Level Group

I had a great experience working with Valentina Veleva. She was extremely responsive and has an excellent grasp on the rental market. Valentina had lots of great units to show us, all of which fit what we were looking for, in our price range, and in our desired location (not an easy feat!). Highly recommend working with Valentina!

I felt obligated to write a review after a horribly UNPROFESSIONAL exchange with the agent Vladimir Ichkov. When I didn’t reply to one of Vladimir’s emails after expressing interest in one of his listings, he called me on a Sunday afternoon without emailing first. I ignored the call, an unknown number, and saw he emailed again. I sternly but politely asked him to schedule a call before calling, particularly on a weekend. He sarcastically wrote back «Would you like me to mail you and official request to chat before calling you or should I talk first to your personal assistant? :-)»
I asked him not to contact me again. He quickly replied «No problem, I’ll let you get back to your self-​importance :-)»
Is this what Level Group calls salesmanship? How distasteful! Won’t be using this agency for my apartment search because of this unfortunate encounter.

This review is specifically for the wonderful Ben Getman. Back in August of 2013, we emailed Ben about one of his listings. He promptly responded and showed us the apartment. At the time, my husband and I were just beginning to look and we were not ready to purchase. Ben understood this and said, «No matter how long it takes, whenever you’re ready, I’ll be there for you.» He really meant that! We worked together for a full year before we found our new apartment and he stayed loyal to us the whole time. While most realtors won’t waste their time on a buyer who isn’t ready, Ben would meet us on a whim just to show us places. He felt it was important to keep looking and get a feel for neighborhoods and specific buildings, so when the time came to buy, we’d be informed and prepared. He was so patient and excited each time he showed us a place, but when it fell short of our hopes, he clearly saw it didn’t match up and he honestly agreed it wasn’t for us. He never tried to push us to buy. This really reassured us that he was looking out for our best interests, not just trying to make a sale. We loved how he was able to share in our excitement as well as be a support when it didn’t seem like we’d ever find a place. We knew we could count on him and he promised us that our new home would come along when the time was right. He was also extremely organized. He kept track of all the buildings and properties that we liked and sent us emails with new listings that matched our desires. He really listened to our needs and wishes and never pressured us. It was evident in every interaction between us that he cared about us. The fact that he stayed with us for a year, showing us property after property, is a testament to his honesty, devotion and sincere interest in our happiness. We have never met a broker so dedicated to his work. He was available at all hours, even through the night. We often found ourselves up late browsing through listings and we’d shoot him an email at 2 AM expecting to hear from him the next day. To our surprise, we’d get a response back immediately. His service is just unmatched. On top of it, he happens to be a really nice guy who is so easy to work with. He’s professional and protective, too. When things got stressful, he took the burden off us and managed everything. We obviously can’t say enough about Ben and the support he provided us leading up to our purchase and through the closing. We highly recommend him. Give him a call, you won’t regret it. We are now living in our dream apartment and looking forward to having Ben over for dinner once we get a dining room table. :-) Thank you, Ben!

I have moved back from Brazil and was in a unhappy situation in the apartment that I was living. When I called Nesto Encarnacion and told him what I was looking for he set up an appointment right away to show me the appointment. He showed up on time and looked and spoke very professional. He showed me the apartment and explained to me that there were other apartments in the building but they were an extra 100 dollars. It was not necessary because I found the apartment that I wanted. He walked me through the application process and even picked me up and took me in his own car to the signing. Even after the signing was complete I had a little bit of a personal/​finanical issue and Nesto was right there trying to help me out. Not only that he was very reasonable with he brokers fee and worked with me so that I could pay it off. I could not ask for better customer service and would recommend him to anyone that is moving. If I decide to move again he would be the only broker that I would need to call.

