They built our condo. Not bad. But they didn't connect some underground pipes to the water or sewer system. They left exposed pipes under our home, so our bathtub downstairs flooded the crawl space. They seem to have denied responsibility and have continued to ignore requests to repair these pipes and the related damage. Their contractors almost always flake or are late when they even bother to agree to show up. Then, when they arrive, they demur and pretend not to realize the plain issues they see. They're also quite rude. They left a Washington Gas account open at our new address for more than a year and repeatedly refused to call Washington Gas to cancel it. So, my wife had to do it for them instead. All the while, the people in the M Squared offices dismissively claimed they had nothing to do with it. In closing, condo builders like M Squared are a dime a dozen. And other ones might not do shoddy work and treat you poorly. So take a chance with one of them instead. read more

I know the rental market may be competitive but be seriously warned renting through M squared. Usually I give at least a 2 star review but with them trying to screw us over at every turn, it had to be a 1 star. Starting off the list: 1) They allowed our AC/Heat to stay broken in the dead of summer for 5 months. The only reason they fixed it was because we said we were moving out. They said it was our fault, that we didn't change the filters, but we had proof that they were changed. And the technician told them explicitly to replace the blower the first time he came to fix the AC. Luckily we left before it got too cold. 2) The paint they used on the walls was very cheap and cracked very easily. Leading to them taking a large chunk out of our security deposit because they had to double paint. Apparently $3300 is how much it costs to paint 1 floor of a house with cheap paint. 3) They raised our rent $300 at the start of the pandemic before it became illegal. $200 extra for month to month and $100 for an annual rent raise. 4) They offered us the parking space in the back but then took it out from under us to sell the downstairs unit. 5) The house had mice when we first moved in. 3 of them within a month span before we finally found and patched up the hole. But I will say this is common with DC houses so not their fault. Unfortunately they let landlords walk all over their renters and refuse to fix problems. Especially in old houses that are bound to have issues. They use the fact that renters don't want the expenditure of taking action in court so they make every excuse to squeeze you. Absolutely the worst experience we've had renting in the 10 years we've been renting apartments/houses. read more

Terrible service with M Squared and Mark Mlakar, mark.mlakar@msqrealty.com. Apparently, Mark lives in a "super high end building with [a] ultra fancy management company" and he has "issue[s] with [his] water boiler for the last year and [he] [has] had to on multiple occasions go without hot water for a day or two." As a renter, I have never met Mark. The above information was how Mark chose to respond to inquires about getting hot water back on. read more

I have had to deal with Natash Dougherty who was the property manager for the unit I was RENTING. She is by far the WORST, is super RUDE, UNPROFESSIONAL person I have ever rented an apartment from. Till date the company holds my security deposit of $1700 and it demands me to pay $500 more before they return my security deposit. No explanation as to why they can't deduct the $500 from my money they hold already ! Stay away from these people and the company. Most of the positive reviews are from landlords. But they are absolutely HORRENDOUS with renters and will go to any extent to scam you and cause mental agony. The apartments are not well-maintained, no one bothers about the maintenance requests, no proper person to contact and very poor response are few of the many complaints. Avoid renting any properties, especially the ones located at RIVER PLACE in Rosslyn from them as you would get a better rent price from anyone else ! Hope this review helps another person, so they can't scam more people. read more

If you're looking for a rental company that takes weeks to respond to maintenance requests, if you enjoy being tagged with repair expenses for old decrepit parts of the house, if you believe the renter should always feel at the mercy of the owner and leasing company, if you love surprises like unannounced house tours scheduled last minute, BOY DO I THINK M SQUARED WOULD BE RIGHT FOR YOU!! I can't recall having to argue and fight over every service request and money with anyone else, and I certainly don't remember the last time I had to go without AC for 3 months in the height of DC summer! The only time we had no problem whatsoever with M Squared was 1) in signing the lease, and 2) increasing our rent in our second year. Every other email/communication we had with them (of which I think we had four over the course of two years) consisted of unprofessionalism and even straight up gaslighting. So yeah, if you all that sounds good to you, definitely check them out! read more

We worked with M Squared Realty a few months ago, and their service was extremely rude. They took numerous days to respond to our texts and emails, even though we knew that they had been contacting other people looking at the same property daily. We ended up losing the property because James didn't inform us of when we were able to bring the deposit, and someone else brought it before we could. We then scheduled a meeting with Hannah, to discuss why we should be considered for the property, and she showed up over an hour late. Here is a link to all of the events and communications between us. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1e6qcE8ls3rh60i-fis0NvSmhGbdAeLJ_/view?usp=sharing read more

