Flatbush Rentals LLC

I am not a native New Yorker, but I find it entertaining that people who have lived and rented in NYC their entire lives seem to not understand the reality of apartment hunting (literally, hunting) in this city. From my 6 weeks of experience:
—Brokers who are responsive and helpful, who show you the apartment you inquired about, who send you information on apartments that actually meet your needs/​requirements, who show up to actually walk you through an apartment viewing (rather than leaving it up to the current tenant), who have legitimate standards and practices in the process of taking your application (and have a broker’s license)…charge a 15% fee and don’t rent apartments middle-​class individuals can afford (unless you get lucky, like I did with Ira).—
Three out of four brokers I’ve contacted (that actually responded) responded to say «that apartment was rented last night».
From my experience of viewing, applying and being approved for an apartment within the last two days through Ira — the process seemed to work in my favor and he was easy to work with. No, I am not rich. My income was exactly 40x the amount of the rent, and my credit is mediocre. (Key note: I did not LIE and say my credit was better than it really was, as a lot of people seem to expect stellar service from a broker when their credit is awful and they said otherwise upfront.) The apartment I got had 8 other applications on it three weeks ago when it first came to market. The broker (not Ira) who had it listed at that time did not respond to my calls, emails or texts until another agent confirmed 3 days later it had been rented. The potential tenant backed out, and to my luck, I stumbled on an ad for the same unit number in the same building, with different (and much less desirable) photos listed by Ira.
—(REALITY CHECK: many apartment listings DO NOT have photos of the exact same unit available, because someone lives in it, it’s being renovated, or the broker listing it hasn’t been in it… he or she just happens to be someone who gives a lot of business to the landlord and this landlord called to say a X bedroom apartment is available on Y date in Z building… so the broker posts photos of some other unit that was available in the same building a lifetime ago.)—
Ira was extremely responsive, took my application that morning (it was too perfect a unit to risk), showed me the unit that evening, and got me approved the following morning. 24 hours. The landlord informed me there were four other applications on the unit waiting if mine fell through.
THE REALITY OF RENTING IN NYC: If you’re not wealthy (not just rich, but actually wealthy), you never get everything. You may get a thoughtfully renovated apartment in a decent area a half hour from downtown, at a reasonable price… with a «slum-​dog» landlord who has more 311 complaints than 90% of Brooklyn buildings — to a point where it was mentioned in a NY Post article (or so this is the reality I’m about to face). If your credit or income sucks, don’t lie about it. Even if you’re the perfect candidate, brokers exist because if it’s a decent apartment available… there are 50+ other people inquiring to view it — what makes you so special? Why reply to you? You’re number 23 out of 57. For heaven’s sake, you sent the broker a text when she was in the bathroom. You may inquire an hour after the apartment was globally listed on rental sites (craigslist, streeteasy, nakedapartments, trulia, zillow, hotpads, renthop, rent, etc.), but the reality is 20 people beat you to the punch. Ira seems like a great person, and I’m sure he replied because luck had it, I was number 1 or 2 on that unit on that particular day.
With all this being said, Ira was great. Personable, informational, responsive, he did his job and he got me the apartment I wanted, and he was friendly. He made the mistake of not informing me I had to pay a $ 50 application fee, so I never ended up paying him one and I did not receive an argument over it. After all this, his fee was (only) one month’s rent rather than double that amount…
…Which (broker’s fees) is a whole separate issue.

