Greg Timmes was such a fantastic help to me and my roommate in our recent apartment hunt. He was…read moreresponsive, kind, and genuine. Anyone who has been on the NYC apartment scene knows that someone like Greg is an incredibly rare find. He is truly fantastic at his job! Highly recommend that anyone and everyone work with him.

I had an extremely frustrating experience working with this realtor, Ying Lo. Communication was…read morepoor from the beginning, and multiple apartment-viewing appointments were never properly coordinated or followed up on, despite repeated attempts to connect. As a serious and qualified applicant, I felt completely disregarded throughout the process. The lack of professionalism ultimately cost me the opportunity to secure an apartment I was genuinely interested in. In addition, the tone of the communication was at times dismissive and rude, which made the experience even worse. Based on my experience, it felt like certain applicants may have already been preselected, while others were not given a fair opportunity or transparent communication regarding the listings. I would strongly recommend improving responsiveness, professionalism, and fairness when dealing with prospective tenants, or request for someone else

Vanessa made my NY housing search process seamless; I truly could not have done it without her. As…read moreanyone knows who does the NYC search from afar, it is incredibly difficult to line up showings and act fast on great options. Through several initial calls, Vanessa went above and beyond to initially get to know my needs/wants in the search and would line up several showings for weekend trips I could make it up to NY. When I wasn't available to make the trip, she would go out of her way to do a virtual showings with me, even going so far to walk around the neighborhood on video so I got the lay of the land. Vanessa's reliable, calm and optimistic demeanor keep me going and ultimately we found the perfect spot. I couldn't recommend Vanessa enough and would absolutely use her for any future housing searches I have!

We've had the absolute privilege of working with Alex Raffa at Lofty since March 2024, and after…read moreover a year of incredible patience, care, and expertise, he just helped us finalize a beautiful apartment in April 2025 for our son, who is attending Columbia University Irving Medical Center. From day one, Alex has been nothing short of exceptional, kind, generous with his time, endlessly patient, and unbelievably knowledgeable about the NYC market. Coming from LA, we had so much to learn, and Alex guided us with grace, professionalism, and warmth. He never pressured us, always listened, educated us thoroughly, and stayed consistently positive and supportive through every twist and turn. He's not just an agent, he's a true advisor, teacher, and advocate. His attention to detail, communication skills, and deep understanding of the market are truly rare. And beyond all that, he's simply a wonderful human being we now call family, someone you instantly trust and enjoy working with. We also want to shout out Kyle Hambas, another amazing Senior member of the Lofty team, who was incredibly smart, helpful, and professional. Together, Alex and Kyle are a dream team. If you're buying or leasing in NYC, do yourself a favor, call Alex Raffa. He's the kind of person who restores your faith in what real service looks like.

I love the service, Sarah was the person who help me. She's amazing, she cares about you…read more She helps me a lot, with all the questions that I have, she explained me everything that I didn't understand, she is very patient. It wasn't expensive at all because with all the work that they do it's worth it. And they truly help you to find a good match not just the Roomate's but also the apartment you're looking for.

Curious if the business volume for them is too high. Phone number when I called was out of service…read more I emailed through the Perfect Strangers email and also messaged through SpareRoom. No response. Since I am on a timeline, I emailed multiple companies. Spiral NY got back to me so fast and efficiently. Not sure what is going on.

I've seen a lot of polarized reviews about this place, and I wanted to offer a perspective that…read morewould (hopefully) help someone make the most informed decision for themselves. I met the agents here after seeing a few places that weren't to my liking (through StreetEasy). They asked me to swing by the office to discuss a pocket listing (a listing that's not on the market). I did so and they said they had a rent stabilized apartment that they could show me, but asked if I would be willing to spend more than the typical one month's rent fee on it (given that they weren't showing it to anyone at the time). I agreed, and this is what I discovered in the process: 1. It's not uncommon for brokers to ask for a larger initial deposit on a property that is in a more desirable location and that has a lower turnover (because of it being a desired location). This was the case here, so I was not overtly alarmed. I knew it was a 'back street' way of dealing, but it was what I signed up for. 2. The apartment they showed me had no refrigerator and no stove. They told me I would need to buy that myself, or they could get it put in but at a higher broker fee to me. I agreed to the higher broker fee for them to put those in. After speaking with a separate broker friend, my friend informed me that it was a New York State requirement to provide both a refrigerator and a stove when renting a property out. 3. The unit itself was in disarray. They said they would not repair things (except in the bathroom). I was okay with this as well. However, in doing my due diligence, I looked up the building's 311 history (a recommendation someone else threw out on here) and saw that all of the misgivings I had while viewing the place were the same things that had been reported to 311. Meaning, the landlords had never taken care of the issues the tenants had brought to their attention (in my case, structural issues and electrical problems). 4. The 'agent' I was dealing with - Eli - does not appear to be an agent, nor does his colleague who also helped me (Ira). After mentioning some of these things to my broker friend, he asked in passing who these people were. He said he wasn't going to report them, but that he wanted to know to simply steer clear of them. Which I can respect. He looked up "Brooklyn Rentals, LLC" as well as "Flatbush Rentals" (on his database) and this does not appear to be a licensed real estate agency - neither are the two people whom I encountered. 5. The $100 I handed over for my credit report (happy to do it, I signed up for it) - I am sure - was not used on my credit check. In my case, the 'rental agency' and the rent stabilized building's landlord seem to be a part of the same group. I am sure this is the same for most of the properties they show. In my case, I saw/acknowledged several of the red flags along the way. I ultimately decided to pay the extra money elsewhere for peace of mind in wherever I choose to live. But that's not the case for everyone. Ultimately, what each person chooses to do is on them. But, given all of the wide-ranging reviews on here, I wanted to provide one that cuts through the noise and helps each person make the most informed decision for their own circumstances.

Great experience. Ira worked hard to get us approved, and after a month living in the apartment,…read moreI'm loving it. I know the reviews might make you feel hesitant, but it's legitimate

No communication; call/email/text back, something! Won't…read morerecommend for any real estate property.

Yvonnie is a breath of fresh air in the Brooklyn real estate industry! She takes time to get to…read moreknow your needs to help you find the right rental or sale. If you are looking for a home in Park Slope or the surrounding areas I strongly recommend connecting with her. She is kind, attentive, and committed to help you find your home.

Jay and his group made the inherently difficult process of applying for an apartment way more…read morebearable. A couple things that stood out to me: first, their response time was super quick and the emails and calls we had were thorough and not rushed. Jay and I talked on the phone several times, and he was super reasonable about his requests and only wanted to help us as best as he could. Second, the credit check was done through an actual portal, which felt way more secure. Overall, a super positive experience.

Jay Batra and the Batra Group are an amazing Real Estate Broker to work with in Manhattan. Jay was…read moreextremely professional, quick to respond, and made signing a lease a smooth and seamless process. I highly recommend Jay and his group to future individuals looking for an apartment in New York.

They were professional and responsive. I felt supported through the home buying process.read more