Horrible service. First, it took around 5 days for me to get a hold of someone from the agency. No one was answering any phones. Then, after confirming a showing, the agent failed to show up. I called and left several voicemails on the number she provided and I also emailed her. Two days later, she got back to me and told me that her phone was broken. She should have sent an email. Highly unprofessional. I feel that her phone being broken was unlikely and that she is an unreliable agent from an unreliable agency. Do not give these crooks any business. read more

i had no heat for seven days, with no credit or nothing. rodent infestation windows don't work properly severe cracks in walls, closet, and bathroom. worst customer service in the world!!! hannah and natasha is the worst do not do business with them...run!!!! i don't wish them on my worst enemy, i'm serious don't do it. read more

I rented my studio apartment in Arlington through Natasha. I am an international student studying in graduate school in D.C. I was in my home country looking for studios in Arlington online. But as the Fall semester approached, the price of all the studios, not only in Arlington, but also Pentagon City, and even the D.C. started to rise so quickly. I wanted to look at the apartments in-person before signing a lease, but I couldn't wait longer since I am a student with limited budget. I got in contact with Natasha because I was interested in one of the apartments that was advertised, but I told her all my conditions and she suggested this studio that I now live in. I have been living in this studio for 9 months now, and I have decided to extend my lease for the next year! read more

Disappointing experience. I worked with an agent for about a year to find a condo in DC. For the few months, the agent took interest and sent me listings and was available to show me condos. After that, I received no listings. The only time I heard from the agent was when I contacted the agent with a listing I was interested in. I understand that considering my budget, I may not be the top priority. Which is fine. The main reason for the 1-star rating (I would give less if I could), was that when my offer was accepted by the seller, and I was ready to sign the documents, I realized that the agent had misrepresented the terms to me, as they were not reflected in the contract. So, if I hadn't actually read the full contract again before signing, I would have unknowingly signed on to a deal that I didn't agree too. When I pointed this out, the agent tried to convince me to sign saying that my concerns were without reason and I should just sign the contract. As a first time home buyer, I understand that I may be unreasonable or overly concerned. However, this is completely unacceptable and unethical. I walked away from the deal right away and I was glad i did. read more

Mark manages a home for me in Bloomingdale. I was forced into a last minute move to Kansas City and was 80% done with renovating the house at the time. Crisis. Panic. After cold-calling property managers based off Yelp feedback, I interviewed the top 4 and MSquared was my first choice. In addition to bringing in his own general contractor to finish almost $10K in work on the house, Mark provided great insight into what needed done to get top dollar for the property. Charismatic, thoughtful, and direct, finding Mark and his team was an unbelievable stroke of luck. MSquared quickly got our house in order, put together a wonderful marketing brochure, and had the property rented to solid tenets in no time. read more

In 2011, I was offered a job out of town and needed to quickly move out of my condo. I wanted to test the rental market, but being out of town and in another time zone made it difficult to manage the property myself. At the last minute, I was introduced to M Squared who, in less than one week, took over (at a VERY competitive management fee), cleaned up the unit, marketed it, and a lease was signed in less than 2 weeks. The best part was that the rent we got was almost twice my mortgage!!! 1.5 years later, I was ready to sell the unit. M Squared took over again and we had an offer for full-price in less than 1 week of the listing... the sale closed soon afterwards. Throughout the entire process, I had clear, consistent, and responsive communication from Mark Mlakar and his team. Many thanks for your assistance and stellar customer service! read more

Recently I was offered a job in DC that required me to move from LA to DC in a short amount of time. I contacted M Squared as I've known Mark for a number of years. He was very helpful and thorough in suggesting some properties that would work within my budget and what area of the city fit my needs (i.e. Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill). He was always patient with me as I asked a great deal of questions, and was extremely knowledgeable about the different neighborhoods of DC, which I appreciated since I haven't spent much time in DC in the last few years. Ultimately I ended up not relocating as my current job upped the ante, but I wish that there was a real estate company in LA that is as wonderful and helpful as Mark and his team at M Squared. If I ever end up back in DC, he's going to be my first phone call to help me find a place. read more

KW Real Estate agent here. I worked with Lee Moretz on a transaction in NE DC, for my buyer who recently closed on his home in Trinidad near the NoMa Metro Center. Overall, Lee was ethical and delivered on his promises. We suggested solutions that would benefit both his seller and my buyer and he provided those solutions in a timely manner. He communicated well with me and my client and he understood the importance of the give and take mentality in achieving a win-win agreement that benefited both his seller and my buyer. I do not know how the rest of the agents in your organization operate outside of Lee. What I do know is this. As someone who educates and mentors real estate agents on a daily basis, I can say with confidence that Lee is an honorable man who serves as an exceptional ambassador for your organization. You'll be surprised how many knuckleheads in real estate over promise and under deliver. Unlike those agents, Lee delivered. If I were not a real estate agent and I did not hire an agent from the Santiago Real Estate Team, at KW Capital Properties, I would still feel confident working with Lee. read more

