Remember when Chicago Top Agent Magazine called Ream Masoud one of the top agents back in 2015 for…read moreher "honesty, integrity, and creativity"? Yeah, apparently that was a long time ago--because my recent experience makes me wonder if they should consider taking that one back.
I rented a house from Ream and her company, Dream Realty Services, for two years. Everything was fine until the end, when she told me she didn't want to renew the lease. Fair enough--I appreciated the heads-up. We agreed I'd move out by June 30, 2025. She also told me a new lease would begin on July 1. We agreed on an exact day and time for the move-out inspection and key handover: Sunday, June 29, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.
So what did my family and I do? We drove an hour from our new place, spent hours deep-cleaning the house in 90-degree heat--scrubbing the fridge, oven, bathroom, everything. When I messaged Ream that we were ready, she casually replied she wasn't available. "How about tomorrow?" Seriously? We held up our end of the agreement--she just... didn't show. No explanation, no solution. I waited for hours with no guidance on what to do with the keys. So I did the responsible thing: I filmed the whole place (which looked great), left the keys on the kitchen counter, locked up, and left.
Later that night, Ream messaged saying she didn't have keys to get in. You'd think a landlord would, you know, have keys to her own property? I even suggested going through an open window--seriously, it was easier than this nonsense. She said she'd "check" if she had keys somewhere. Honestly, you can't make this stuff up.
Fast forward ten days--yes, ten--on July 8, she messages to say the dryer isn't drying and the fridge isn't cooling. I told her both were working fine when we left (we literally used the dryer on move-out day), and as for the fridge, I'd reported issues months earlier. She sent someone who basically did nothing, so we just lived with it, knowing we were moving. Now, somehow, it's my fault that the fridge allegedly failed--after we moved out, after new tenants supposedly moved in. Am I going to be blamed for a burnt-out light bulb next month?
To make things worse: today is July 29, the 30th day since I moved out, and she has still not returned my security deposit--or even provided an itemized list of deductions as required by Cook County law. That's not just shady, it's illegal. She's in clear violation of the Residential Tenant and Landlord Ordinance (RTLO). Even if you're buying--not renting--why put your money in the hands of someone who doesn't honor basic legal obligations or contracts?
It's clear she plans to withhold my deposit over this made-up drama. After two full years of trouble-free tenancy, this is how it ends. I'm more than ready to take every step necessary to recover what I'm owed.
"Honesty and integrity"? Not in my experience. I can't recommend Ream Masoud or Dream Realty to anyone who expects fairness, professionalism, or lawful treatment. Dream Realty? More like Nightmare Realty.