We highly recommend working with Peter McGuire of Smith Hanten Properties--and not just because he's probably the best-dressed real estate agent we've ever met. After our tenant of 15 years moved on, we turned to Peter, whose deep knowledge of the local market helped us price and position our newly renovated apartment perfectly. He created professional photos and an excellent video, then marketed them broadly, generating strong interest right away. Peter carefully screened candidates, met them in person, and kept us informed every step of the way. The result: a great tenant, a smooth process, and the confidence that we had a true professional (with great style) in our corner. read more

I'm finding myself difficult to write this as I know this will blemish the amazing 5 star record. But my experience is SOOOOO awful it should not go without telling. James Lola is a horrible individual. And when you recall stories of despicable brokers, he embodies ALLLL of that. This perspective comes from a renter interested in a home James has exclusive rights to. This apartment is located on Hoyt St and I feel terrible for the homeowners he represents. The one major issue was the ability to get into the home. Due to the fact that there were current tenants residing in the space, access was limited. This is very understandable to myself and all. I followed up with James for several days until he responded with an option that worked. Sidebar - I had to do all of the follow up. On my final attempt to confirm a time with James, he responded by asking if my partner is coming. Let's put a few things out there. 1) If you're a New Yorker, We all know how cut throat the real estate industry is. 2) It's preferable by brokers that all parties are in attendance for the viewing, but when it doesn't work due to limited access then it doesn't work. And my partner is a doctor with irregular hours. 3) It's not difficult to know right away if an apartment is a good fit or not. And if it is, a second visit is not unwarranted. Back to the story of James. James responds with "we require all adults who will occupy to view together, at least the first time. We can't rent an apartment to people who haven't seen it, and whom we haven't met." Now, I personally have seen an apartment without my partner. He has done the same. And we do understand this is a preferred option but given the difficulty of being able to get access because of the current tenants, the very limited viewing hours, attempting to see the place for a week, and the fact that my partner also has a hard schedule due to his career, I would have HOPED there would be some flexibility since I could see it on Wed and he could see it on Friday if I felt this would be a great fit. After James response, I decide to immediately call him and have a conversation. And THIS is where sh*t hits the fans!! read more

Peter is a gem. Peter was engaged with my now current landlord (who is perhaps one of the nicest people in New York City) for the apartment I am presently renting. The apartment is absolutely beautiful and Peter made the whole process seamless on my end. He is thorough, honest, communicative, and knowledgeable in an industry where that is hard to find. Highly recommend working with Peter if you ever have the chance! As a first step for renters, would recommend following him on social media to see his inventory @smith_hanten read more

Peter and the team at Smith Hanten handled the sale of my townhouse in Boerum Hill and were insightful and supportive every step of the way. Peter is knowledgeable and experienced and provided valuable advice throughout the entire process. I highly recommend the firm. read more

I visited this agent with a friend looking for an apt shortly after the ruling that landlords pay the fee in NY (before it was reversed). Unlike every other broker in the neighborhood (we visited them all that day) he was unwilling to show her any apts. What's more, he held us captive for 30 minutes railing on and on about this. So much so, that we couldn't even get a word in edgewise to excuse ourselves. My friend did follow up after to inquire about apartments to which he was BEYOND rude and condescending. Side note: years ago, a different friend found an apt on her own, and saw it through the current tenant. We went to his office to sign the lease where he made us go back so he could unlock the door so that he could legally take his 15% of the annual rent off her hands, having done LITERALLY nothing. Alas, that is the law (at least at the time). I would not give this guy your business if you can avoid it. In NYC, purely transactional deals are sometimes a necessity - Peter will happily take his 15%, but this is not a person who is working on behalf of ANYONE but himself. read more

2 months ago I signed the lease to my current apartment that Peter introduced me to. He made the process efficient, seamless, and was completely transparent about every step along the way. I now feel so lucky to be renting such a beautiful apartment for such a reasonable price with the best landlords I could ever ask for and an absolutely wonderful super. Peter is honest and it's clear that he cares about the work he does. I highly recommend his services! read more

Peter and James did such an amazing job helping us sell our apartment in Boerum Hill. Their knowledge of the area is unparalleled, and they helped us think through various bids. Great advice in a challenging rising rate environment. Highly recommend! read more

I came across Smith Hanten during my apartment search last spring and they immediately gave me results. Within the first few days I was shown two different apartments I was interested in including the one I eventually rented. And it was the best option I had seen. Friendly people who answer all your questions thoroughly, give you honest answers, and helped facilitate a meeting with my new landlord so we could better get to know each other. All in all one of the better experiences I have had dealing with New York City brokers. read more

Top notch Professionals. Working wih them has been wonderful. They look out for the tenants and the landlords which is a rare find.