I would give this a ZERO star if I could. Av is a total slimeball. Rented a place to my then gf with promises of laundry in a building that didn’t have a working facility. He actually took her to the laundry room in the basement and showed her the facilities that had been out of order for over 2 years according to the other tenants. He delayed having requested items fixed before moving in and then tried to scam her out of a weeks worth of prorated rent for the delay he and the management company caused! Super shady dude. On top of this, was very forceful in having the lease signed. As a single woman going through the process she felt very intimidated and uncomfortable dealing with him. DO NOT USE THIS GUY!!! TOTAL SCHEISTER!!!

I found this broker to be very unprofessional. I always thought that a broker needs to sell the prospective tenant, this company does not seem to feel that way.
I am a 30 year old professional; I make good money and I have very good credit. I own a 50 lb dog, and while apartment hunting that is my FIRST and MOST important question every time. I WOULD NOT be able to live somewhere that didn’t allow my dog so a yes no dictates if the conversation will proceed. I responded to a renthop ad, with my only my email address attached asking if the location allowed for a 50 lb dog. I was not given a response, but I’ve ATTACHED the emails below so you can read them. .
Later I reached out about another place that Zeke was showing — this time i included my phone number. He texted me at 1130 at night only asking «how much do u make and do u have good credit.» I responded «I make enough and i have good credit but 1130 at night is not the time to talk business please reach out to me tomorrow between 11 AM — 3 PM. He then proceeded to talk trash to me over 9, yes NINE, text messages, telling me how «in five years of doing this he never had…»
Had what, someone demand to work during normal business hours in a professional and respectful manner???
Now the emails from the first part:
Good Day,
The app asked for your phone number and you left it blank. I do not give
out any information until I am absolutely sure I can confirm this person
is a legitimate customer.
If I don’t answer your question to your satisfaction what happens? You
move on without me knowing whether or not I can help you?
Thank you,
Zeke King Jr.
Level Group Inc.
370 Lexington Ave. 24^th Flr.
New York, NY 10 017
Phone: 917 – 3 975 290
Email:
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Hi Zeke,
If you tell me that there cannot be a 50 lb dog, I say thank you and move on. If you say that there can be a 50 lb dog, I call you.
Matt
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Mr. Matthew,
As I stated before if you don’t want to answer the questions and provide me
a phone #. I suggest you move on right now?
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Dear Zeke,
I understand your point.
Kind Regards,
Matt

The sign of a professional is how they treat you when a deal doesn’t come to fruition.
We worked with Jeremy C. from Level and really can’t recommend him more highly. From start to finish, he was highly communicative, available, and made us feel like a priority no matter what day of the week it was.
Jeremy took all of our requirements and put together an aggressive tour of downtown, showing us over 10 apartments in several neighborhoods ranging in price and amenities. He confirmed every appointment, and even had bottles of water for us since it was a hot day! After seeing the last apartment, he helped us talk through each listing and truly understand what our options were.
In the end, we decided to stay where we were. It was a tough call, but Jeremy was completely supportive of us no matter what and seemed to genuinenly want us to make the right choice for US. That’s a professional.

I decided on a whim that I wanted to move out of my apartment and find a new place nearby. I had envisioned the new place and was really not interested in seeing 15 – 30 new places before I found the right one. I know it takes time but when you have the right broker (Steve) who understands your needs, wants and budget — you can get the perfect place! Steve was extremely professional as well as upfront about all fees and paperwork that would need to be submitted. Steve helped me find my new apartment and find someone to take over my current apartment. I couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. That’s a rare statement when you’re talking about NYC real estate…

I met with Syreeta Love and she is the worst. Please do not trust this girl/​woman. She’s condescending, not helpful, and definitely does not get back to you when she says she will. On top of that, she really made me feel like she was two-​timing me and omitting information that she clearly had. Though seemingly nice at first, you’ll realize that she is actually extremely hard to warm up to. I wasted 75 $ on each application fee that passed with flying colors, along with a guarantor, but was denied. Didn’t get a reason. FYI, all other brokers usually only charge 40 — 60 $ for an app.
These people are dual agents. Which, if you google, will speak for itself. I really should have known better, but decided to take a chance. I dealt with another agent from this broker, Avraham Berkovitz, and he was alright. He, at least, was accommodating and warm enough. He also seemed to give me all information he had so that I could gauge for myself.
I would suggest going to aptsandlofts, Ideal Properties, or citi-​habitats. Those people are way more knowledgeable, friendly, and work for you to get what you want. I found a great place through aptsandlofts, and the process was a lot less daunting just because the agents cared enough to work with me.

