Melissa goes above and beyond, she has navigated difficult sellers, HOA, and Management Companies…read moreto ensure that tight and nearly impossible timelines were made possible.

Melissa talked us through all the ins and outs of first-time home buying. Everything went smoothly,…read morewe understood what we were getting into, and greatly appreciate her de-stressing a complicated and important process.

Terri is amazing! She really knows her stuff and knows the city of Chicago - she helped my husband…read moreand I find our first home within only a month of working together. Terri came to us through a recommendation from a friend, and I plan to recommend her to friends who are looking to buy in Chicago.

Had a bad experience with Terry as the listing agent on my home. She wasn't very attentive to my…read moreneeds and seemed more interested in getting the deal done quickly to get her commission. She made some last second changes to the deal so that she could get it done fast without discussing with me, even though it costed me money, so be wary. During this deal the buyer agent told me some of Terry's practices were unconventional and not standard. Also, things weren't done in a timely manner and any delay with the listing and processing of paperwork was always her "assistant's fault." Overall, clear lack of professionalism.

Excellent service from Marjorie and Henry. Almost all other agents will quit finding you a place…read more No pressure to pick a place. They use the Zenlist app which is fantastic and light years ahead of the archaic MLS website. I'd recommend them to others just on this feature. I needed a special accommodation, a regular 120V (Level 1) power outlet for my car. Doesn't seem like a hard accommodation, however almost all 3rd party owners/managers/agents are just an example of pure laziness. They do not understand at all, repetitively say they don't have Tesla chargers (never asked for 240V (Level 2)), or ask for photos of what a wall outlet looks like. Some advice for other electric-hybrid owners: I recommend if you need a place for your hybrid/EV to just aim for a place with a garage. Better that you drive by the unit to see if they have an outlet if outdoors. Generally you'll get more movement if you request a tour but then it's a waste when they get back after that tour, that they won't install an outdoor outlet (like for lighting decorations). I've done this for a few moves. You should clear the power access terms out in your lease, in writing. Protections if any access is blocked. Ask for install if you do an extended lease. They won't do this, then what if an indoor outlet breaks, will they refuse? Thirteen years after the first plug in and to have this much trouble is unreal. Retrospect, do not entertain any management entity that refuses to answer any questions prior to app fee. However that's if you have time to keep looking. Get info on all fees, and all questions answered prior. Some places bring up surprise fees after, wanting both a fee and sec. dep. One place did a bait and switch, claimed yes you could overnight charge, and after approval said you cannot charge here.

Marjorie Allabastro and her brother Matthew are nothing short of the best real estate brokers I…read morehave ever dealt with. My background is in real estate law, and so when it came time to engage brokers to purchase our first home, my past experience made me wary and suspicious of brokers, but Marjorie and Matthew almost instantly dissolved all my concerns. They are conscientious, knowledgeable, and diligently fierce advocates for their clients. It is hard to know where to start in terms of heaping on the praise. When we started working with them, they spent a great deal of time and care asking about our unique needs, desires, and aversions. They listened closely and were able to craft tours all over the city showing us buildings that aligned with our goals. Marjorie and Matthew have a tremendous knowledge of the city, and we never took a tour with them without learning something new about the areas we were visiting. Further, with a family background in construction, they also have a deep knowledge of the ins and outs of a building and were able to alert us to possible hidden issues we would not have noticed on our own. They were absolutely invaluable resources in this and many other respects. Throughout the very stressful process of buying our new home, Marjorie was always available to us even at very odd hours. In fact, I have secret suspicions that Marjorie may never actually sleep! She was generally responsive within minutes of a phone call, text or email. She went out of her way to make sure we were aware that informing us and advocating for us were her primary goals. Our seller turned out to be a very difficult and problematic individual, and closing was fraught with issues. Where every other broker I have dealt with would be impatiently drumming their fingers and waiting for their commission, Marjorie and Matthew instead continued to staunchly support us and advocate for us. We could not be more grateful that we had them at our sides during this stressful process. Well after closing Marjorie continues to reach out and send us helpful insight and information and offer support. We will be forever grateful to them. There could truly be no better in this business. I wholeheartedly recommend the Allabastros without qualification or reservation. They will easily meet and exceed all expectations.

I first met Karen a little over three years ago when I started researching my first condo. I had…read moreworked with a few other Realtors, but never felt like they understood what I was looking for, or were interested in building a long term relationship with me as a client. Karen was different - she treated me like one of her clients looking for a million dollar condo and commission to match (I definitely was not)...To top it off I had a very small neighborhood I was open to viewing (maybe a square mile). Along with her patience with me as a first time buyer, Karen provided excellent real estate advice and referred me to fantastic colleagues to provide lending and real estate law services. Karen helped me find the perfect place and I couldn't be happier. I would highly recommend Karen for any real estate needs.

