Amanda recently helped my boyfriend and me find a new apartment, and our experience couldn't have been better. She's friendly, honest, smart, and extremely professional, and she showed us some great apartments that we wouldn't have found on our own. She also knows all the important questions to ask (which we didn't), so we never experienced any hidden fees from owners/management companies. We are completely in love with our new place, and we couldn't have gotten it without Amanda's help. As new business school graduates, we had a tricky employment situation, and Amanda helped guide us through the application process. We would definitely work with her again! read more

DO NOT trust this real estate company!!!!! "Joe" if that's even his name because I can't find his information on the website, is a huge flake, unprofessional, and can't even have the decency to answer someone he's been stringing along for 2 weeks. Listen to the reviews that say this company is sketchy! He said I was next for an apartment and then I never heard from him again, tried calling, texting and emailing as he told me I was first in line for this place, and I didn't hear from him until I called him on a different phone. He purposefully ignored me for 5 days so he didn't have to be straight up with me and tell me he gave the apartment to someone else. What kind of business professional are you? The worst experience I've had with a realtor. Don't give your money to this sketchy real estate company and don't trust "Joe" with anything unless you want to get screwed over and waste your time. read more

Something is very fishy about this realty office. Many agents that claim to be working with Reliance (or Heritage Realty) are extremely shady and unprofessional. If you call the office number, they refer to themselves as Heritage Realty. You should avoid the following agents: Isaac Aryeh &Joseph Aryeh. The phone lists a Michael and Nathaniel Aryeh, but neither Isaac nor Joseph. I had set up appointments to view two units, and they did not show up. The super was supposed to let me in for both units, but the super was no where to be found. After waiting for 15 minutes outside in the snowstorm (might I add for each unit), I left. It is hard to get someone to rent a unit that they never see. Charlie/Chuck Newman, used various different phone numbers, email addresses, and names and when I wanted to put in an offer for a unit, said there was $600 in fees to apply for the unit. 100 for each credit check, 150 for lease preparation, and 250 for management preparation. Needless to say I did not go ahead with that unit. I had the pleasure of talking to Amanda, she was very nice and helpful in making sure that Chuck was a real person. read more

Colin is your man! A straight shooting, genuinely kind and thoughtful guy, Colin was with us every step of the way during our apartment hunt and often went above the call of duty to meet us after hours, send us photos and updates (the place was being renovated), and respond patiently and cheerfully to our 1000's of questions in the evenings, early mornings and even weekends! Everyone else I interacted with at Reliance Realty was similarly super professional and very customer service oriented. They, unlike most other brokers I encountered, are not trying to force you into a place you won't like. The apartment we ended up with was, by far, the best of ALL FIFTEEN (yes,15) places I viewed. Not only is it gorgeously renovated with top-of-the line finishes, all new floors, and appliances (including an in-unit W/D!), but it is in an elevator building that happens to be amazingly situated near transit. AND, the cherry topping to all of this? It was a NO FEE apartment, with a free month!! Looking back, it just seems too good to be true, and I have Colin to thank for that. If you are already despairing about your next NYC apartment hunt, don't--call Colin; he is GOLD! read more

The apartment found by Amanda has been terrible. I strongly suggest not going through this broker / real estate agency. I moved into a "newly renovated" unit but all the work was poorly made and required repairs. Gas has been shut down in the building because of illegal work in an other unit in the building. It's been now more than 2 months and gas hasn't been turned back on. I asked several time to the landlord a rebate on the rent which he did not agree to so far. Amanda was CCed communication with the landlord but didn't help at all. Mailboxes have been changed but new keys haven't been given to me. It's been now more than 2 weeks without being able to access my mail. The stairs of the building are never cleaned. read more

DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE AS YOUR REALTOR. Colin and Ebony did not help make my move any easier. They take too long to respond to your questions or concerns but when it comes to having money due they are making you jump through hoops. The building ( owned by StellarManagement) they set me and my roommates up with is a dump and Colin had told us that there would be a deadbolt replaced on the door ( did not happen we had to replace it and install it ourselves) and that we could move in early ( not at all ). We also have not had hot water in our shower and the answer that we were given was "Leave the water running". This group has set us up with an overall horrible building and management company ( review for StellarManagement coming soon) and I wouldn't trust them to set me up with another home in the future. read more