I worked with Janice Tsao from Level Group to first buy, and then to let my apartment. I was a first-​timer in both of these respects and she always took the time to answer my questions and talk me through the whole process, and very pro-​actively told me what to look out for and made sure I was aware of what was going on.
Throughout the process I was always waiting for someone — a managing agent, the bank, a seller’s agent, but no-​one ever had to wait for Janice, as she always had everything prepared in advance and made sure that I did too.
Highly recommended, many thanks!

This review is really all about a Level One apartment agent named Rob Hapgood.
So here’s my story. I live in Portland, Oregon. The task at hand was to secure an apartment on the way upper West Side for my daughter who is a college student in NYC.
My daughter found Rob somehow, I’m not even sure. So I quickly found out that apartment hunting in NYC is a surly, tangled mess. At first I didn’t know who I should trust. I wasn’t sure about Rob at first. He’s got a sort of Bronx swagger and he’s very direct and very to the point. Well in the end Rob came through on every count.
He kept every promise made. He was open and honest about the entire process. Turns out that getting a small, one bedroom apartment lease is like buying a house. We had to send him virtually all of our private financial information including tax returns and more. He handled it all professionally and he kept all promises. And my daughter got the apartment she wanted.
We weren’t sure at the beginning of this process. In the end I can say I would work with Rob again and I highly recommend him. First impressions were a bit off putting. But the guy treated us with respect and again… He kept all promises made.

Hidden fees, deception, lies, lies and more lies. Too bad I’m already too deep in this to back out. Renters take heed.

This review is for Avraham Berkovits– I did not work with anyone else here.
After dealing with I can’t tell you how many brokers while looking for my current apartment — I found his straight forward «tell it like it is approach» to be a breath of fresh air.
Not just that after I backed out of an apartment at the last minute he still schlepped all the way to Bensonhurst and back with me on Friday night, only to have me decide to go with an apartment he showed me 2 days before.
As far as I am concerned he was worth every penny of his fee and I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone looking for an apartment.

I dealt with Adam taha at level group and he was just amazing. So amazing that I could not believe it at first and didn’t know whether I should trust this company or not. I was tired of looking for a place, drained a d he just made everything easier. I had 2 days to move and he made it happen. He came to my work place 3 times instead of me having to go anywhere. He is unreal. Would recommend him to anybody.

Let me start off by saying I *hate* apartment hunting in Manhattan. It is such a sleazy business, full of scam artists and slimeball brokers. Apartments are rarely even close to as nice as they seem in the pictures and descriptions, rents are ridiculous, and it’s just draining running all over the city to viewings.
I had a great experience working with Casey Sandler and his associate Dane. They have been super helpful, professional, a pleasure to deal with, and best of all, HONEST. They will send you listings that truly match what you’re looking for, and answer any questions you have quickly and truthfully. I feel like they have really gone out of their way to help us find the perfect place. Not that every place we saw was great, but they will actually be the first to say when they don’t think it’s a good match– they’re not just trying to make a buck. They also said they are willing to negotiate on fees, which is refreshing. I can highly recommend either Casey or Dane.
I had the complete opposite experience with people from New York City Apartments, which is the slimiest, sleaziest real estate agency I have ever dealt with. They are straight up liars, and scammers. Avoid at all costs.