Super kind, professional, authentic and very human with a sense of humor. Would recommend them to anyone looking to move to the neighborhood. read more

My partner and I recently worked with James to rent a beautiful apartment that we're super excited about. James was great throughout the whole process and helped us compile our documents properly to present to the landlords. He also vouched for us to get the apartment and was overall very kind and responsive. It made such a difference, especially during a time like this when the housing market is crazy! read more

You can't ask for much more. Peter is embedded in the neighborhood and knows the landlords he works with well, and for a long time. He genuinely cares about your needs and will work with you to get a fair deal. We are currently entering our second year of the rental he set us up with (a brilliant, newly-remodeled apartment in a great location), and have no plans of leaving any time soon. Consummate professional. Thanks Peter! read more

My husband and I recently decided to take the plunge, and buy an apartment in Brooklyn. Having only rented in New York we were unsure of the process or even how to begin. Even renting here feels like a daunting task so we couldn't imagine what buying would be like. I actually found Smith Hanten on Yelp and liked all the positive reviews. We met with Peter and we clicked so decided to take him on as our broker to help us in this process. Peter was great! He listened to what we needed, counseled us on what to look for/what's realistic, and he helped us to navigate the market to find the right place for us. We'd recommend him whole heartedly. read more

My husband and I are first time landlord. Peter and James are very knowledgeable in this field and they guided us patiently every step in finding the right tenants for us. They were very sensitive and responsive to our needs. Peter and James found for the perfect tenants for our condo. Thank you so much! read more

So I was one of those morons who thought she could find an apartment without a broker. 2 months of running around Brooklyn, endless levels of stress and then 2 apartments falling through at the last minute, I gave in and found a broker. I had heard so many horror stories about brokers but Peter was the opposite of every bad thing I had heard. Not only did he find me the apartment of my dreams, but he managed to get all my paperwork etc accepted really quickly as I was a few days away from my moving out date. He told me all about the general area, what bars to go to, restaurants, where to get Irish chocolate etc. and was just generally really helpful, lovely and above all professional. Even after I moved in he kept in touch to make sure I had settled in ok and I was happy with my new home. It's the little touches like that that makes Smith Hanten leagues above the rest. Would recommend to anyone. read more

Jean here at Smith Hanten is a very nice man! My boyfriend and I went in to see if there were any apartments available in our price range and Jean took the time and got to know us and what we were looking for. He was very realistic (this being our second move) about the possibility of finding what we wanted in our price range (we knew it was bad to begin with for this neighborhood) and with our situation but said he would keep our information on hand and encouraged us to check in with him frequently since we set a very large moving window for ourselves this year. He tells you how it is and makes sure you are comfortable with your budget and tries to tell you as many options as possible for the time and price. Very nice man! Maybe one day when I am willing to pay a bit more (reasonable for NYC but not reasonable for my California priced mind) or something magically priced falls into his hand will we get the chance to work with him. He feels like someone you can really trust :) read more

I spent two weeks using craigslist, hotpads and padmapper running across all of Brooklyn, feeling stressed, rushed and conned by owners, brokers and agencies. It's not worth it. I learned that to find a good apartment with a good landlord - you'll need a good broker. Peter is that. Peter met me, listened to my needs then showed me two apartments that were both perfect fits for me. The landlords of both places were wonderful guys who were trustworthy and maintained their rentals like their own homes. Peter himself had great relationships with them. Even as we walked back to his office after seeing the apartment that would eventually become my home, he was making sure that I was completely sure that this was the right place. I would highly recommend him to any one looking for a home. He'll do a great job! read more

Peter is great! He's like a property wizard in this super-desirable neighborhood. Prior to meeting Peter, my wife and I were terrified of this market. Everything we looked at was always slightly off or at a crazy premium. When we first called Peter, he asked us for our wish list of amenities - we gave them to him not thinking they would be possible. Peter said he could help, so we met up and he showed us TWO amazing places with ALL of the elements we wanted. They were both slightly above our price range - but welcome to NEW YORK!!! We've been in the pad now for 3 months and we continue to wake up feeling lucky to have found such a place. And bonus, as part of our welcome package, he gave us a winning lotto ticket! What a guy!!! Definite recommend. read more