Charles Newman is incredibly unprofessional and inconsiderate. Like, wow. I wish I had did thorough research on him prior to agreeing to meet with him. I would've QUICKLY found that other people had the same nightmarish experience with him, or worse. I've never encountered a real estate agent that fully sets up a viewing for an apartment and then on the day of absolutely cannot be reached. That is incredibly disrespectful to yourself as a business man, the company you work for and to other's time, energy and money. I texted him a few hours earlier to get our viewing pushed back 30 minutes because a landlord that we met with prior to him was late and put us behind schedule. I asked if that were POSSIBLE, because wanted to give ourselves a time cushion. If he said that was not possible, we would've made it our duty to arrive at the agreed upon time. I received no response and the annoyance and disrespect began when I called. I called and was sent to voicemail with one of Apple's automated text message response options, "Sorry, I can't talk right now." Okay, strange, I thought. We have an appointment scheduled for today, you haven't reached out to me regarding my confirmation of it, and you're on your phone selecting an automated text message response to send to me instead of answering the phone and explaining that you are no longer able to meet. I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and thought he could be driving, or on the train, or genuinely busy, so I waited a few minutes and called back. Same automated text response. And again. And again. Weirdo. Karma is very real. read more

I had the pleasure of working with Ebony and Colin and they were very helpful and honest. The apartment seemed too good to be true at first, however, it was just as advertised. No hidden fees or extra obstacles. Both were friendly and knowledgeable which is reassuring when apartment hunting. I highly recommend the pair of them! read more

If I could post less than 1 star, I would. Rude, unprofessional, and ignorant are all great ways in describing the way this business is ran. Avoid them at all costs, these people are toxic. read more

Amanda Schmieder made the moving process easy and painless. Everything was done professionally and quickly. In addition, she was very communicative. Overall, I would recommend Reliance/Amanda to anyone looking to move. read more

DO NOT, DO NOT DO NOT use Reliance Realty. They are associated with a SCAM ARTIST, Charles (Chuck) Newman: I found an apartment - no fee - and he was the one who claimed to be the realtor. He tried to scam almost *****$1000 dollars***** in application fees from me and my roommates! AND, every time I was supposed to meet him in person (in the Reliance Realty office or elsewhere), HE CAME UP WITH AN EXCUSE FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO MAKE IT! This man claimed that the "$1000" is what their company, Reliance Realty. charges for fees (AS A NO FEE LISTING)... To put this in perspective, people, I told him to "eff" off, and got a new apartment. You want to know what me and my roommates paid in fees for my current abode? $50/person for credit check. THAT'S IT! $150 total. NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER use this company. They will scam you out of your money. read more

Amanda Schmieder from Reliance Realty helped my roommates and I on our first move out. She was very patient, showing us all the apartments in our price range, and gave great tours of the neighborhood while pointing out all the amenities that were just down the street. Definitely would ask for her help by name next time we're looking to move out. read more

I worked with Colin and Ebony. Both were extremely friendly, helpful and easy to work with. They were and continue to be very helpful. I wouldn't really say this is a scam. You are told up front that there is a $100 application fee it's up to you to proceed if you want to apply. The first rent bill will show a $500 application fee, that is each room mate's $100 if its a 5 room apartment, so just ignore that bill if you paid it upfront. Whether or not that $100 was a high application fee/scam, I dont know but I already paid it and moved in so what can I do. Reliance Realty is the middle man between you and the landlord/building management. Reliance has been great to work with. Monarch, however, which is the building management is HORRIBLE. They don't answer calls or emails.Have been living here 1 month and have yet to receive back a signed copy of the lease. Luckily I like the place and everything else is exactly as advertised! read more

Amanda is great. She was friendly and easy to work with the entire time, she showed us some great apartments that were exactly what we were looking for, and it was never weird or pressured. I would (and will) definitely recommend her to any friends I have that are looking for a broker for the UWS. read more

I worked with Colin at Reliance Realty and he was fantastic from the minute I first contacted him. He was recommended to me by a friend. He showed us a bunch of places in our area of interest and was very knowledgeable about the entire area. He was also fun to chat with and his calm and casual personality really helped to make the process much less stressful. One thing that stuck out was when when we finally decided on a place at the end of the day, Colin offered to pay for a cab ride over to the realty office so we could start the application as soon as possible. That was really an example of going the extra mile and we felt like he had our best interest at heart every step of the way. We've been at our place 2 months now and couldn't be happier. Can't speak for the other agents at Reliance, but Colin was the best! read more

