Hillel Realty Group — Local services in New York

Anthony Howell of the Hillel Realty Group helped my partner and I find our dream apartment in Astoria. We had worked with many other brokers who showed us apartments that weren't meeting our standards or had placed phone calls that were simply not answered / followed up on. I have to admit that we didn't experience a "search" with Anthony because the first and only apartment he showed us was "it."

Literally, while on my way to put an application on "the best of the worst" apartments that we were SETTLING for, Anthony called me back about an apartment he listed on Craigslist. Though he was booked up for the evening, he knew that his apartment was exactly what we were looking for based on our discussion. Also understanding that I was in the midst of applying for another apartment, Anthony graciously reworked his schedule to accommodate us and show the apartment within the hour. I called the other broker, told him I was going to be late and met Anthony. He knew the building, knew what the landlords/management company were looking for in an applicant, knew his inventory and the market, knew we were serious and confidently showed us the best apartment we had seen in a month long search. He was ready and willing to show us the apartment again the next morning, along with a comprehensive list of things we needed for the application process. Needless to say, we applied that next morning.

As soon as I met him, his personality was just different from the "greasy" real estate brokers we had been working with. Throughout the whole process, he was never pushy, always courteous, friendly and professsional. We never felt like we were being SOLD on an apartment or wasting his time with our concerns/questions. While we waited for approvals, Anthony was patient with our anxious questions and follow up calls; he kept us abreast of the renovation processes that the apartment was going under (sending pictures, etc.); and he made sure we knew that he was still available for any questions even after we signed the lease.

Great guy and I would recommend him to any friend looking to...

Anthony Howell was absolutely amazing to work with. My girlfriend and I had been searching for a place together for quite sometime, both of us being brand new to the process, we were really looking for some assistance. With very little luck from several other brokers we had reached out to, we came upon a listing almost immediately after it had been listed, and contacted Anthony who contrary to MANY other brokers we attempted to work with got back to us immediately. Anthony and my girlfriend spoke in deep length in order to really understand exactly what it was we were looking for and if this listing in fact was something that would really interest us based on our criteria. We could tell right away that he would not waste our time on listings outside of the criteria we had spoke with him about. It is very difficult to find someone who will actually listen to your needs, and he really wanted to find us what we were looking for. Without wasting anytime, he made himself available the following day to show us our new beautiful apartment. Every amenity he noted, every picture, and every detail of this apartment was exactly how described, not 1 unwanted surprise. He was so on point that we sealed the deal right there. For the next few days while we ironed everything out, he was reachable at ALL times via text/email and was there for us anytime we had a question and helped us through a process we were unfamiliar with. He made me feel VERY comfortable during every step of this. Even after our lease was signed and we could have gone our separate ways, he stayed in very close contact with me to make sure everything went smoothly before our move in. For someone I just met, I trust Anthony to the fullest and would consider anyone lucky to have him as their broker. He made me feel like he appreciated having me as a client. Absolute class act Anthony, can not...

Phillip Valentine at Hillel Realty is a Scam Artist. A month ago I inquired about a Williamsburg apartment I found on Craigslist. Phillip wrote me back with a time to meet him at said apartment the next morning. I showed up at the place only to find out that the unit had been rented out weeks in advance. He didn't have the common courtesy or intelligence to call ahead of time to verify if the unit was still available. While meeting with the building manager there I asked the building manager if he knew if there were units available at the new building next door. I knew it was a no fee building and a friend had told me about it a week earlier. As I walked there Phillip followed me trying to convince me to meet him the next day to show me places I had already seen. He was completely useless. He followed me into the new building and stood by as I negotiated the rent with the buildings broker. He did absolutely nothing aside from follow me into the building. After I had successfully negotiated a lower rent and agreed to rent a unit in that building he told me that he would be charging me a broker fee. I let him know that I would not allow him to hustle me for work he did not do. We parted ways. His boss Tomer sent me an email yesterday on Phil's behalf invoicing me for a 15% fee for Phillips "work". Beware of Phillip Valentine!! Stay away. There are plenty of brokers out there who are diligent, honest and actually helpful. I would hate to see someone else go through...