If you're looking for a place in this area (the best part of Brooklyn btw), then congrats, because you're almost done! Smith Hanten is honestly the only broker service you will need. My girlfriend and I searched all over our favorite (and not so favorite) parts of Brooklyn to find a new apartment, and if you've ever done that, then you know how frustrating and time consuming the process gets. Other brokers will take you around to view dozens places, making it seem like they're doing a lot of work, but in fact they're just wasting time looking at their cell phones while you're left wondering if they even heard a word you've said about what you are looking for. Enough about them though... What you will get from Peter McGuire and Smith Hanten Properties is someone who listens, understands, relates, then finds you the place you're going to love living in. We didn't spend a whole weekend browsing nightmares, because Peter asked the right questions. He listened and understood what we wanted, then showed us just one apartment that was perfect for us. When we went for the place, the landlords first had some understandable concerns about our finances and weren't sure if we were right for the place, but Peter went to bat for us, set up a meeting so the landlords could meet us, and we of course ended up getting the apartment we were dreaming of. To top it off, Peter follows up to see if we're still liking our place, our landlords, and the neighborhood. Yes to all those, and Yes to having the best broker in NYC! read more

Peter was so helpful in putting us in our beautiful apartment. We never want to leave!

Don't even consider other brokers in the area. Peter takes the time to understand his clients' needs and quickly and aptly finds the right property and negotiates the best situation for all involved. It's no stress with him. I've also never seen a broker who advocates for landlords and tenants alike. He's more like a real estate 'coach' who wants the best for both parties. He also has access to many properties that are not even listed - so forget about looking at the websites and thinking that's all that's available. Peter has connections in the community that allows him to present properties that are not listed anywhere else. read more

We're pretty much living in the apartment of our dreams thanks to Peter. I don't think there could be more than a handful of these types of apartments in all of NYC and Peter had it for us. I'm hoping to stay in this place for a very long time and not need his services anytime soon, but if time comes for a move, Peter will be the first realtor I call. Apartment hunting in NY sucks, and Peter made it as easy as possible. read more

I stopped by to drop off my business card. One of the realtors was going back inside, so I followed him in, not seeing anything posted on the door. I explained that I wanted to introduce myself and my business. He said, "No." I said, "Well, you're not being very friendly!" and he said that the sign on the door says they aren't taking any walk-ins!" WOW! Rude! I walked through downtown Brooklyn in below 32 degree weather (going "Old school") trying to promote my new business and this is the response I get? When it's time to sell my million dollar property, I definitely not go to that agency. Remember when you were starting out Mr. Smith Hanten Properties? Thanks for nothing! read more

Peter was excellent to work with, very clear and flexible and made the whole process very easy. The commission is standard New York City rate. read more

Peter and James just rented one of our apartments in Boerum Hill in record time, especially given the pandemic. Their responsiveness, professionalism and good tenant-spotting instincts are superb. read more

Peter was incredibly helpful while looking for a new apartment! He was friendly and seemed genuinely interested in making sure that the apartment was right for me and that the landlord was comfortable as well. He was willing to work with me to speed up the timeline due to the fact that I needed to move in quickly. read more

We worked mostly with James, but both him and Peter are really fantastic folks to work with. They got us settled in to a fantastic apartment on Smith Street and helped with some rather quirky utility issues. These guys know the neighborhood, know the landlords, know the market... it's probably the first time that I've felt the broker fee really pay off. Highly recommended and extremely professional team. read more

Peter was a pleasure to work with during our apartment search. This was the first time myself and my roommate moved to Brooklyn, and Peter was an excellent resource in not only showing us apartments in our price range but helping to finalize the lease signing and move. The broker's fee was the lowest by far that we came across and Peter's neighborly approach put any move-related anxieties to rest! read more

We had Peter after looking at places for about two weeks with no success. He was really exceptional. He did not pressure us into the place he showed us, in fact saying that if we weren't blown away we shouldn't force ourselves to love it. We LOVE the place were in and can't thank Peter enough. Recommend to everyone looking for a place in Cobble Hill. read more