I am sure their listings are real but when I looked them up on the dos.gov site none of the agents were registered. They claim that they make no commission from us that the landlord will pay them and then after getting approved for an apartment they hit you with a fee. Also, the pictures of the studio for 1650 were false. When I went to the apartment I saw that it was just as big as my walking closet. You can barely fit an arm in the closet at this unit. The pictures that were put up were from another unit in the building.I understand that this is how brokers make their money but it is very misleading and I was very displeased. Chuck Newman wrote me an email stating that I would have to pay 500 dollar cash to hold the apartment. If i wasn't approved or didn't take the apartment the 400 dollars would be returned. The 100 wouldn't be because it would be used for the credit check. I didn't take the apartment and my money was never returned. This was on Feb 28th On March 4th a few days letter I went to pick up the money they owed me back. Their office on 56th street as someone else on this page described it is very fishy. Everyone walks around as if they have some hidden agenda and the brokers in the office are extremely disrespectful and unpleasant. I showed up with my Bags because I was in the middle of a move and spoke to one of the guys who I had to flag down because he didn't even acknowledge I was there. I had told him I had given Jacob my 500 dollar deposit and would like to speak to him or Chuck. He said neither of them were around and didn't even ask if I would like to leave a message. Instead he went to the room located right behind the receptionist area and prepared himself a breakfast. I am still trying to get my money back and if I were you, I would avoid making a deal with any of these people. None are there to help you. read more

Amanda Schmeider was incredibly professional, communicating with us every step of the way and calming our fears during our sale. The process was painless and quick (for a coop sale!) and we could not be happier. Thanks! read more

Generally incompetent and unable to manage very basic components of apartment buildings without significant inconveniences to their tenants. These guys seemingly have no idea how to plan for the issues that arise, and generally play catch-up and crisis management on a regular basis - poorly at that. They are very friendly to deal with, but don't let that fool you to miss the reality that they don't communicate well, and will make excuse after excuse regarding how poorly prepared they are to handle things. In the end, it will come down on you, the tenant, and they will act like there's really nothing they can do about it. The reality is, that they just don't know what to do, and actually can't fix problems. Beware and look elsewhere for an apartment if Gemstone is your potential management company. read more

I worked with Amanda, who was fantastic! She listened to my needs, was honest about the inventory and opinions on apartments and helped guide me through the application process! Would definitely recommend and work with her again! read more

We couldn't give Colin any higher of a recommendation. He was so accommodating, meeting us whenever we asked and providing quick and accurate information time and time again. We had an unusually long apartment search (over a month) and Colin was with us the whole way. We are now in a GORGEOUS apartment we couldn't have gotten without his help. He really went above and beyond and we'll be sure to recommend him to everyone we know from here on out. read more

My husband and I worked with Amanda Schmieder from Reliance Realty this summer to help us sell our coop in Manhattan and we had an amazing experience. From the moment we started working together she was professional and available to answer any and all questions. Her company took beautiful professional photos of our apt and had an open house within 10 days of discussing the sale. Amanda coordinated numerous offers we received while providing excellent advice during negotiations. The apartment was in contract within one month and everything ran smoothly. We would highly recommend her and her team for friendly and fast service with great results. read more

Amanda is an ANGEL! My boyfriend and I were looking to move from Astoria to the city and Amanda was amazing! She showed us a few apartments in our price range, including one that was being renovated, but she got us in to see it last minute due her great working relationship with the super of the building. We saw the apartment and loved it! She made the application process incredibly easy and not stressful! We ended up getting the apartment and Amanda was genuinely happy for us. In addition to that she highlighted the great aspects of the neighborhood and pointed out some things that we shouldn't miss. Amanda is very professional, but her personality and attitude helped us make the decision, she is a joy to work with. read more

Amanda was excellent. She showed me apartments that I actually liked (and one that I ended up taking), she was very upfront with pricing and building information as well as neighborhood information, advocated on my behalf for some adjustments I was seeking to the apartment (with successful results), and was very responsive--even after I signed the lease. As an example of how Amanda went out of her way to accommodate me, I was supposed to sign the lease on a weekday and was unable to because of work. Without hesitation, Amanda offered to meet me on a Saturday instead at the apartment and take care of it with me there. I enjoyed working with her and highly recommend her to anyone looking for an apartment. read more

At the beginning of the school year, Ebony helped me find an apartment. She did so, while I was in California. Never having lived on the East Coast, I trusted her with my living situation, and took the place sight unseen on her recommendation. On top of this, she found roommates, also students, that she believed I would get along with. Not only was Ebony right on all accounts, but she was helpful throughout the entire process, making sure I was comfortable with every decision, every step of the way. Needless to say she understood my situation, was honest about the process, was incredibly professional, and made the process a lot less stressful than it would have otherwise been. Ebony is an OUTSTANDING real estate agent who looks out for her tenants. read more

