While sitting in their office along with my real estate agent (who isn't affiliated with Ford), and speaking with one of their agents, I signed a an application and gave them a deposit for an apartment they were listing (effectively taking it off the market). I was told by one of their agents, that there was absolutely nothing wrong with my application and that the apartment was mine. Approximately three days later I found out through my realtor that somehow Ford had leased the apartment to someone else after I had already put down money and took the place off the market. Confused, I spoke with a Ford agent, who told me that someone had put down a deposit at the exact time as me. I immediately knew this was a complete lie, as I was sitting in their office alone, when I submitted my check and application. When confronted with this fact, the agent simply shrugged, and then told me well they offered to move in 15 days earlier. I was never informed this was an option, so I immediately countered with, well I can do that as well. They replied with, "no, we already signed the lease." I then found out that the new tenant was their client, hence they got full commission. With me, since I used another realtor, they would have had to split the commission with my agent. This situation left a bad taste in my mouth, as I have never experienced such shady business for a company that pretends to be "high end." As a working professional who has been renting in the Boston area for nearly a decade, I was appalled. read more

We were three out-of-town grad students who didn't know anything about Boston and just needed a place to live. So Ford Realty hooked us up with a last-minute place, alright -- it worked out ok-ish though we've had real problems with the maintenance on our place and we aren't staying a second year so.... I have a problem with the fact that our realtor didn't shoot straight with us and I think took advantage of our ignorance of local custom and laws. Told us the place was great, landlord attentive (spoiler alert: Was. Not.) And when we asked about parking, "Sure! There's parking a-plenty, all the on-street parking* one might want!" Except, Parking* in Brookline = only during the day; parking is illegal at night meaning if you don't have a driveway you have to rent space in a private lot for ~$200/mo. The decent thing to do would not have been to just flat gull us on that one fine point. We would have looked elsewhere if we knew how coo-coo bird-brain awful the parking situation in Brookline is. You're pretty much stuck with a realtor if you want to get anything nailed down for rentals in Boston, and these guys I guess seem to be in charge of the crummier places in Brookline. I'm sure there are probably worse out there. But be warned: They work for shady people, and they themselves aren't high in the running for most-decent-folks-of-the-year. read more

Being a renter in this town can feel like being a second-class citizen, if you're not in the right hands. I bounced from one realtor to another, grappling for a helping hand in this weird (November) rental market, growing more stressed out as the days ticked away. Then I happened upon a property being advertised by Ford Realty in Brookline Village. Cheryl LaFond-Lewis was prompt in her correspondence, easy to talk to, and she showed me a beautiful property that simply wasn't for me. This is the point where I usually lose the realtor's interest and start all over by myself scouring craigslist, pulling out fistfuls of hair in the process. Here's where Ford Realty is different: Cheryl called the next day to follow up with me on the property we'd seen. When I told her my decision not to take it, she was very understanding, and encouraging of my search process. So here's where Ford Realty is REALLY different: Cheryl emailed me the next day with a property that was so perfect for me that angels sang when I opened the link to it (something no other realtor who showed me property had done). Cheryl was going to be out of town starting that afternoon, but sent the OWNER, Arlene Lehane, to show me the property, and to handle all of the logistical details. Lo and behold, the pictures didn't lie, and I found my perfect apartment. The ulcers started to heal, finally. Arlene met me on a Sunday to sign the lease paperwork, and immediately addressed my concerns with the property manager. This, my friends, is great customer service, from an agency with experience, and one which treated me with as much respect as if I had just purchased a $3,000,000 home. I would recommend Ford Realty to anyone looking to rent or buy in the Boston/Brookline area. The entire experience left me feeling first-class. read more

Kama is wonderful. Spunky, sense of humor and laid back while still being on top of the "transaction". I felt completely at ease finding my new apartment with her and will recommend her in the future to any friends looking for a new place! read more

My boyfriend and I were searching for our first apartment together in Brookline, as we are beginning grad school in Boston this fall. After countless questionable Craigslist posts and plenty of emails to realtors that never received responses, we were starting to feel hopeless. Maybe we were too out of our own league to try to find an affordable apartment in Brookline, one of the nicer parts of Greater Boston, as grad students. And to find one with a parking spot included, still in our budget? It just seemed impossible. Then, we met the beautiful soul that is Cheryl LaFond-Lewis. Cheryl was prompt with her emails, understood exactly what my boyfriend and I were looking for, and was able to find three properties in our price range and location. After looking at all three, we ultimately fell in love with the first one we saw. However, we were the second application submitted for that particular listing, and it unfortunately fell through for us. However, Cheryl was determined to find us a great first apartment, and managed to find us another open apartment, in the exact same building as before, for even less rent. In the timeline of a week, we looked at four apartments, fell in love with two, and ultimately snagged an apartment that was way below our maximum price range -- including private outdoor space AND a parking spot. We feel like we had such an incredibly lucky and wonderful experience, and Cheryl was the perfect realtor to have as new renters to the market. She's persistent, kind, and is genuinely invested in the well-being and success of her clients. I would recommend Ford Realty, and Cheryl in particular, for the rest of my time in the Brookline area. read more

Kama is a fantastic agent! She helped me and my two roommates find an apartment in Brookline Village. She found us the perfect place, she would always keep us in mind and call us to update us with listings. I am happy to have worked with her and if whoever reads this is looking for an apartment I suggest you go to the office and talk to Kama. read more