If you’re working with Level Group, ask for Elijah Rivera. Eli helped me find an apartment very quickly, and guided me through the entire process.
I initially found Eli by contacting another one of their brokers, Avraham. However, Avraham had a family emergency right before I came to town to look for apartments, so despite what he was going through, he sent me to his colleague Eli, who took over immediately. I see a lot of bad reviews for Level Group here, but I’m guessing it’s just a matter of which specific brokers you deal with. Both of mine were awesome.
Here’s my break down:
— PROFESSIONALISM
Eli was extremely professional and he was clearly helping me look for apartments that were in my budget, and fit my requirements. In fact, he actually visited apartments before asking me to come just to vet them for me. Where else are you going to get that?
— EXTREMELY RESPONSIVE
Eli and I texted, called, e-​mailed at basically all hours of the day. Oftentimes I’d shoot him an e-​mail expecting a response the next morning, and I’d receive a response within the hour.
— PREPARED
When I first contacted Avraham, I asked him what paperwork I should make sure I had to help make this process as smooth as possible. Avraham provided me with a complete list, and when I arrived and ended up working with Eli, Eli again verified with me all the paperwork I had so that if I did find the perfect place, I would immediately be in the best position to apply for it.
— PRICE
If someone isn’t reimbursing you for Level Group’s broker’s fee, I’d think about it very hard before you decide to go with it. They charge 15%, which isn’t unusual in Manhattan, and NYC, but there are many brokers who charge just one month’s rent, which is 8.3%. It’s a lot of money you could save. That said, if you get to work with Level Group on a no fee apartment (that means the landlord is usually paying the fee for you)? Golden. Lucky for me, I didn’t have to think about this part.

According to the agreement between myself and the broker: «A tenant’s agent is an agent who is engaged by a tenant to represent the tenant’s interst. The tenant’s agent does this by negotiating the rental or lease of an apartment or house at a rent and on terms acceptable to the tenant.»
None of the above was upheld by the Level Group. Working with them was the worst real estate experience I have ever had. We were told we were seeing a ⁷⁄₁ rental with temporary walls already built and ended up with a ⁶⁄₁₅ rental, the cost of the walls on us and an increase in rent. Not once did I get the impression that the brokers were working to represent my best interests. In fact, we never even met one of the brokers. That same broker kept our apartment listed on the website throughout our entire application process, even though we had a large deposit on the unit. The application process took an unnecessary amount of time and the brokers kept feeding us different information. I had to take it upon myself to call the mgmt company for updates and legitimate information. It killed me to pay a broker’s fee for this place, it was definitely not deserved.
Save yourself the trouble, work with someone else.

I dont know abt all the negative reviews here. I met with Rob who patiently spent three hours with me showing apts, telling me where grocery stores were, and DRIVING me around the area. Found an apt I loved and put in an app. Unfortunately, even after getting approved, the lease still isn’t ready three weeks later per building management company. I probably will not end up with the apt given the lack of response on THEIR end but Rob checks in with me every day and keeps me updated on the situation.
I’d rate the management company zero stars at this point. But, Rob? He is great-​5 stars!
Hope I actually end up in this apt but don’t let the negative reviews sway you!

I’ll give them this: I’m moving into an apartment that I found from a broker at level group. But I have such a bad taste in my mouth about the way it all went down that if I could do it all over again I wouldn’t have used them. I initially liked that my broker wasn’t trying to sell apartments to me that I wasn’t interested in, but she was spacey and would forget key things I was looking for in my home (like that I have a dog). After the application had been submitted to the building she became increasingly more difficult to get ahold of, so much so actually, that when it came to getting the certified checks for the first month and deposit I had to call the building directly because she wasn’t answering her phone and she had advised me to have them left blank. (Hello? It’s a certified check. You can’t leave it blank.)
A lot of the pictures on level groups website are inaccurate as well.

If you’re looking to waste time, knock yourself out. IF they ever bother to call you back, they’ll lie to you. I went through two brokers there before I’d had enough of it.
Typical broker experience for NYC, I guess, but there are lots of other legit places to get a broker — try those first… you’re scraping the barrel if you come to these guys.