Flatbush Realty (aka AAC, aka «Insert Some Front Name to Avoid Justifiable Rebuke») is a sinister and largely disreputable outfit hostile to the working and the middle classes. Like the most vulpine and wretched brokers, these people care first and foremost about money, harboring a particular passion to bilk the desperate. (Indeed, Flatbush Realty’s devotion to money is so total that its office is a decrepit warren without a single flourish. While realty firms tend to maintain an office decoration sense that, to put it delicately, rivals drunken frat boys throwing random detritus around a construction office, it is nevertheless telling that these cheapskates can’t even spring for fresh flowers or even a framed painting. They even have a protective glass barrier and a door to buzz you in, immediately establishing that the tenant is not a good citizen, but rather a criminal ready to perform a perp walk. Presumably, they erected all this show because one of their marks decided that enough was enough.)
This firm is single-​handedly responsible for destroying large chunks of Kensington, Ditmas Park, Flatbush, and areas of PLG by ensuring that only the richest tenants are allowed into affordable apartments. It is contributing to coarsening this city’s culture and lifeblood (and lining its parsimonious pockets) by willfully persuading developers and property owners to avoid taking even the remotest risk. You could provide these shady operators with all the paperwork in the world showing a stable middle-​class income and the most sterling credit credentials, but if you are not a doctor, a lawyer, or a stockbroker, they would still find a way to pull the classic bait and switch move for their no-​fee units, whereby you are charmed into one apartment, only for the application to be «rejected» without negotiation. You are then shown an overpriced dump, with the idea that, since you’re already out $ 50 for the application fee and have laid down a good faith deposit that is transferable and that you very much need to move, you’ll take anything.
Well, while your pal Johnny is out $ 50 that he could have used on margaritas, dinner with a gorgeous woman, and a low-​key cigar, he didn’t fall for that con. Because he knows that living in an apartment shouldn’t involve settling for a vermin-​infested pigsty that’s greatly removed from the appeal of the original place. Unfortunately, too many people fall into that trap, which is one way that Flatbush Realty collects its revenue. If you ask these cretins why there are so many terrible Unilocal reviews, they will claim it’s because people are jaded about having their applications rejected. Actually, we’re justifiably outraged that a deceitful and unprincipled business collects $ 50 a pop from people with good income, good credit, and a stable rental history without ever having the intention of renting them a place — even AFTER they show they are serious with a good faith deposit. That these scumbags continue to get away with this is a testament to how the deck is stacked against respectable New Yorkers.
In a just world, these people would be stripped of their business licenses and flogged in the public square. Well, if local government won’t make this city amenable for hard-​working urban dwellers, at least we have the truth-​telling tool of Unilocal to prevent others from suffering at the hands of penny-​ante deceivers. If you’re interested in blowing your time and money, and enjoy having your dreams crushed with the grace of a Neanderthal flattening a beer can into his skull, then Flatbush Realty is for you.

Because of Ira, I ended up getting a really nice apt. Looking for an apt was stressful but I trusted Ira and he was amazing!

I honestly had a great experience working with Ira. I always have my guard up though because I don’t trust realtors so I kept a keen eye on him to make sure he was not with no funny business.
I did not read the reviews prior to working with this company so I did not take caution. I found the ad on Craigslist and called the realtor in the listing. When I called Ira, he showed me the apartment in the location I wanted but it did not suit me. Within fifteen minutes later he showed me another apartment in the area that was awesome. I liked the second apartment and was motivated to take it.
This sounds unreal compared to other reviews but they had really good customer service with me. The process went very smooth! They even got me the apartment for a cheaper price than what it was listed for. Within less than 2 weeks and I moved into a new place in my ideal location.

I would stay away from this company if I were you. It took several attempts to even make contact with Ira. He was very unprofessional. He hung up the phone with a promise to call back and never did. Therefore, I had to basically chase him down to view the apartment. When my boyfriend and I went to check out the apartment, it was nothing like the pictures. The one pictured was a lot nicer. I decided to apply anyways because it is more functional and cheaper than the apartment I am currently in. I filled out the application and was just about to sign the paperwork to turn over my deposit when I noticed that there was a month’s fee. The listing specifically said NO FEE. He went over everything else on the sheet with me except for that, hoping I wouldn’t notice. EXTREMELY UNPROFESSIONAL. Do not waste your time!

After reading the reviews I went into attempting to rent from Flatbush Rentals with caution and I’m glad I did.
I questioned Ira in the office about the bad reviews and his response was «You can’t believe everything you read online.» When I told him I worked in online marketing for the past 3 years and the few positive reviews were clearly fake he shrugged it off and wouldn’t respond about it.
I saw an apartment late Wednesday night of this week with a realtor named Joseph. He was very helpful and we discussed the apartment would be $ 1350/​month and I could take it on December 1^st. He told me I was the first person to see the apartment and I could decide if I wanted it overnight and let him know in the morning. I texted him at 11 that night and said I would take it and I would be in first thing at 9:30AM to drop off the deposit.
When I showed up at the office, I spoke with Ira, who should not be in the real estate business at all. I expressed all of my concerns with him and told him very clearly before I put the deposit down «I want this apartment, don’t bait and switch me, if it’s not this apartment I want the deposit back» and he assured me it would be fine.
After submitting all of my paperwork and a $ 500 deposit I get an email from him saying to call. When I responded saying I was at work and asked what the issue was he just said to call again (clearly doesn’t want anything in writing).
I called and he said that somebody else had put in an application for the apartment for $ 1400/​month that would be moving in the next day but he had other apartments he could show me. Keep in mind I was the first person to see the apartment at 9PM the night before and dropped off my deposit as the office opened. Seemed liked the bait and switch I specifically told him not to screw with me on. He claimed it was another realtors office but if I could do $ 1400 and move in on the 15^th I could have it. When I questioned why I would get it for the same price and date over the other applicant he had no answer for me. Eventually I told him to offer management the $ 1350 and I would take it early on the 15^th but management declined.
Ira did not seem to understand that putting in a deposit means taking the apartment off the market and because of this I lost the apartment and about a half days work going back and forth fighting with him. When I called him out on his mistake I suggested he take the difference out of his commission from the management company since he was going to lose the full commission anyway and he declined on the «principal of it.» This coming from a man with clearly no principles.
Eventually I went back to the office and picked up my deposit check where he had the balls to tell me it would cost $ 40 for the credit check. I obviously refused to pay this since he should have never ran my credit had the apartment been off the market as he insists.
Would never trust or work with these guys again and they should lose their realtors license because they are clearly braindead and lazy and have no business being trusted with anything. Read the positive reviews for yourself. Some of them are literally copied and pasted with a different ending line with a different fake name. I’d be willing to bet the «Brooklyn B» review that appeared here yesterday after I confronted them is a fake review as well after I called out how obvious their fake 5 star reviews were.
Stay far away from Ira and Flatbush Rentals.

