Racist. If you're black, don't bother. Andrew reached out to ME and I let him know all that he had to know about my moving situation. I was starting a new job and needed a place right away. I thought he was genuine in his search for apartments. When I saw one that was perfect for me...close to work, reasonable rent, takes pets...I contacted him right away. I kept in mind he was a busy man so I made sure to write emails as well as leave voicemail. WOW! The very next week, the number was disconnected. Ok....so i left another email with the office. NO ONE got back to me. Not even to let me know the apartment was no longer available. No thanks to them, I found a place of my own. You guys do suck. And as far as calling a potential client a 'nobody', your professionalism is lacking. Im very happy I didn't go any further with you. Now that i know, personally, that you are racist, there will be a lot more business going to your competitors. ​ read more

Robert called me and left a voicemail saying that I needed to turn over the keys to the apartment since I "clearly couldn't pay the rent." I was flabbergasted, since my rent is automatically deducted from my bank account and sent directly to my landlord from my bank. I called the landlord and, as it turned out, I had paid my rent, on time, every month. Who would've guessed? I sent Robert an email saying that, as a rental agent, he shouldn't be contacting me six months after I'm in an apartment, especially if he's going to be so rude and disrespectful. And wrong. He called me back and started yelling at me. He did not apologize. Not even a little bit. Funny thing is that when Robert first showed me the apartment he asked me to review him on Yelp. No problem, Robert. I'll review you every time. read more

We had a great experience working with Robert! He was responsive, punctual and most importantly straightforward. Apartment hunting in Chicago can be very tedious and overwhelming, but Robert made it simple for us. After he showed us the apartment that I really liked, I had a few questions so he offered a second viewing right away for us to be sure of our decision. I'm excited for this new apartment that Robert helped us secure! read more

I guess I had a totally different experience with Robert. I was looking for an apartment, like stat. I literally lived on Craigslist like an obsessed loser checking for different listings that were not only affordable, but had the ammenities I was looking for. What I liked about TAC's style, was that they provided a great narrative, well represented pictures, and a person that answered the phone, CALLED ME BACK, and was eager to show me the places that I wanted to see. Robert was very friendly, and enthusiastic about his job. I've used other apartment finders before (I won't name the people, but you know), and Robert was the first one who wasn't pushy, was very laid back and happy to answer questions that I had. Also, he was the ONLY ONE who called to follow up with me a few days later after viewing the apartment. It's obvious that he cares about his job. read more

If I could give no stars, I would. From the get-go, Robert was rude and it made me not want to do business with him. However, I scheduled a showing of an apartment, but then things came up and I couldn't go. I forgot to call him, but I figured it wouldn't be a problem since he has another person seeing the apartment at the exact same time (who does that?), Anyway, he called me and I tried to explain, but he wouldn't listen. Instead he called me a douchebag and then hung up on me. I don't know about you, but when I'm dealing with someone involved in a major life decision, I expect to be treated with a little more respect. Screw this company. Furthermore, this is the email I got in response to mine. I wasn't nice in mine, but I feel I had the right. Robert being a professional and all, this is what he sent: Hmmmm. I was never rude to you. Lying to someone and telling them you "forgot" is not cool; very juvenile on your part. Lastly, I've been in business 21 years and counting. And you? If business is so bad as you suggest, I wouldn't have lasted this long. I've seen plenty of rental companies come and go. I'm still here. Your the type of "client" that no one wants. Grow up little boy as evidence by your little rant: I really, really, really. Are you still in 3rd grade or on psych meds. Which is it? read more

This was the best experience I have had finding an apartment! Robert was so helpful finding exactly what I needed! He was never pushy or tried to go above our price range. He also let us take as much time as we needed to look at everything in the apartment and talk about it. After he showed us the apartments he was the only one we got a courtesy call back from a week later. He helped make looking for an apartment in Chicago alot less stressful. He will be the first call I make if i ever have to move again! I recommend him to anyone who needs to move! And his office is so convenient to get to if you have to take public transportation! read more

Robert was super pleasant to work with and very accommodating to our needs. He found us our dream apartment, and even helped persuade a very persnickety landlord that we were the right tenants. He was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and easy to communicate with. I don't want to move again anytime soon, but I will definitely be reaching out to Robert if I do. read more