We worked with Amber to sell our house in DC and buy in VA she made the whole experience, in a word, ideal. The marketing for selling our DC duplex was stellar and we had multiple offers just after listing. Amber introduced us to neighborhoods in VA we had never heard of and found us a great little oasis just outside the city. She was always available for our calls/questions, was super patient and incredibly honest. She has also been the best resource for everything in our new community, from contractor recommendations to dog walkers. We have been in our new place now for a few months and love everything about it. You can't go wrong with M Squared...and Amber! read more

M Squared managed my property for a couple years while they weren't responsive to me (mostly things that I didn't really need to know), they were responsive to my tenant and the terms of the agreement were always met. Based on prior experience with other property managers in the district, they were really good. In then end, everything, including monthly statements and the rent was deposited on time, every time. I was pleased and would use them again... That said, I decided to sell my condo and had the same manager act effect the sale. I couldn't believe it, stellar service and top dollar. They did a quick clean up and paint, replaced the appliances, put it up for sale on a Tuesday, open house on Sunday, sold Monday morning, for a good profit. The deal was quick and clean. I was extremely happy and I think the purchaser was please with the outcome as well. All around great, for the little money they take for management, the service was pretty good, no complaints. For the sale, they are grand! read more

M Squared managed my property roughly for 18 months. Their strength is advertising and marketing your units. Otherwise, actually managing and taking care of your property - did not meet my expectations. 1. During my tenants stay my unit HVAC leaked causing major damage to the tenant downstairs. I had a contract to have my HVAC serviced twice a year in place before I signed with Msquared. When I signed up with Msquared, I specifically communicated this to Mark. He shared that they have their own contractors who do this service and that I should cancel my existing contract. The HVAC leaked because they had not serviced the HVAC regularly 2x a year. When I contacted Msquared about the maintenance as outlined in the contract, They initially told they do not provide this service. Which means the unit was not serviced in over a year. Because of this, I was liable for the damage in the below unit. I found the contractor they did employ was not at any significant discount or cost savings for me either. Nothing against the contractor, but more so a reflection that even as property management company, my expectation was passing on of some sort of relationship based or volume pricing. 2. After my tenants moved out, they wrote me that the unit was left in perfect condition. Admittedly I let our contract lapse before checking for myself. Nonetheless when I arrived. This was not my definition of perfect. I wrote immediately sharing photos of scuffed and dirty walls, walls that needed patching, a kitchen cabinet off the hinge, and my deadbolt into the apartment was completely loose (you could literally rotate the lock 360 degrees.) Knowing we were out of contract. I contacted Msquared prefaced the email sharing , "I know were are out of contract." I did not expect any recourse from them, but felt it fair to share feedback. I also shared that I plan to share my feedback with others. Their response: "The kitchen cabinet and door lock are items that are the landlords responsibility to maintain. The tenants are not responsible for them. If you would like us to fix this for you I'm happy to do so if you would like to pay for it." -I will give on the wear and tear. He is right. It is outlined as so. -My question is if those things are my responsibility, then what was your purpose?? And if your knew those things were off base, why not just list in the closing email? Would have been much better to say "The unit has these things currently not in place.." My advice -- be clear on all expectations of what it means to be a property manager and maintenance of your property. read more

I was a tenant of M Squared Real Estate for two years. I originally moved from out of state and I was very nervous about not being able to see the apartment before I rented it. Both Kelly and Hannah were very helpful and assuring that the apartment was in good shape and a perfect place for me to move into. I absolutely adored my apartment. It was my first home away from home. I never really had any issues, but if I did, both Kelly and Hannah were there to respond to me as quickly as possible (even on weekends!). I highly suggest people use M Square Real Estate. They have wonderful customer service and are really just a pleasure to work with. read more

Having M Squared manage the apartment I rented was among the best rental experiences I've had. Every part of the process, from the lease to the rental payments was electronic, paperless, and streamlined. While we didn't have a ton of problems with the unit, when we did they were corrected within 24 hours nearly every time. Overall, the company was easy to deal with and made renting as painless as possible. read more

