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The boyfriend and I recently got an apartment through a broker. Our reluctance to sign with the broker and pay the $2,000+ fee was met with a series of mistakes, negligence and constant corrections on our part to avoid getting ripped off. I tried talking to the agency president but she was quick to shut down my concerns and had major attitude. The whole fiasco is NOT as bad as some other NYC horror stories but we're not 100% confident on if/how to move forward with our complaint. Here are our concerns:
-We were rushed throughout the whole process. From apartment viewings to lease signing, it was a NOW NOW NOW approach.
-We requested to see the lease & the rider the day before the signing. We were told it was the standard lease and the rider details would be discussed at signing. For a mid-month move-in, we had no idea when our lease would end and how much to pay for first month. When discussed with the agency president, she said, all New Yorkers see their lease/rider for the first time at signing. It's a "NYC standard".
- The broker did not tell the landlord we wanted an inspection report filled out before signing. It cost him 20 minutes lateness at his job after the signing.
-The check requirements were sent via email at 3:30pm the day before the 9:00am lease signing. That cost us another 25 minutes into the originally scheduled meeting time to run chaotically between our banks to get the cashiers check printed.
- There was no clarification with the landlord on the lease start date and rent requirements for a mid-month move-in. So the required first month's rent amount changed with every phone call, text and email between the broker, us and the landlord. The broker tried to change it again while I was at the bank having the full-month check printed ten minutes before signing. We're pretty confident those details should go into the lease.
- The broker initially forgot to include our initial $500 deposit into the lease. That required another email and text to confirm it would be properly deducted.
-The agency obtained/stole the listing from another local agency. So the landlord had absolutely no idea who our agency was, why he was going to a different office, who our agent was and why their asking for lower rent. It made our first meeting with the landlord VERY AWKWARD.
Above all else, the agency is comprised of out-of-work actors, so every meeting with our agent and the office was filled with schmaltzy, over-the-top compliments that bordered on creepy. For every mistake they made, it was met with a huge smile and superfluous reassurances. It was all very phony and if it weren't for the great apartment deal, we would have run in the other direction.
So, is all this just the "NYC standard" or is this just another rotten agency? More importantly, can I do anything about the huge fee that amounted to horrible service?
I don't think you can do anything about the fee. It just depends, but a lot of brokers have that attitude that you must see the apartment now and must submit an application now. We met with one broker that was horrible- showed us places that did not fit our very basic criteria, told us these disgusting places she was showing us were the only thing we could get for our price range, claimed not to know the square footage of these tiny apartments she showed us when asked, etc. And we insisted on no fee places so she kept trying to convince us that the fee places were better.
We ended up renting through another broker that was much better. At least he listened to what we said and did not show us places we did not want to see, nor did he try to convince us to look at fee apartments. It really is hard to find a good broker, sorry about your experience.
Losing a lot of time dealing with brokers and landlords is normal in New York. If everything happens so fast every party is bound to make mistakes time from time.
I understand no one ripped you off and you got the apartment you liked. So there is nothing to complain about except brokers working style.
Losing a lot of time dealing with brokers and landlords is normal in New York. If everything happens so fast every party is bound to make mistakes time from time.
I understand no one ripped you off and you got the apartment you liked. So there is nothing to complain about except brokers working style.
Yep, figured it could all be boiled down to same-ole shenanigans in NY living. Still feel like it isn't worth the money. Real estate agents in New York seem to earn a ridiculous amount of money for having very little skill set and very little soul.
Sounds like sales in general. It was your place to stop the people in their tracks when they rushed you and require everything in writing. You let them push you around.
Sounds like sales in general. It was your place to stop the people in their tracks when they rushed you and require everything in writing. You let them push you around.
We tried to stop the process before the meeting. We were told it couldn't be rescheduled since the owners worked long hours. We repeatedly called and texted to get a copy of the lease and rider. It wasn't until three hours of refusals that I got to the agency president and she stated that the whole matter is a "NYC standard". We were stuck. And if things didn't go through, we would have lost the $500 deposit. It felt like they had us by the balls and there was nothing we could do about it.
Unfortunately this is a pretty standard experience with brokers. Remember that the bulk of these brokers are just nobodies who needed a job, and they don't have any experience/education and don't know the NYC market. Alot of them used to sell vaccuums, or are simply "actors" biding their time. The turnover is extremely high as the job is miserable and only temporary for the bulk of brokers. They will tell you whatever it is you need to hear in order to close the deal, which is the case with all salespeople on commission, otherwise they don't eat.
As a result, accountability, integrity, honesty, or the 3 least common adjectives you would use when describing brokers or the experience. So long as you keep that in mind when you are looking for apts and dealing with brokers, that should set your expectations. And remember, if they are really bad, just drop them and use another one...and if they are really really bad/unethical, set up an appt somewhere to see an apt and never show up..no call, nothing. It's typically your only recourse against lousy brokers. And then just get another broker.
Unfortunately this is a pretty standard experience with brokers. Remember that the bulk of these brokers are just nobodies who needed a job, and they don't have any experience/education and don't know the NYC market. Alot of them used to sell vaccuums, or are simply "actors" biding their time. The turnover is extremely high as the job is miserable and only temporary for the bulk of brokers.....
I think this describes a lot of real estate salespeople but most real estate salespeople are not brokers.To become a real estate broker you have to work in the industry for at least a couple of years and take a number of courses and pass exams.You then have to continue taking courses at least until you have been a licensed broker for 20 years.Only about 10% of those selling real estate in NYC are licensed real state brokers.The rest are either licensed salespeople(much lower criteria and no experience required) or completely unlicensed agents.
Not defending anyone's behavior here but I think we have to be careful to use the term broker only when referring to brokers and not when referring to salespeople.Most true real estate brokers I have encountered have been quite knowledgeable and professional.Most real estate salespeople have been as described above.
And remember, if they are really bad, just drop them and use another one...and if they are really really bad/unethical, set up an appt somewhere to see an apt and never show up..no call, nothing. It's typically your only recourse against lousy brokers. And then just get another broker.
Agreed. That's what we did. I refused to let the first broker force me into something I did not want.
Bluedog this is true...I should differentiate between the two because they are different. And for full disclosure, I am a RE salesperson myself...so I am acutely aware of the industry, its practices, and those that gravitate towards it.
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