Was helping my boyfriend look for a place and had some awful experience with another chicago apartment company prior to meeting robert. He keep good, punctual contact with us as we made plans to see apartments and met us on two different days to show places in different neighborhoods. The places he showed us were exactly what we were asking for and he continued to be prompt with response times and professional with business practices as we moved forward with signing the lease, etc. Robert is a no-nonsense guy which I think sometimes rubs people the wrong way. He definitely has a unique personality and I can see how to some people he might come off gruff or rude, but he worked with us and, for me, was very accommodating and easy to work with through a situation that required a lot of patience (boyfriend renting from a - currently - out of town location). All in all, after having experiences with a few different apartment rental companies in Chicago, I would work with Robert again and would recommend friends to him as well! read more

I had a great experience working with Robert. He promptly (within an hour) responded to my request to view an apartment and scheduled a viewing for the next day. After I saw the apartment and decided to apply, he provided very clear instructions and next steps. I called him with follow up questions and he always answered the phone or returned my calls right away. I dealt with a lot of flaky realtors over the past few weeks so it was especially refreshing to work with someone who is both accountable and a good communicator. I am very pleased with Robert's service and my new apartment! read more

I worked with Robert over a year ago to rent my current apartment and the process was very smooth. I was in town 24 hours and like other reviewers said, he actually answered when called about Craigslist ad then set up an appointment that afternoon. Loved the place and signed the paper work the next morning in his office. Before I ended up resigning the lease, I called him to see if there were other options in the area that fit my needs. Despite not having the right place because I was only a few weeks from needed move-in, he gave me the information for another company that may have a property available. Luckily situation changed I stayed where I'm at... yay no moving! I would definitely work with him again. read more

Robert was awesome! He helped us negotiate with the landlord of the building we wanted, ALWAYS returned phone calls within a day (if not a few hours), and was very friendly and generally helpful. He showed us the place at 5:30 on a Saturday - not many brokers will do that for you! I would highly recommend Robert and Apartment Connection - I have no idea why that first reviewer wrote that he was awful! read more

Robert was extremely helpful and everything went through fast and easy. He even went so far as to take time out of his day and get us the closet dimensions in a moments notice. Easiest rental process my family and I have been through. read more

Robert was great! He got to know my wants and needs for location, budget, and apartment style and showed us some great spaces. He was a pleasure to work with and I could not be happier with the new home he found me! read more

I had a great time working with Robert this week - I responded to a posting of his on Hot Pads and he reached out promptly to schedule a showing. He was very easy to communicate with via text both before and after the apartment as he kept me apprised of another potential applicant so that I didn't miss my chance to snag a great deal. I appreciated how quickly he was able to work with me during this busy time of year. read more

robert called me, i asked him if someone from his organization had called me at 7am that morning. he immediately became defensive, started raising his voice, claiming he runs a very professional organization. Apparently not, robert. read more

I've moved several times in Chicago and have a decent amount of experience with apartment hunting. This one started out OK, and quickly went downhill. I would not go through Robert again. As these reviews state, he turned rude when things did not go well. Also as stated in a review, it was a tad tougher to get my cash back than expected. The lease application he faxed over was unreadable. The next day, I went into his office before work to fill out his hard copy. It was just as illegible. He called the building, they told him what the smudges meant. I pay the application fee in cash, fill it out, and hand over a check for first month's rent. Next day, I get a call from Robert saying that it turns out he had made the deal with the receptionist of the building, and the actual owners wouldn't do the lease I wanted. Sucks, but I get it. Receptionist? Really? But I get it. I said ok, could I get my $40 application fee back. He kept saying I could come pick up my check for first month's rent. I repeatedly said fine, but I'm more concerned about the $40 for a deal that was never really on the table. He said ok, and eventually said he'd mail the stuff. He mailed the check and only the check. I emailed back, saying thanks for the check, but I need the $40. The email I got back said "You left your $40, so you can come pick it up." He had me there, I left it for an application that was never even available... Didn't want to get into a debate, so said fine how's tomorrow. Again a curt response back giving me a time. When I picked it up there was no apology for the way things played out, which is ok, but what was not ok was the rude way he handed it over at the door like he was going out of his way and doing me a favor. The expression on his face said it all. He acted like I had put him out, when I was the one who get jerked around and disappointed about not getting an apartment I really liked and thought I had. If things hadn't played out this way, I might have asked what else he had available for listings. But the way it went down, no thanks. I'll take my chances on craigslist, which has worked well before. read more