After living and renting in DC for almost 8 years, I decided to finally take the plunge and buy a condo inside the District. Having met Mark previously through a former coworker, I could not have asked for a better first time home buying experience. He was able to very clearly identify the types of properties that met all of my criteria and that I described to him on our first meeting. He was also extremely patient and responsive with all of my concerns about the property and other options on the market at the time. Due to his guidance and realty expertise in so many DC neighborhoods, I was able to confidently close on property that I am more than happy with in less than 2 months of beginning the entire process. read more

1. Justin handles everything and focuses on the details. After going through the process with Justin, I'm not quite sure why people say buying a house is so hard! Sure, there were papers to be sent in to the lender, etc., but overall, I felt like I had to do very little work other than show up, look at houses/condos and pick the one I wanted. During the last week before closing, we hit a snag and it looked like it might push things back a few weeks. I was sick and traveling and didn't have the energy in me to put up a fight. Thankfully, Justin got on top of it immediately and had the situation resolved within 24 hours. If I'd been left to deal with it myself, I'm pretty sure I would not be a homeowner yet. 2. Justin works through the process at the client's preferred pace. Justin knew I didn't want to speed through the process (I am hugely commitment-phobic) and allowed us to go at a pace that eased me into things so I could get comfortable with home-ownership. Previous agents had tried pushing on me the thinking that I could find a place, get approved and close within 6 weeks of our initial meeting (way too fast for me!!) and I had bailed on them a few weeks into looking. The end result this time was that the process took four months but I was 100% into the purchase and could not wait to sign the closing docs. That said, I know that Justin would be gotten me into a place much more quickly if that's what I had wanted. 3. Having worked on the Hill for so many years, Justin understands how quickly schedules change and that many of us don't have the ability to jet out for an hour at lunch. I found Justin was extremely flexible and never unavailable, except for when he had previously scheduled commitments with other clients. For me, it meant either very early morning visits or weekends, never during the day and rarely in the evening. 4. When I first started out, I was convinced I wanted a rowhouse. I refused to look at condos for at least the first 2-3 weeks, even though Justin initially suggested that I consider both types of homes. Eventually I did agree to start looking at condos and I think it took two trips out before I fell in love with the one I purchased. I really appreciated, though, that Justin let me work towards the condo on my own and didn't push me in a direction I wasn't keen on yet. read more

I contracted with the company to sell my condo. The agent gives a high estimate then the offer price on the contract is 30K lower. Then they are negligent in responding to problems opening sellers to potential risk. Communication is very poor and the managing broker does nothing but make excuses for the negligence of his agents. They are just rude and incompetent. Avoid at all costs read more

Their agents falsely lure customers into applying for rental units they have no legitimate intent to rent out. They also encourage renters to include unattractive features on their applications. This is a fraudulent practice, and they cash the application fees immediately before delivering negative news on applications. I'd rate them 0 stars if I could for such deceptive practices, and wouldn't recommend to anyone seeking honest and decent housing in DC. read more

I fell in love with an apartment that M squared was managing. I realized it was out of my price range and was unable to rent it, but through the entire process was very impressed with Jess Wilkie. Jess was patient and attentive during my search. She was honest with us about the realities of the apartment and I felt very comfortable working with her. I highly recommend M Squared and Jess specifically for those looking to rent or buy in DC. read more

I have used M Squared Real Estate for four years as a long distance landlord. I can sleep well at night knowing that my house is in good hands. I have dealt with Mark, Kelly and Hannah. They are professional, knowledgeable, efficient and good communicators. If I were looking for a management company, home/apartment rental or purchase in DC I would definitely go with M Squared. read more

My husband and I bought a condo in Logan Circle, working with one of the agents, Joshua. He helped us make the right decisions, was extremely knowledgable about his profession, as well as the area in which we were buying. He has continued to keep us abreast of any developments that would be important to us. HIghly recommend M Squared, Mark the owner, and Joshua the vice-president. read more

I am someone who has always been skeptical about the value of real estate agents, but I was pleasantly surprised by the work done by M Squared. I mostly interacted with Mark, the head of the company. He is very professional, extremely competent (as someone with an investing background, I was reassured by his in-depth knowledge of the DC real estate market) and responsive (most of my e-mails were responded to in less than an hour). And now, of course, what matters: M Squared was able to get me an offer above my asking price in less than four days on the market (I got the highest price for a unit w/o parking in the history of my building). I think the staging furniture they used was one of the main reasons why it sold so fast. The interior decorator they use is awesome. Overall, great experience, and while I'm still skeptical about real estate agents, I would go to M Squared when I'm in the market again. read more