We had a fantastic experience working with Arlene Lehane! She went above and beyond her scope of services to exceed our expectations. We rented a home through her company that needed to have some work done before we moved in. She managed to work with us and the homeowner in a way that created a joint effort for us to be able to move quickly not given up the quality of the renovations. Also she worked with the owner to make sure that the renovations were going to be realistic from a scheduling and cost perspective making both sides content with the end result. We have just moved in last weekend, and we are very happy with the overall experience. Thank you Ford Realty for making it happen! Leandro read more

I do not think I can say enough good about Ford Realty. Working with Kama was without a doubt the most pleasant experience I have ever had working with a realtor. She is honest, proactive, and has a clear love for the work she does. My roommate and I were looking for a dog-friendly apartment, which is a challenge in itself. We also had two cars. There is not enough space in this review box for me to tell the full story of how above and beyond Kama went for my roommate and I. Not only did she get us a fantastic apartment, but she followed up on every step of the process, including after we moved in. When I needed to find a second parking spot, since the apartment only had one (something we knew at the time of the lease signing but figured we would "figure something out"), Kama again went above any beyond to assist. Kama is stellar, but I also had the pleasure to briefly work with her colleague Arlene, who was also incredibly helpful. I have lived in Boston for six years and have moved just about every year. I have had every apartment experience one can imagine. And with a dog and a car, it becomes even more difficult. Ford Realty is a fantastic company and I cannot recommend them strongly enough! read more

Contacted Marcus through trulia, received response for a Saturday viewing at 1pm. Received second email stating he was expecting a large turnout and to bring checkbook. On Saturday I arrived at 1:04p knocked and circled building. It's important to note that I live in Winthrop currently and am familiar with the area and street itself. Pictures of apartment matched the location I was at. I waited with my 5 year old for an additional 5 minutes then emailed Marcus with no response. I waited longer and then called at 1:20, no answer. I waited an additional 10 minutes then left. I posted a review on Marcus Facebook page in the early afternoon, at 10pm at night Marcus proceeds to respond rather rudely and frequently. I took screenshot of all the responses because they seemed odd and as if it were my fault that he no showed. Marcus deleted all his responses the next morning. It was the most odd exchange I have ever had with a realtor. I called the main office to speak with a manager, but to no avail. Seems to be a rather busy location? Either way his reaction to a poor review was uncalled for. I'd suggest better communication in the future with potential renters. Update received a call from Marcus apologizing for his behavior. Could have handled the situation better but will increase my rating for apologies. read more

Arlene was amazing at helping us look at a bunch of places around Brookline. I ended up with a dispute with our landlord later, and she was super helpful in getting me some of the original rental documentation. read more

Kama and Ford Realty is great! Since helping us find an apt, she's helped 2 friends in the last year. She really works to understand you, your budget, and your needs to find you the best apt on the market. She'll advise you on market information to help you feel good with your decision and search. read more

My roommates and I used Cheryl LaFond-Lewis at Ford Realty Brookline for our apartment hunt in Boston after we graduated from college and we were beyond happy with her service. She was professional, dependable and patient with us during our search since we had no idea what we were doing. Unlike other realtors that we worked with (we were in contact with 4 before we found her), she didn't bother pushing us towards an "okay" apartment because we were shown terrible ones; instead she made sure that we found an apartment that we would call home. In the end, the apartment she found was PERFECT and in our budget. We are currently in the midst of moving out (after living at the apartment Cheryl found us for 5 years) and the landlord is using this company again and we have enjoyed working with them. The realtors make sure to text/call/email us before they have a showing and try to schedule appointments when we're not there so it's less intrusive. I highly recommend using them! read more

The agency and its owner are profesional, friendly and efficient. They know Brookline and Boston area very well. They have a network of owners and renters. Ford rented a condo I own in a few days to a well qualified person. Previously, I wasted a few weeks with another agent. read more

I had a very negative experience with Marcus from Ford Realty Brookline and would advise others to avoid using them as a result. First, I showed up to an appointment to view an apt and spent 10 minutes waiting for him to figure out how to even open the door. I then placed a full deposit immediately upon viewing the apartment and was told by Marcus by placing the deposit, I would reserve the apartment. I had to run to an appointment so I didn't have time to fill out an application in the office (largely because he had wasted my time unable to enter the apartment to begin with) but assured them that I would provide the application. Marcus confirmed that this would be fine. In fact, He even sent me a text message confirming that it would be fine if I scanned in the application and sent it across. I responded that I would scan it and sent it across as soon as I got to work in the morning. I then filled out and scanned provided an application within 15 hours (overnight so zero of the hours were business hours) after providing the deposit and was told that the apartment had already been rented out to another tenant. The realtor made no attempt to contact me beforehand or even imply that the application was urgent. Upon reaching out, Marcus implied that it was my fault and told me that 18 hours (it wasn't 18) "is an eternity" in real estate. Now I have already told my current landlord that I will be moving out but do not actually have an apartment lined up. Extremely unprofessional. Would not recommend. read more

Our realtor was very pleasant -- friendly and kind. However, she seemed unprepared. She would be at least 10 minutes late both times we met with her and came with the wrong set of keys each time. She showed us apartments that were either dumps or beyond our budget, although we clearly depicted what we were looking for. read more

We have had nothing but a great experience working with Kama at Ford Realty. She has taken all of our concerns and gone out of her way to make our move easy and pleasant. When we moved into our new apartment, Kama made sure that everything was in order for us. She has been a pleasure to work with. I recommend her to anyone looking for an apartment in the Boston area! read more

I decided to write another review on Ford Realty. Extremely professional services, help and expert advise throughout the entire process. I strongly recommend this fantastic office for outstanding services!!! read more

We had really good luck with Ford Realty- Kama was very helpful and we love our Brookline Village apartment.