I've been reading Robert's Yelp reviews after my dealings with him over the last week and he seems to either get 5 stars or 1 star ratings. He seems like a Jeckyll/Hyde type personality and personally I would avoid working with him. Robert showed my roommate and I an apartment which was decent but we were still looking at other places. He was very pushy during the showing, it was like a whirlwind 5 minute tour and he kept saying how fast it was going to go and how we needed to make a decision. We told him we'd like to put in an application but never said we were definitely going to take the place. He said we should fill out the applications right then in his car which seemed weird. We also told him that we didn't have application fees on hand that night and my roommate said she could bring it to him the next afternoon after her workday was over. He said that was fine but he wouldn't be able to complete the processing until he had the fees. Fine. I've been told my multiple leasing agents that they can't legally take a listing down until they have application fees and deposits in hand so it's their job to keep showing until that happens. I've submitted multiple applications for places but have still lost out on apartments because someone else got the fees and deposit in before me. I've been apartment hunting and moving for a solid year (don't ask), I know how the renting game goes in Chicago. Anyway, Robert called me midday the next day to tell us that we were approved and we had the apartment. This was a shock because we hadn't turned in any application processing fee yet. This really made us think twice about working with Robert and the apartment itself and we then decided to go with another place we had seen the day before. Fast forward after we told Robert we weren't taking the apartment and he's been hounding us for the application fees saying that we told him directly we were taking the apartment and we signed the application and the fee is nonrefundable. I tried to have a conversation with him and asked to see the language on the form. He started reading it and it was clear that it said nothing about how he could complete the processing before receiving the fees and only that deposits were non-refundable. He said I interrupted him and hung up on me and is now threatening my roommate and I with small claims court over apartment rental application fees. This guys is absolutely crazy, pushy, mean, and just wrong. From my experience and others I've read, he does not care in the slightest about the people he claims to be helping get apartments. He just wants the turn over and the money. Don't work with him! read more

If I could give a 0 star rating to a business this would be the one. Robert should have his license taken away for his ILLEGAL practices. We were approved for an apartment around 2pm on Thursday. My roommates and I signed the lease, paid first months rent and move in fee, AND got the keys. Then around 5:30pm Robert calls one of my roommates and said that another leasing found someone to pay $200 more a month for the place and unless we agreed to pay more that they were canceling our lease. We explain to him that this is ILLEGAL (my sister works for one of the biggest law firms). She asked her boss and confirmed that it is very illegal. The apartment is legally ours and he is in breach of contract. When my roommate tries explaining this to him he just rudely yells over her. So my sisters boss tells us to tell him that if he doesn't return ALL our money in 30 minutes to her work we will be filing a lawsuit against him. We moved very fast and brought us all our money plus the application fees. We made a personal check for them rent yet he would not return the check to us and told us we had to call the bank and got a stop payment on it. Yes he gave us the $30 for that as well. When he was leaving my sisters work she told him that we will be filing a report against him in which he then threatened her, that if she does that he will make things bad for her. Really? He's the one doing illegal things and then to try and threaten us?! Not cool. Pretty much the whole experience with Robert has been a complete nightmare and makes me not want to look at any more apartments or deal with anyone for a long time. Hoping he goes out of business and loses his license. Do not deal with this criminal. read more

Whoever is the business owner of this place really has no idea what customer service is. I called thinking that I was calling a homeowner not an aparment finder.The owner this business was completely rude, condescending and because I refused to give him more information on what areas I was looking into he hung up on me (all of this of course took place after he asked me for my last name "Garcia"). When I called back to speak to the manager he said he was the owner and would not be showing it to people like me. read more

I just signed a lease through Robert at Apartment Connection and had a very pleasant experience working with him. He was very friendly over the phone and in person when he showed me the place. He was able to answer all my questions and seemed well organized and prepared. I also didn't feel rushed or pressured into getting the apartment I was looking at. I have always had the best luck just using craigslist to find a place, which is what I was doing when I came across the place Apartment Connection had listed, but next time I would consider going straight to Robert to help with my search. read more