A coworker recommended Karen to me when I began my first condo search in Chicago and was…read moredissatisfied with the pushy realtors I met. I cannot be more thankful. She has spotted special assessment level defects that I would never have noticed and that might not have been in board meeting minutes, helped imagine renovations, given sage advice on issues critical to long term value of the condo, and been excellent during negotiations. All while making me laugh, feel comfortable, never smooth talking, and leaving the impression that I was her only client. My partner said, "You get the sense that she doesn't need the money, that she does real estate because she loves it." He's right and it'sobvious. After a friend went on showings with Karen and me, he left his agent after the contract expired and started with Karen. At first I doubted the value of a real estate agent because these days the internet has a wealth of up-to-date listings, past sale data, and other relevant information about buildings and the units themselves. Those data have certainly helped me in my search. However, working with Karen, it's clear no DIY research online can return close to the value she brings in terms of dollars and the security that someone highly competent is double-checking and questioning my decisions.

We strongly recommend working with Stephanie Cutter and her team…read more She's helped us buy two condos and sell one. In each case she listened closely to our needs and provided the expert guidance, advocacy, and resources we needed to feel confident in our decisions. Not only is her team excellent, but she has an extensive network of contacts that she willingly engaged and connected us with to consult on everything from mortgage and legal questions to contractors. She has also been there for us in several important moments in between, like when we needed an expert perspective on some complicated HOA dynamics. And we really appreciate the resources on home ownership she and her team share regularly. To say she goes above and beyond is an understatement, and she is also one of the kindest and smartest people we know. She will absolutely be our first call if we ever decide to move again in the future.

Stephanie helped my wife and I with our move from Florida to Chicago. Although we only had a…read moreweekend to look at properties, she created an agenda of listings for us to view and adjusted in real-time based on our interest. Thanks to her help and experience, we were able to find a condo we loved by the end of the weekend. Afterwards, she helped assist with the closing process making it absolutely seamless. Cannot recommend working with Stephanie enough for any of your real estate needs in Chicago!

Rachel was my realtor in April of 2014, and she was able to work out nothing short of a miracle for…read moremy fiancé and I - finding us a beautiful home within our price range with less-than-perfect. She was always punctual to every appointment, readily available to answer questions, and and generous with helpful solutions to whatever problems we encountered. In short, Rachel Montiel is a consummate professional and a first-class realtor. I would recommend her to any and everyone!

As a first time home-buyers, we were nervous about the whole process. Rachel helped spell things…read moreout for us and walk us through every step. She's not only extremely professional, she's also very personable and took time to get to know my partner and I and assess our needs. I highly recommend using Rachel as your realtor. She's wonderful in about a million different ways.

After 42 years in the same small town, I found myself moving to Chicago to start a new job. I was…read moreat a loss perusing websites and walking around neighborhoods trying to find the perfect condo to rent. Friends told me about Samantha and encouraged me to contact her. I was wary about using a realtor initially, but Samantha asked me to send her a prioritized list of what I wanted in my new home and she began sending me listings - this showed me that she listened to me. After seeing about 15 condos, my priority list shifted and Samantha took it all in stride. Beyond her exceptional responsiveness and willingness to show me properties all over the city, her extensive knowledge of the neighborhoods and good restaurants was out of this world! Samantha is so personable and loves the uniqueness of Chicago: She often took pictures of the architecture, vintage appliances, and fun details (a Koi pond with a waterfall at one condo!). I cannot recommend her enough!

Samantha's the best! She was really attentive to our needs and our communication style. Our…read morehouse-hunt came about somewhat unexpectedly, she definitely took a lot of anxiety and uncertainty out of the process. Sam had excellent insight into areas of consideration in our search and helped guide us into making the best decisions to suit our lifestyle. She referred us to other qualified professionals throughout. Thanks, Sam!

I couldn't have asked for a better realtor than Liz. I had started working with a couple others…read morethat were difficult and never getting back to me, but then I got a referral from a friend and I'm glad I did. My entire search process lasted almost 6 months because I am so picky and didn't want to budge on amenities in my building or price, but Liz never lost interest or momentum in the search. When I found places I wanted to go see and visit, it seemed like Liz dropped everything and made herself available in case the condo was going to move fast. She responded to emails and calls extremely quickly too. She knows the neighborhoods and each building very well, and it helped a lot since I was moving from out of state to Chicago. In all, the process was much smoother than I had even hoped, and I will definitely work with Liz in the future. Thanks!

I was a first time home buyer and couldn't be happier with Liz. Every question or concern that I…read morehad during this whole process (and there were many), was addressed in an understanding and thoughtful way. I never felt dumb for "first time home-buyer" type questions and was always confident that Liz had my best interest in mind. What else was great, was that while viewing homes, Liz would think of all sorts of questions to ask other realtors and neighbors that NEVER would have occurred to me. I should also mention that despite being an admittedly picky buyer, Liz was always happy to continue working with me to find a place that she knew I would be happy with. Liz was very knowledgable about the areas that I was looking in and very understanding about my openness to explore multiple areas. She found a lot of great places for me to view and was also happy to show me the occasional place that I found as well. Liz's negotiating skills are second to none and I'm extremely glad that she was on my side during all this. She was very strong, but reasonable while negotiating with the other party, and would not let me settle for less than I might have otherwise. Again, I'm glad she was on my side. At one point, the seller offered and a conciliatory AC unit in leu of a faulty washer/dryer. In a respectful, yet strong way, Liz let them know that that was unacceptable. I would recommend Liz to anybody with zero hesitation. She was very helpful throughout the entire process and I trust her entirely - which is something that I value highly. I will use Liz in the future and encourage you to do so too. You will be happy that you did.