I’ve dealt with my fair share of NYC realtors and brokers, and I can’t believe this place won’t see people outside of normal business hours – aside from a 2 hour window on Sundays. People who work are dependent on evenings to view apartments… bad sign.

Oh My! Where can I begin?! I can honestly write a book on how AWFUL these people are! These reviews exists for a reason, and PLEASE, PLEASE read them especially if you are as desperate with time as we were.
We should have known better but still went against our better judgement trying to let these CROOKS help us out. We specifically told them, IRA & ZACH both knew how desperate we were with time in searching for an apt, and of course they listened and sympathized with us and said that they would and can help. We had good/​great credit and descent income and had ALL documents. You think with that and with good credit, income and all paperwork submitted that we would get an apt, right?! NO FREAKING WAY!!! then i wouldn”t be wasting my time writing this review. That’s why I call them CROOKS! They are the most dishonest and misleading folks ever, EXCEPTION to JB REALTY! i honestly can’t tell you who’s worse except that they speak of one another in the wrost ways. And how do i know this information, becuase while we were in an apt we had put down a deposit for (which means once the deposit is placed, the apt can no longer be shown, even by other realators) JB Realty came in expecting to show it to his clients, making assessments and stuff. We were completely baffled and felt so cheated at that moment. We felt so broken! And this is after TWO weeks of chasing down Ira for an apt we put down a deposit for two weeks prior to, which he never came thru on… but according to JB Realty it was «still avaialble»… COMPLETE CROOKS all of them are! People, this is ONLY ONE of the horror cheating scandle from this place.
They take serious advantage of people who are in desperate need and are vulnerable. It was awful seeing people in and out of their office, but i wondered how many of them really get an apt. Based on lack of descent reviews, i assume none!
They knew they were crooks and didn’t put up too much resistance when we finally asked for our deposit back, minus $ 40 credit check. Hence, one star rating, besides I had to give them at least one star, as systme allows. If it were up to me i would have some serious investigators be called on their scam but i was asked not to do so, becuase KARMA is a beautiful thing and they will eventually get what;s coming to them for breaking peoples hope, trust, time and spirit.
I can write on and on about all the bad things they’ve done, but why bother? I hope the reviews from myself and others combined will be enough to deter all good, descent people out there from working with them because, chances are… THEY WILL NOT HELP YOU! so like someone else said beofre, RUN, JUST RUN FAR FAR AWAY from these religious yet highly dishonest CROOKS!!!

This should be 0 stars.
This place sucks!!! I called about a couple apartments I had wanted to see from ads on craigslist. They told me that I had to come over to their office to see what they had available. After taking an hour trip on the 5 train down to them, all I had to do was fill out a simple little card asking for what I was looking for. After doing so, they only had 1 apartment available in prospect park, so I figured it had to be decent. I was very disappointed when all they did was give me the address of the place to go. We came all the way to the office just to take a taxi ride over to the park to meet up with a super who only opened the door for us and left. The apartment was dirty, first floor without bars on the windows, and roach traps all over the floors. Complete waste of time. This place has a 15% annual rent broker fee… for what? They literally did absolutely nothing. If they had given us the address for the property originally or met up with us there, it would’ve been half-​way decent. In fact, it actually saved them the embarrassment of showing us such a crappy apartment.

This company clearly has no problem wasting time, so do yourself a favor and stay away before they waste yours. When I applied for an apartment with them it took over a week to get a decision. And while I waited patiently for them to get a decision from management, I found out through another real estate company that the apartment I had applied for through Flatbush Rentals had already been rented to someone else. All I got from working with these guys was frustration and disappointment, not to mention the $ 80.00 that I lost to credit check fees.