I didn't really mind writing the check for the broker's fee, which is just about the highest praise I can give. Far and away the best real estate agency in the area. Peter was so helpful, kind, and generous with his advice (even when it didn't benefit him, business-wise, to be). After dealing with so many terrible brokers as we made our way through Craigslist listing after Craigslist listing, it was SUCH a relief to stumble across a listing of Peter's and find ourselves with someone who was actually both good at their job and good for the neighborhood that he is in. I love Boerum Hill, and I am happy that our neighborhood has Peter and his team finding people places to live here. read more

Peter really took the time to help me and my significant other find the perfect apartment. Once we visited the apartment (now ours!) we moved right away to complete the paper work. Peter was flexible with meeting us right away. He is fantastic to work with and very chill. He makes sure the apartment suits your needs and standards! I love my landlady! read more

Peter is a great broker who is very in touch with the neighborhood and finding the right apartment for the right people. Highly recommend!

I recently worked with Smith Hanten when renting my new apartment, and they were extremely responsive, nice, and professional. I worked mostly with James, who is great and still remembers my name when I see him around the neighborhood. If you are looking around Boerum Hill or Cobble Hill (at least that's where I was looking), be sure to check out what they have on the market. read more

These are the people you want to use when looking for a new commercial tenant. They worked hard for us, meeting with us often to see if our preferances had changed, to make sure we found the most compatible tenant. They are kind and friendly and will answer any questions or concern in a professional and warm manner. Also, James and Peter were honest about what we could fight for in a lease and what was unfair. Terrific! read more

ABSOLUTELY RUDE! Ignored the budget that we talked about and sent me apartments at well over that mark. Then dismissed our business extremely passive-aggressively. Forget these brokers, they represent the slime that give real estate agents the reputation they don't have to deserve. read more

I loved my experience with Smith Hanten. Having dealt with a handful of other brokers in the area, I had a bad taste in my mouth walking into any broker's office. But Peter completely changed my view of the whole apartment hunting experience. He was so helpful, completely straightforward, and just an all around good guy. He never pressured me to make a decision or to sign paperwork I wasn't ready for or to give them a deposit on an apartment I didn't want (all things that other brokers pushed me to do). Peter was a delight to work with. I'm telling you - work with Smith Hanten. You won't regret it! read more

My girlfriend and I were looking for a new apartment after she dealt with a rat infestation. I had used a broker to find a perfectly good studio in Bay Ridge when I moved to NYC, but she never had and was leery about the cost. She completely changed her tune after our first meeting with Peter. Not only did he find us our current apartment (a lovely 1-bedroom in Cobble Hill), but he guided us through the process with total honesty and frankness. I've worked with brokers and management companies in three major cities on both coasts, and Peter is by the far the best. Absolutely worth the money. read more

Peter was extremely helpful with helping us find our first apartment in Brooklyn. He is very professional, straightforward, and keeps the customer's needs in mind. His communication is also very quick. He follows up immediately and even checks up to see how we are doing. He went out of his way to make sure we were able to find a great place within our budget, and took out his own time to find us an apartment that wasn't even listed under his agency. I couldn't recommend him and Smith Hanten enough for making the hassle that is apartment hunting as smooth as possible. read more

Peter has great knowledge and connections in the area. He was able to find me exactly what I needed twice; 3 years apart. I would definitely go right to him yet again. read more

Everyone knows how stressful a move in NYC can be. As someone who has moved three times already in NYC I can say with 100% certainty that this is about the least stressful broker/moving experience you can get if you're looking to rent in BK. My roommate and I spent almost an entire month searching for apartments with unsuccessful results and with 5 days left to spare had no place to rent from. I saw an ad on Trulia for an apartment listed by Peter with Smith Hanten and it looked beautiful. He called me shortly after I replied to the ad and was available to meet right away. It was really easy to be up front with Peter about your needs, wants and most importantly your budget because he is all about working to suit what you're looking for. He showed my roommate and I two apartments in Boerum Hill that were better than any of the other apartments we had seen previously that month---and we had seen A LOT. We fell in love with one apartment and got started on the paperwork right away and were able to meet with the landlord the following day and sign our lease. Easy as that! Peter was a serious lifesaver. Peter is super knowledgeable about the neighborhood where his listings are and the residents there all know him (by name). He is not a broker who is going to BS or rip you off. If I ever need to look for another apartment in the future he would be the first person I'd contact. read more