I have worked with Reliance Realty for the past 2 years to find my last 2 apartments. Last year, I worked with Amanda to find a 2 bedroom apartment in Harlem with the requirement that both bedrooms had to be able to fit queen sized beds. This year, I am working with Michael Schwartz to find a 1 bedroom apartment with a pretty low budget. Both agents are amazing and will work harder than anyone else to find you a place to live. This year, Michael has worked extremely hard to find me a place to live. No other broker will care as much about finding you an apartment and not just any apartment, but a place that you will actually like. Other brokers will show you trashy apartments in trashy neighborhoods and hope they can persuade you (aka con you) into taking it. These brokers have actual quality apartments to show and if for some reason you don't like one, they will work even harder to find something you do like. I wholeheartedly recommend using them if you ever need to rent an apartment in NYC. read more

I saw a listing on StreetEasy, and contacted Amanda, a manager to schedule a showing. Amanda was responsive, but unavailable during my requested time, so she scheduled a showing with another broker, JORDAN. Jordan greeted me outside the showing, and was prompt, friendly, professional, and ENTHUSIASTIC! He introduced me to the building manager, and walked me through the renovations the unit, and building were completing. He had other showings lined up, and pretexted me to confirm I was available. It would be great if JORDAN could work on knowing a bit more about a particular unit's specs - square footage, and the landlords policy on sublets, especially - but his enthusiasm far outweighed this point. Most remarkable, JORDAN seemed interested in creating a positive broker / client impression, and possibly securing a client for the long term, not just right now. He knew that I was likely to renew my current lease, due to my extremely tight schedule, and need for a large unit, but tried nonetheless, and came up with a few possibilities. It was refreshing to work with a trustworthy broker, especially in a town full of salesmen interested in the quick buck. Thanks again Jordan. read more

Amanda at Reliance Realty is awesome! She found me a great apartment for a really good price, and was very patient with my endless questions and requests to see the place multiple times. I've already recommended her to friends who I know are looking in the same area and I would definitely use her again in the future. read more

Colin was an absolute pleasure to work with! My BF and I were looking for a new apartment in Washington Heights and reached out to Colin via a listing on a Friday morning. Within 10 minutes Colin replied confirming he would meet us Saturday morning at the apartment. While viewing the apartment, he could tell we weren't really into it and asked what we were ideally looking for. After talking for a bit, he showed us another apartment which we absolutely LOVED. We put in an application that afternoon and heard back on Monday that we were approved. He and the management company were easy to work with, they even let us move in early to accommodate our schedules. Throughout the entire application process, and in the weeks after, Colin was there to answer any questions and explain all details. When it is time to move (which would be no time in the immediate future because we LOVE our apartment), our first and likely only call will be to Colin! read more

Ebony Shye from Reliance Realty was a huge help when my boyfriend and I wanted to rent a one-bedroom apartment on the Upper West Side! I'll expand on this review later - I'm in the middle of moving right now. :) read more

Ebonie and the other agents were very professional and showed genuine interest to help me and my friends find the right apartment. We ended up selecting a great apartment on the upper west. It was exactly what we wanted. Talk to Ebonie about your apartment needs, am sure you'll be another happy client. read more

Amanda Schmeider is probably the most unprofessional realtor/agent I have ever dealt with. She was completely unresponsive and quite frankly to this day has never responded to my numerous inquiries regarding her rental properties even though I was a referral. I'm perplexed by her lack of professionalism and frankly surprised by the positive feedback she has received because she honestly doesn't care about helping, simply about a large commission it would seem. Beware. read more

I had been trying to hunt for apartments via Craigslist and I was experiencing nothing but frustration. Amanda Schmieder made the whole process so much easier. The difference was like night and day. Amanda quickly found me apartments to see in the my target neighborhood, and was flexible and patient when it came to viewing them. When I decided I wanted to expand my search, she was incredibly helpful in finding me neighborhoods that would meet my needs, but where I could get more bang for my buck. Even after signing the lease, Amanda kept in contact to make sure my transition went smoothly, and to answer all my questions. Top notch service - my highest recommendation! read more

We worked with both Amanda Schmieder and Max Smuylan during our recent relocation to NYC. We had a particularly complicated situation as we were relocating from Asia, and only had a limited time frame to secure a place as well as a very limited relocation budget. Not to mention, we did not have the "normal" application with previous landlords, etc. since we had been living outside of the United States for a number of years. Both Amanda and Max clearly understood our situation, advocated successfully on our behalf, and helped us secure our first choice apartment in a great neighborhood within our budget and timeframe. We were very unfamiliar with the apartment rental process in New York, and Amanda and Max clearly and knowledgeably explained how things work. They communicated consistently throughout the process, and both were patient with our somewhat picky needs (especially considering our price point). The process was straightforward, and Amanda and Max were honest, friendly, and pleasant to work with. We highly recommend working with them, and will definitely use their services for our future apartment needs. read more