Uptown Realty

We had an excellent experience with Uptown Realty when renting an apartment in Allston. Steve is wonderful to work with. He was patient and responsive and answered all of our questions. He also made the paperwork and rental process easy. We found a great apartment during a very busy time of year when there wasn’t much inventory left, especially in our price range (low). I would highly recommend Uptown Realty.

I really like the way they treat customers. I got one of the best apartments for a very low price thanks to Karim. Me and my other roommate met this guy in a time where we could hardly find apartments in Brighton for the price we want. We got a very nice apartment for such a low price thanks to you karim. I like the way you try to help your customers.

Karim is a gem! If you want an agent who is kind, patient, and flexible, give him a call. My husband and I were in the middle of a very stressful/​quick apartment hunt, and Karim never once made us feel pressured or uncomfortable; in fact, he was calming and reassuring that we would find a great place! In the Hunger Games style real-​estate game of Boston, Karim offers a reprieve from the crazy with his sweet demeanor and lovely personality. Do yourself a favor and call Karim at Uptown Realty if you want a great experience looking for your new place!

My boyfriend and I have been looking for our first apartment together away from New Jersey so he can attend MassArt. We have been so nervous since we are new to Boston. But Karim was so helpful! He had the most beautiful apartment for us and really made us feel comfortable. My boyfriend and I worked with 3 other realtors, but Karim was the most personable and honest! Now we are just plain excited! We plan on having him over for dinner in our new gorgeous apartment. Thanks Karim!

I was moving from New York, and this was my first time living in Boston. Karim Ihen was the most helpful dedicated realtor I found. He not only helped me find a perfect apartment, but also helped me move!

I found a nice one-​bedroom apt in Tremont Street, Brighton with Uptown Realty’s help on last Wednesday. I got a job relocation from NY to Boston so I have to find a place to live under a really tight schedule. I saw Uptown’s ad on Craigslist and immediately dialed its number. It was around 8:00am and Steve picked up my phone (I was surprised he started working so early!). We scheduled a tour in the morning and Steve’s colleague Karim drove me to see the apt. The condition of the apt was same as posted, even better when I saw it in person, spacious and in a good neighborhood. So I rented it right away. In my view, Steve and Karim are honest and friendly professionals. They try everything to make the renting process easier and faster for the convenience of customers. I recommend Uptown Realty if you are looking for a living place. They are respectable housing agents.

I’ve been renting in Brighton/​Somerville/​Boston for years now, and have had experience with by owner apts, management groups, realty brokers etc. when trying to find a new place.
This was prob one of the most pleasant experiences to date. We worked with Karim who was VERY nice, easy to chat with and a safe driver (so we were at east the whole time!). He seemed to know the market really well and wanted us to get the perfect place for US… not just a commission check.
As a whole it seems like the agents pick up the phone right away when you call and they show you the apartments you want to see (I referenced the ID # on their site). It was VERY easy to schedule viewings Of MULTIPLE properties which makes taking a morning off from work totally worth it.
Karim was honest with us about the pros and cons of each place he showed us — and about landlord reputations and foreseeable future hassles… We LOVED that.
We put an application in on a place –grabbed a drink while they ran our credit– and had a lease to sign within an hour. Talk about service!

I was in Boston this weekend looking for an apartment.
I met with a ton of realtors and even though I ended up not picking the apartment that Uptown showed me because of distance to where I am going to work, Karim was the nicest agent I saw all day (and I saw 6!). He did not pressure me, he drove me around, he was insightful.
I would recommend him any time!

Adam Hargrove from Uptown helped us find our apartment this year and we couldn’t have been more pleased with the experience. He was extremely helpful, did not pressure us, and was incredibly patient with us in terms of getting some international paperwork sorted out. On the day of the move-​in he was always available and helped every step of the way in terms of getting access to the building, getting us our keys, calling to keep us updated etc.
Once we moved in we had a small problem with adding someone to our lease. Our building was going to charge us $ 350 to add someone even though that had been the plan all along. Adam to the rescue! He dealt with the management company for us, got us a new lease and all for just a $ 35 application fee! 100% worth paying the realtor fee to Uptown!

I worked with Uptown Realty and was very impressed by their professionalism. Steve and Adam were both very attentive to details and all of our dealings were conducted smoothly and efficiently. I have used other Real Estate agents in Boston in the past and my experience with Uptown Realty was by the far the best. If I have to move again, I will only go back to Uptown to help me find a new apartment. Without any hesitation, I would recommend Uptown Realty to anybody.