Robert called to notify me that an apartment we were scheduled to view that evening had just been rented. He told me he'd keep me in mind if anything similar were to become available in the near future. A week later Robert kept his word when that apartment became open once again. He was able to show me the space that day and later on sign the lease. I thought it was great to have remembered me and to reach out to me when the apartment unexpectedly became available. read more

I found Robert through an apartment that my boyfriend and I wanted to take a look at. Robert met us at the apartment the day of and we ended up signing the following day. I could not be more appreciative of how smooth the signing and renting process was. I felt like he went above and beyond, even down to the day we moved in when Robert called just to check in and make sure the move was going smooth. I would highly recommend! read more

I had Robert as my broker and he was amazing. He really listed to what I was looking for in an apartment and stayed true to my budget. He was persistent at following up with me and was always looking for something better to show me. It was really a pleasure working with him. read more

Robert does love his job and it is refreshing! He helped me and my boyfriend find an apt January of 2011. I will definetly be using him again when our lease is up this October! He doesn't jerk you around and show you places that aren't in your price range and or area of interest. I highly recomend using Apartment Connection! read more

My girlfriend and I had been looking for an apartment for the past month, we had recently been to a bigger leasing agency. Not only was that agency really pushy they didn't even show us apartments in the neighborhood we were looking at, they basically told us that we couldn't afford to live there even though I found listings in the neighborhood in our price range on their website. Which leads me to believe he was trying to get a higher commission. We ended up applying for an apartment with them and got the chance to meet up with the landlord, which turned out to be somewhat crazy and very intrusive. Which tells me the don't do research on the landlords they work with. All that being said I was on Craigslist and found one of Robert's listings, I emailed him and he called me that next day. He wasn't at all pushy and he was very friendly. We told him that we weren't looking to leave the neighborhood and he didn't push for us to look anywhere else. He kept me up to date on everything that was happening, and he was knowledgeable with the building management company. Highly recommend The Apartment Connection when looking and I find it really odd that there is a bad review on here. read more

My family of three had a moving emergency due to a flood this January. After two days of exhausting searches and showings, we ended our day with Robert, the owner/agent. We loved the place and his manner of service. He was thorough, professional, up front and to the point. He had us approved in less than 4 hours!! We moved in the next day! Highly recommend using his service. read more

Just wanted to say that after reading everyone else's reviews from the past few years, I will chalk my bad experience up to him having a bad day. My experience was so drastically different from everyone else's that I'm assuming it occurred because he was dealing with other issues that caused him to be a bit short. I am glad to see that everyone else had a much better experience with him. After reading everyone else's reviews, I'd definitely consider going back if he's as great as they've said. read more

I had a very good experience with Robert. He was very accommodating and found me an amazing apartment in a short amount of time.

I rented my apartment through Robert and The Apartment Connection in August 2018. He was very responsive and handled everything in a professional manner. I love my new apartment and would work with him again! read more

I have never felt compelled to write a yelp review. In fact I feel that yelp is sort of twisted and mean. If one person has sour grapes then it can wreck an entire business? Doesn't sound right to me. Having said that, please please please put Robert out of business. He is one of the most rude and abrasive people that I have ever met. He tries to put up a Chicago tough guy front on the phone, but when you start calling him on anything to his face he gets as meek as a cat. He is the worst class of slimy businessman that I have ever met. Let me give you details, when my fiance and I first looked at our apartment we asked him how much it cost. He said 900 dollars a month. We told him our ceiling was $800 and that we weren't interested so he said, "Well actually if you have good credit it is $800" The craigslist ad said $800 and all indications were prior to us meeting that the apartment was $800 a month. He lied to us trying to get more money. Should have known from the start. We weren't given keys to the apartment. I don't know if this is technically his fault, but we were forced to go through the back door and keep it unlocked for two weeks. When I finally reached out to him and politely asked if we could get the keys he screamed at me on the phone and told me that I hadn't paid my deposit so I couldn't get keys. Nobody told me how to pay the deposit, and as it turned out the only way to pay the deposit was by going through the landlords entrance where you needed a, you guessed it, key to enter. We couldn't pay the deposit, and we couldn't get a key. We were stuck in limbo because Robert failed to communicate anything to us. And then he yelled at us. Thank the lord that we didn't have to deal with him for the year we lived at the place. We paid rent and deposits all on time and left the place looking way better than we left it. When it came time to inquire about the deposit I called my landlord 3 times and left messages each time. I also left him a note. Now I realize that none of this is Robert's fault it is the landlord's, however when I politely and humbly asked Robert for some help in contacting my landlord just to make sure he was receiving my messages, he shouted at me. Put me on hold and told me "You know, I have more important things going on than you and your security deposit." Direct quote. Honestly I wouldn't be mad if he would've said that he couldn't help. I've worked in customer service and realize how rough it can be when you can't help someone. I would've taken it. He was just SO RUDE. He treated me like filth and refused to help me. Please please please don't use this guy. I lived in Chicago for seven years and never had any problems with anyone. Except for Robert. You can find a better leasing agency, and in fact his apartments aren't even that great. Go to Apartment People or anywhere else. This man is the worst. Thank you for reading and I apologize for my bitterness. Just please know that everything that I described truly happened and all of the bad reviews I've read are consistant with how you will be treated by Robert. read more

