come back to fix the actual leak, or at least provide us with information about what is happening. And what DID happen? First we were told that management had to "raise funds" to fix the issue, and now we're being told that they're "trying to get in contact" with maintenance. Yep, no sink and no updates for two weeks after seven months of dirty water spraying down and covering everything in the kitchen, including dishes and the floor. As for the initial delay, we were told everything from "it's too cold" to "it took us months to get a quota,"... but only AFTER the fact. Radio silence during the whole ordeal. This is combined with the equally unsavory addition of the massive roach problem in our unit which has yet to be resolved - which, we're still not even convinced that pest control actually came. We asked for verification for a week straight, and, coincidentally, the day the maintenance man came by to finally start on the ceiling leak, my cat somehow to suddenly find and get stuck in a sticky roach trap... "a week" after it had been put down. Sounds like they tried to go the easy way to me and it back fired. And, yes, there are STILL roaches. Of course, they were super apologetic about my cat getting stuck in the roach trap, but when we asked for them to call the "pest control company" to ask if more traps were left, and if so, where - nothing. No response. We've asked to see the invoice of this service multiple times. Nothing there, either. We've been working directly with Bob and Kymberly at First Community. No one answers their phone (it goes straight to voice mail at all times of the day.) I've explicitly asked Kymberly to CALL ME rather than send me an email several times, and she's straight up ignored this request every single time thus far. Email responses usually acknowledge part of our questions, but not everything. We've been getting the same non-answers for months. Both the leak and pest issue are very normal, very fixable issues. I'm not upset that the unit has these issues at all. I'm upset that we have done EVERYTHING correctly in the process to getting these resolved, but First Community Management has dropped the ball every single time. It's beyond ridiculous. Do not rent here. Do. Not. Rent. Here. September 31st... please come quickly. read more

Don't expect issues between units to be handled in a timely manner by this company. Multiple water leaks, in which the management company was notified of each time, including one leak that they took months to locate. This led to mold in our walls, that the company still has not addressed. Since December 2016, once they located the leak, we have been trying to get the repairs taken care of. Each time repairs are scheduled, the date is moved back, or rescheduled due to their contractor being too busy. Additionally, the communication from this management company has been sparse. - Will update when the repair work is actually done. read more

My building was managed by First Community Management for many years before I recently moved. Abby and Aimee were always responsive and on top of making sure the building was taken care of. When it came time to sell my property they made the process seamless and easy. I hope my future buildings will have the care that Abby and Aimee took with the property they managed. read more

I've waited a LONG time to write this review. I've tried to work with this management company for many months now. Caveat here, the board of my building is obviously not doing their job managing this company, but that is not the point. This agency needs to manage and help lousy boards, right? Anyway, I was on the board many years ago when we hired this company. We met with the President who made loads of promises. We interviewed many other property management companies and they seemed like the best. It's been years now and I've been off the board for awhile. While I was on the board, me and the old board kept them on their toes. Emailing almost daily with action items, keeping them on target with upcoming projects, etc. I love my building and own 2 units, so it makes sense I would want the building looking great. Since me and the original board left, 4/5 of the board that hired this company have left the building, the work has gone downhill. How many property managers have we had? I don't have enough fingers (or toes) to count. They claim they inspect the building but it looks filthy, ALL THE TIME. Garbage sitting out in front of the building for weeks on end. The employee we have on staff, that they said they would manage for us...we are now told "not our job". So the board, they don't manage him either. So the building looks terrible. My assessments are sky high, for what? An employee that does not do his job and a management agency that does not do their job. Thinking of hiring this company? PM me and I can give you a tour of my building and show you exactly what your building can look like with them as your management company. Garbage in the alley, in the bushes and parkway (dog poop that is not picked up either!), dirty stairwells, filthy floors, disgusting elevators, garbage in the mail room and back room. Oh, all of this I write? Sure, you say this is the employees job. When I pointed all of this out, I was told they inspect the building every 2 weeks and have seen none of these issues. I have started taking photos daily, with time stamps, of these issues. TONS to look forward to. So, if you have a nice condo building you want to look like a low rent building, HIRE First! read more

First Community Management has been a great company for us. Our manager does her job efficiently, and my experience with the owner Michael has been very positive as well. He's very hands-on. All in all I would highly recommend them to any of my family and friends. 5 STARS! JOB WELL DONE! read more

I have lived in a 1CM building for 10 years and found our building managers responsive, helpful and friendly. They manage a lot of buildings so they can draw from a broad range of experience, which was helpful during my tenure on the Board. Also, being on the Board I learned of how difficult and disrespectful residents can be. Our team at 1CM was courteous and really worked hard for everyone. A great experience indeed! read more