I have both lived in a property managed by M Squared and purchased a house through the company (with the assistance of Mark Mlakar). Both my experiences were positive. On the management side, my concerns were promptly addressed by the company and they were always communicative about site visits and processes. In terms of real estate, I also successfully purchased a house with Mark's guidance in just over 5 weeks, start to finish. Mark is very knowledgeable about the DC housing market and helped me keep my expectations and options realistic yet with an investment focus. Mark was generous with his time and quick to respond to comments, questions, or concerns. I am very satisfied with my overall experience with M Squared! read more

Mark did a fabulous job for me! I was remote to DC and I needed someone who could handle everything for me: repairs, staging, selling and closing the deal. It was all accomplished in 6 weeks start to finish. Very easy, very smooth. And he was fun to work with!!! Five stars plus!!!! Thank you Mark! read more

I highly recommend using Eric Nicholson as a real estate agent. He did a great job for me and my family. If he says he's going to do something, he does it. He made the process very simple, straightforward and stress free. At the end of the day, what you want is somebody that's going to be on your side, not a someone who is slick and who's just looking out for themselves and their commission. I think that head and shoulders above the rest of the people out there, Eric really took my needs into consideration and really made sure that we found what i was looking for. There was no pressuring, no nudging me in any direction - just helping us make the right decision for my family. I would highly recommend him and would use him again! God bless. read more

Amber Gould at M Squared did a great job for us, finding a great home on a cul de sac in Alexandria in a short period of time and working through some of the inevitable complications that come up in any move. Thanks Amber! read more

Eric was great!!! Love M Squared and their quality of service in helping me to find my second home.

Since our son rented his condo in April of 2015, sadly my first review was very late. This one is much more prompt. Our son was a buyer this time and closed less than two weeks ago. Eric Nicholson was on point with the emails of available properties. At first our son did not know if was going to rent again, or look at buying. Once he started looking at the numbers, buying made a lot more sense. Eric was again very professional, and he had very good advice. After one deal did not come together on price, our son was outbid on a full price offer, then he was ready to make an offer on a third property. With Eric's guidance, our son made an offer that was lower than full ask, but hit the sweet spot so the offer was accepted later that day without any additional negotiations. Plus, they were able to pull off a three week closing, which was essential for our son and his crazy work/travel schedule. read more

My agent, Lee Moretz, was wonderful and made the entire process incredibly low-stress which was important to me as a first-time homebuyer. Lee did an awesome job from generating search results based on my preferences, finding additional info on potential candidates, walking me thru the offer process, negotiating a fair offer on my behalf, and helping me close out on-time. Through it all, Lee paid attention to the things that I asked for and was able to provide tremendous value to the whole process. I would definitely recommend Lee to someone who is buying a home for the first time. My profile: consulting professional working for a Big 4 firm in DC and looking for (and found!) property near mass transit. read more

Most unprofessional, unethical and conniving "realtors", I've ever encountered! They are late for showings, don't answer your phone calls but text instead, and try to hussle you worse then a con man would! STAY AWAY!! In a time and date, where real estate is suffering you would think that a realtor- who is nothing more than a sales man, would try to make a deal by selling properties, instead they just lie to see how much they can get from you! TERRIBLE TERRIBLE TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE! read more

Great experience with our agent Amber Gould who helped us buy a townhouse in Arlington. She was very responsive and guided us through the process. read more

I just purchased a condo with Justin Paulhamus as my agent. All around fantastic experience. I have purchased a number of properties and never before felt like I really had someone on my side (paying attention to and explaining the numbers at closing, working with unresponsive seller's agents, and meeting on short notice). He very quickly was able to get a sense of what I was looking for and was all around wonderful throughout the entire process. Couldn't recommend him more! read more

I recently sold my Dupont one bedroom condo with Mark Mlakar at M Squared Real Estate. His team was extremely professional throughout the various phases of the sale. His recommendations were spot on and he put a gorgeous marketing package together quickly. He quickly responded to phone calls and emails and was a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend M Squared and would work with his team again in an instant. read more

I bought a house using M Squared Real Estate a few months ago in 2012. The agent helped me using MLS to identify every property in my price range in the areas I was interested in and then we visited them all. My agent had a great command of the city and current real estate. His knowledge was different than any other agent I had consulted or the one I used to buy my previous home in DC. M Squared supported me flawlessly through the transaction. I was living in Boston in the time of purchase, and their e-communication was quick and through. They were super helpful during inspection, keeping an electronic list of issues that needed to be fixed before the sale was complete. Most of all I felt like the agent cared about me and the process. I now think of M Squared as a life long relationship. In a few more years when I need a bigger place, I would definitely use them to sell my house and buy a new one. You have me hooked. read more

Jessica Wilkie is fantastic. Totally on her game and easy to work with. She made an otherwise intimidating and stressful process a breeze. I'd work with her again in a heartbeat. read more