I was looking for a place by myself - I responded to an ad from Apartment Connection - Robert reached out to me saying the apartment I was interested in was taken and asked my move in date and price range. He let me know he had other options he could show me. I was looking at some other place at the time so I told him thanks and I'd reach out if needed. He followed up possibly a week after saying the original apartment I wanted was now available. The places I found on my own were dumps and some people just don't respond. Robert was very punctual, responsive, and flexible. He met with me a day later and showed me the apartment. I applied that day and heard back after the weekend I was approved. Robert made finding an apartment painless. Highly recommend! read more

On first meeting Robert, our experience was very pleasant, though he was a bit gruff over the phone. However, when we decided not to sign the lease (as we decided not to move) he became very aggressive. He yelled at me over the phone, would not listen to what I was saying, and left several bombastic voicemails. Due to his aggressive behavior I didn't call him back. He then deposited the check that he told us would not be deposited until we MOVED in but that he needed in order to run the credit check. We did eventually get our money back, but not without threatening him with lawyers, emailing and calling him twice a day for about a week. Robert is a fine person to work with as long as you stick to his timeline, his opinions and his agenda, otherwise I would avoid working with Robert Laczi of Apartment Connections. read more

Robert from Apartment connection is quite possibly the rudest supposed professional I have ever met in the real estate business. I have come across many incompetent leasing agents in the business, but at least they were friendly and tried to help me. Robert was rude and completely blew me off when I told him I wasn't interested in a bunch of his listings, but only 1 and maybe possibly a second one. If this apartment hadn't seemed perfect for what I was looking for I would have walked away right then. He proceeded to cancel my appointment less than 15 mins before it was supposed to start and then never returned a phone call or email in an attempt to reschedule. Since he had given me the address by this point, I spent a week tracking down the actual landlord and signed a lease with him by myself, since Robert couldn't have been bothered to show me the apartment. read more

At first Robert seemed like a very nice guy. He worked with my roommate and I to schedule a showing. We loved the apartment and he had us sign the lease and pay a deposit and first months rent right on the spot WITHOUT doing a background/credit check, which I thought was a little odd. He told us the landlord was a really nice man who owned a few nearby buildings. Informed us that we could have the maintenance man paint the walls back to white or we could paint the apartment as we pleased. (When we moved in the bedrooms were a hideous yellow color and the kitchen was a puke green on the walls AND ceiling). He also informed us that we could remove the 80s style mirrors that incased the fireplace. We gave the good majority of the apartment a fresh paint job with neutral colors, had built ins put in around the fireplace (after getting permission), and fixed a window in the back room that was shattered prior to moving in. Upon moving out the landlord, a gentleman who claims he hadn't stepped foot in our apartment in years, stopped by and seemed very upset that the walls weren't white. When I informed him of the state of the apartment prior to moving in and the information Robert had given us he was shocked. He said if we spoke with Robert and he was able to rent the apartment then they would not charge us for painting the apartment (even though we were told it was completely allowed.) My roommate and I spoke with Robert and he told us the apartment looked way better than when we moved in. They rented the apartment on the first showing for $200 a month more than we were paying. I thought this was great news. Once we moved out and received our security deposits a significant amount was removed from both of our deposits. Our landlord claimed he didn't care that we left the apartment in better condition then when we had moved in and he didn't care what Robert told us upon moving in. He was the landlord and Robert shouldn't have given us permission to do anything. Moral of the story DO NOT TRUST Robert. He is definitely a scammer who is just looking to make a quick buck. read more