Finally a realtor who isn’t a pain in the ass. My scenario: It was end of April and needed a June 1^st studio that wasn’t a dump. Steve met with me 45min after I called him that morning to show me a couple of studios in cleveland circle. They were all really nice and I ended up signing the papers and was done. He never once pressured me to sign papers and to put money down. He didn’t give me the whole line of «the market is crazy» «I can’t save this place without a check». The thing with moving is that I am the one who needs a place to sleep, I am under enough pressure as it is! Steve was great and so easy going. I would recommend anyone to their company!

I’ve been renting in Boston for a few years now, and unlike other agents/​agencies in this city, Adam Hargrove wasn’t focused on scaring us about the crazy market this year. He was focused on finding us the right place.
It’s very evident that he’s been in this business for a long time, and is not a rookie trying to get ahead. As soon as I saw him, I realized he got me my first apartment in 2009, and he immediately recognized me, and remembered the exact apartment he had showed me three years earlier. The fact that he remembered was the first indicator that he was good at his job.
Each time we didn’t like an apartment, Adam applied our feedback to the next place he showed us, and was honest with us about the pros and cons of each. He never pressured us to like a place, and instead of trying to talk us out of our standards, he just helped us find what we were looking for. (Another realtor we worked with spent 30 minutes telling us «This is the best you’re going to get for this price/​location/​market.»)
Furthermore, when we didn’t like either of the apartments he had planned, he quickly thought of another apartment nearby, and helped us consider the financial difference and value of the place. He even went so far as to ask if we could get a reduction in rent to accommodate our budget.
At the end of the appointment, we had to leave to look at an apartment with another realtor from a different company. Adam offered us a ride – literally delivering us to the hands of his competitor. He is certainly not your typical realtor, and went out of his way constantly to make our lives easier, even at his own expense.
Ultimately, we decided not to take the apartment, even after he had worked so hard to reduce the rent and help us make a decision. Most realtors might have made us feel guilty, but instead, Adam was totally understanding and human, and told us if we needed any more help, to give him a call. We absolutely will!
(We also met quickly with Steve from Uptown Reality, and had a very similar experience — super friendly and professional.)

FIND: I inquired about a listing I found online, and Adam Hargrove immediately followed up with me. He was absolutely wonderful to work with — very attentive and caring to my needs! I was looking for a studio that could accommodate me, my dog, and a car — not easy things to find in the city. Adam immediately started searching for other options that were in my price range — I also was on a very tight deadline and needed a near immediate turn around time to find a place.
SEE: Within about a week, Adam had already found a few options to show me, and I was able to visit the apartment [WHICH I HAVE NOW MOVED INTO!!!] in Brighton. I was easily able to park by the Uptown Realty office, and he drove us to the apartment sites. He was very easy to talk to and explain my situation and living needs, which I found very refreshing since so many realtors are pushy and quite frankly, scary.
SIGN: We immediately started paper work to sign for the apartment — he worked very closely to get me in contact with the landlord/​property manager. I did hit a road bump when I needed a cosigner, but he made the transition and paperwork very smooth. He even worked with me to figure out payment installments to get all my money in an adequate time frame for me that was do-​able before I moved in.
COMMUNICATION: Adam was extremely open, honest, and attentive. I felt like I was doing business with a friend. I was able to get a hold of him easily through email and text messaging. He answered all of my questions and went above and beyond accommodating my requests about the apartment.
COLLEAGUES: Upon picking up my keys, Adam was unfortunately not available, but his colleague Steve was there and very easily gave me my new apartment keys and all my essential paperwork. In my time at the office for other visits, he was also extremely pleasant and very nice to talk to.
THE APT: I still love it!!! It was a perfect fit for me in an amazing location for an affordable price.
Overall, this has been my BEST experience finding a new place. I will definitely come back to this business the next time I’m searching for an apartment! Thanks guys!!!

Uptown realty is super friendly and helpful. They are flexible with whatever your needs are whether you are budget conscious or have no budget. These guys have great connections and go above and beyond. I have recommended many friends who have all found awesome apartments. Go see them!!!

We worked with Adam Hargrove to get into our apartment for ⁹⁄₁ this year and it couldn’t have gone any smoother. He was very easy and pleasant to work with. We were in the neighborhood and happened to stumble upon his listing while waiting for another realtor — luckily he was available to meet us that day. He showed us 4 – 5 listings and we started the leasing process the very next day. Within a week everything was signed and move-​in ready (living 1.5 hours away, with a co-​signer…). On top of that Adam was able to give us insight on the neighborhood, Utilities information, graciously put up with my multiple questions and even let us come back before our move to take measurements.
We could have not been more pleased. This was a big move for us and Adam & Uptown reality made our transition positive and seamless.