I called this place about a posting I saw online. The guy (going to go out on a limb and say it was Robert based on the rest of these posts) practically called me stupid and then hung up on me. Real professional... read more

I would rather rent a sinking ship (literally) than rent an apartment through Robert, and here is why: My roommates and I were approved on Wednesday and told we got the apartment. Thursday afternoon around 2:00, we signed the lease and paid the first month's rent and move in fee and were given the keys. Then, at 5:30 Robert calls us to say that the "landlord" is canceling our lease agreement because "another leasing agency" found someone to pay $200 more a month. I explain that that is not legal, and that I work for a law firm and will be filing a lawsuit. For the record, I don't believe him. I am certain the HE found someone to pay him more. He shouts over me and I hang up and speak with one of the attorneys at work and she confirms that I am correct. The apartment is our legally and he is in breach of contract. He says that since the landlord hasn't signed the lease yet, it isn't vaild. INCORRECT. By presenting us with the lease, as the leasing agent, and us signing it...it is, in fact, a valid contract. My roommate then tries to explain this to him, but he won't let her speak at all. He just keeps yelling over her. We talk to my boss, an attorney, and she tells me to tell him to get our money to us, at my work, in 30 minutes or she will sue him. That got him running, but still incredibly rude. He paid us back in all cash (he made us pay him in a cashier's check for rent and personal check for the move-in fee). Instead of giving me my personal check back, he told me I have to call my bank to put a "stop payment" on it. I made him pay me the $30 fee to do that. As he was leaving, I said that we WILL be filing a complaint on him and the landlord. He then threatened me by saying that if I do that, that he will make things bad for me, so I obviously told an attorney. PUT HIM OUT OF BUSINESS. read more

After 3 months of apartment searching and meeting with various agents, Robert found me an apartment quickly within my price range and took care of everything THAT day. He's super efficient and very easy to work with. He's quick to respond to any concerns and really knows what he's doing! I will definitely be reaching out to him in the future for apartments. read more

Robert is, hands down, the best. I rented an apartment he found for me last summer, and I absolutely love it. Robert is patient, he listens to what you want, and doesn't show you a bunch of stuff you're not interested in. As a young woman living alone in the city and apartment searching by myself for the first time, I was terrified that I was going to be ripped off, and asked about a million questions about every place I looked at, which annoyed a lot of the other apartment finders. With Robert, I felt totally safe and confident in the places he showed me, and he was super patient with my hypervigilant cupboard checking, and CIA-style interrogation about the possibility of roaches (I will not live anywhere that has had a roach issue. EVER.). I've been to a lot of other apartment finders around the city, and Robert is absolutely the only one I trust. The Apartment Connection is definitely the way to go! read more

Robert was very friendly and helpful. He was willing to negotiate with the owner to meet my circumstances, and he even called me to let me know the rent dropped on the apt. I was interested in, which was great! He was also not pushy when I declined to look at his other places on the market. It was a breath of fresh air compared to some of the bigger apt finders I have used. I would definitely recommend Robert and The Apartment Connection. read more

I came across Robert with The Apartment Connection in my apartment search last month. At this point I have been in Chicago for 10 years and I have lived in 5 apartments. My recent experience with Robert was the smoothest and fastest I have ever had with signing on a place. I ran into Robert when I contacted him to see an apartment for rent that he was showing. The original apartment I called for wasn't the right fit it turned out but the VERY next day he found me the one I had been seeking to find for over 2 months. I had several experiences with realtors and listing companies that stalled and promised inside people their leases and most of all agents who never EVER returned calls or emails. Most agents don't respond if the apartment you are calling on has rented already. Not only did Robert call me back within an hour but he found me a place that was even better than I thought I would ever find. He is very prompt. He replies to emails and phone calls within a day if not hours. He is honest and upfront and isn't making promises he can't keep. His property postings are exactly as they are, they aren't overly glorified or advertised falsely. As a business owner I completely appreciate honest, personable and quick turn around. I recommend Robert 100% and I only wish I had found him 9 years ago when I started renting so that my prior searches weren't so gruesome. Thanks Robert I LOVE my new place~! read more