I was fortunate enough to wade through all the masses of realtors to find this amazing company. They helped me step by step through the apartment approval and moving process. I just can’t say enough about how professional and attentive the realtors at this company are in terms of providing answers about lease contract questions, utilities, pets, and other moving issues. They greatly helped me in my big move from South Korea to Brighton.
I highly recommend this company! Good Luck to All!
Kristen K.

I am relocating from out of state, and was feeling very overwhelmed and nervous about finding an apartment to share with my in-​state boyfriend. We only had one weekend to find a place, and had scheduled upwards of 12 units. I had been communicating with a few realtors, and some of them blew me off (seemingly because I asked too many questions).
I had e-​mailed Adam about a unit, and he had a few to show me. We scheduled our appointment and saw the units, and loved all 3! He was our first appointment of the day, and after seeing 2 or 3 more units we didn’t want to go see any others because we knew we wanted to go with one of their units!
Adam and Steve were very responsive and we began to fill out paperwork that day! They were very accomodating with my out of state location and getting paperwork to and from their office and my current residence. They are a very easy going group and there was no awkwardness or discomfort that we experienced with some of the other realtors.
Plus, Adam always answers my never ending questions in a very timely manner! We can’t wait to move in!

I have to say I was really surprised to read the not-​so-​enthusiastic reviews on Uptown. Adam and Steve were the most straight forward, easy going realtors I’ve come in contact with in Boston. They answered my (many) questions honestly and there was zero pressure and zero ethic violations.
Not sure if those two Unilocalers were confused, inexperienced or what but I consider myself a pretty good judge of character and it just doesn’t match up. After I found them, I cancelled all my other appointments with other companies.

THE SEARCH: The pup and I had just moved to town, and I had about a week to find us a place. I came across Uptown Realty on Craigs List since they had an apartment that matched my specs.
THE COMMUNICATION: I sent them an email saying I was interested in the place, but that I was on my way out the door. They called me within minutes to set up an appointment. Because I was new to town and didn’t know my way around very well, Adam walked me through finding the right bus and getting over to their office.
SEEING THE PLACE: I didn’t feel any pressure like I did with a lot of the other agents, which made it a very low-​stress experience. Steve even drove me around the neighborhood so I could get a feel for the area.
THE CLOSING: Once I decided to take the apartment, it was all very straightforward, and they were even able to get me into the apartment a day early.
ALL IN ALL: Steve and Adam were really easy-​going and helpful throughout the entire process. This was one of my better experiences with a Boston real estate company, and I’d definitely go with Uptown again.

I rented my first apartment from Uptown Realty. My roommate found an apartment listed on Craigslist after we’d had a long and grueling search where we had just missed out on several apartments we’d wanted.
They showed us an apartment in Brighton we’d already seen with another realtor and, at the time, were lukewarm on. After several apartments had slipped through our fingers, we decided to take the apartment. The price had been raised in the intervening two weeks, and our realtor convinced the management company to give us the lower rent, saving us $ 100/​month. However, before he spoke to the management company, he had us sign two copies of the lease, one reading the higher rent and one reading the lower rent. So even though he told us we’d received the lower rent, we had no proof of it until we moved in and got a copy of the lease. That was an unorthodox move and made me very uncomfortable, but Uptown kind of backed us into a corner about it.
Then, about a week later, I got an angry phone call from the realtor who had showed us the apartment the first time. When two realtors show an apartment to the same client, they are supposed to split the commission. However, Uptown did not, even though we mentioned several times that we had seen the apartment previously with Other Agent at Other Realtor. Needless to say, I apologized to Other Agent and wished her well in getting her half of the commission. However, this was not the kind of stress I needed while trying to coordinate a move! Uptown had the nerve to call me and «confirm» that we had never mentioned the other agent– even though they had helped us negotiate the lower rent! Very unprofessional behavior.
Uptown also made the key pickup difficult. I had a June 1^st lease, and was going home during the two weeks between the dorms at my old school closing and June 1^st. I made it explicitly clear to Uptown that I would be arriving in the late afternoon as I was traveling from over 200 miles away. However, I got a phone call from them around 10 am on June 1^st, saying that they would have the keys ready for pickup before noon! They made me call the management company and then their secretary to arrange an afternoon pickup.
Needless to say, I looked for a more professional real estate agency when I moved out of that apartment, even though Uptown was in my apartment twice a day doing showings.