I had an awful/exhausting time trying to help my boyfriend find an apartment UNTIL we found DSA. They responded to my emails right away, Alex Mecum met us early the next morning, and met a few more times over the course of the week til he found "the place" -- which is spacious, clean, beautiful (nice molding and a fireplace), cheap as could be, and a great location in the East Village.

Alex helped us out, and he REALLY knew his stuff, didn't waste our time looking at places that weren't what we wanted and was never pushy. Many of their places are no-fee, too (such a contrast in every way to other brokers and companies). They followed through politely via email, were always available, and left us feeling really satisfied with the experience.

Thank you, Peta, for making this such a good experience. This was my first time around using a broker in Manhattan and would not hesitate to recommend you.

I moved from Chicago to NYC and had 4 days to find an apartment here. Overall the experience finding a place was horrible until I started working with DSA and their stellar staff.  On my last day of searching they helped me find the right place for me and were friendly, honest, and helpful throughout the entire process.  Given the number of realty companies in this city that are out to just make money off you, it was breath of fresh air to work with DSA - they actually cared about my living needs and preferences.  I highly recommend them if you are moving within the city or from out of state.  They made this process successful and transparent.  Thank you Alex and Christine - you rock!

Very honest and straight forward company. I worked with Alex, who made me feel very comftorable with the easily overwhelming market of finding the right apt in NYC. It's easy to experience consumer vertigo when searching for a Manhattan apt.  DSA made the process simple, factual, and specifically tailored to what I was looking for in a home. I highly recommend.

Simply said, if you are looking for a place in the east village that is livable and affordable work with this company. They got us exactly what we wanted and didn't waste our time.

My boyfriend and I had spent a few weeks looking for apartments in the East Village and in Brooklyn. Of all the brokers/agents we met with Alex was great! It didn't put any pressure on us, was professional and easy to work with. We looked at one place which was too small and once we described what we were looking for he showed us another listing which was perfect but out of our price range.

He kept in touch and eventually lowered the price within our range. We met Christine in the office, she had a similar vibe, very professional and easy to work with. We got all of our documents and were approved within 24hours.
 

Overall- we got a great place in the east village for an affordable price.

We thought that finding a place in New York would be a never-ending nightmare but we were proven wrong. Alex Mecum and Christine Carter from DSA realty found THE apartment for us in next to no time. All in all our experience with DSA Realty was perfect. It took us just four days to find an apartment beyond our expectations and below our budget maximum. They managed to find a beautiful place for us in a lovely neighborhood although we are foreigners with two dogs, a short credit history and no guarantors.  Alex and Christine are extremely friendly, helpful and professional - a "mix" one does not find very often. We would definitely work with them again and we already recommended them to our friends.  Alex and Christine thanks again for your help!

Thanks so much Christine, the apartment is great! Thanks so much for all your help and the nice message - I will definitely be working with DSA again if I need a new apartment in the future, and will refer friends to you and Alex. This has really been the best experience I've had looking for a place in NYC.

8/1/2012

As the mother of a senior at NYU, I highly recommend broker Matt Dure and DSA Realty Services.  Matt is highly responsive, caring, patient, knowledgeable, level-headed with good instincts and judgment.  He was the only one who responded promptly out of 5 different firms the day before July 4th and identified 10 studios and 5 two bed-room apartments to view on Friday in our neighborhoods of choice - the Village, Chelsea and Flatiron.  He patiently worked through details with two sets of parents and daughters (living in different states); took measurements of all of the rooms in various apartments; connected the daughters to the super; and supported us through negotiations with the landlord - from late at night to over the weekend. 

He is really terrific to work with and very customer oriented - excellent broker!

~for Matt Dure and The CARTER-MECUM Group

I will absolutely recommend your iGroup team  This has been a very pleasant and professional experience. I have several friends looking for apartments in the next few weeks and will recommend you.

Gina

Thanks again to you and Grace. We are very pleased with both of your professionalism and patience in helping us find an apartment that meets our needs. 

Can't tell you how excited we are about moving into our new home!!

David Bibian was very helpful and always had me and my roommates best interests in mind. He responded very quickly and was always on top of things.

David is extremely kind and helpful.  He returns my calls or texts in a timely manner and is genuine in sharing his experience and advice.  He made the entire process of finding and renting an apartment much less burdensome and confusing than in my own previous experience.  I recommend David highly!

I proudly recommend Eddie and DSA in the one's apartment search. I found the experience and interaction to be highly professional. After using other brokers/firms, comparatively, DSA was superior.

You were amazing nonetheless, and we're really thankful for all of the work that you put in for us. I still have your card, and it is going to anyone I know that's looking in the area!

Thank you so much for having Sasha show the apartments on West 83 to us.  Sasha is great -- very professional and kind, you have wonderful employee!  She gave me a very helpful package with all the info about the renting which pretty much asked my questions.

“My roommate and I worked with one of DSA's several Davids; the dashing and dapper David Taylor (sorry ladies, he's married). We had very high demands despite a very restrictive budget, but after seeing 3 apartments, David brought us home to our perfect Williamsburg apartment! We hope to be there a few years, but whenever we are ready to move on, we know exactly who we will be working with to find our next NYC gems (David Taylor, of course)! He is professional, dependable, and absolutely committed to finding the right apartment for his clients. I was resistant to working with a broker at first (you've heard the stories) but David Taylor listened to our needs and met every one. Ask for David Taylor at DSA and find a place you can't wait to go home to! Five stars!!”

REVIEW DATE 05/01/2012

I just rented an apartment that Bijan showed me in the East Village. He was great to work with throughout the entire process. We met as his office to do some quick paperwork, and he showed me three apartments. He was very quick with the keys and was very polite and professional. One of them was fantastic and exclusive to his agency. I looked at a few other places afterwards, and put in an application on his apartment a few hours later. I was confirmed for the apartment by the next day.

Bijan said that he loves seeing people happy when they get an apartment they love, and it's true. He was a pleasure to work with from the beginning of the process through to the end. I definitely recommend working with him.

Madalyn B

REVIEW DATE 06/24/2012

I read Bijan's reviews and contacted him with hopes of finding a reliable, trustworthy and patient broker and he met all of those expectations. He was real and honest, which is hard to find in this crazy market. I ended up finding an apartment on my own, but the process with him was really great. Highly recommended.

Ken T.

David, 

Thanks for your help so far. I am fortunate to have found someone on the other end with integrity.

Susan

REVIEW DATE 10/29/2012

David was a pleasure to work with. My wife and I had some very specific apartment search criteria for our ideal space. He was patient, professional and eager to help us find an ideal apartment. David was also very flexible with his time. He lined up a number of apartments for us on very short notice and always seemed ready to meet when we were available to view listings. We could not have ask for anything more in an agent.

I recommend David to anyone looking for an apartment in the city.

Todd

REVIEW DATE 10/29/2012

David was quick to reply to my emails and took the time to show me numerous apartments in Williamsburg. In the end I sublet a friends apartment but when the time comes I am looking forward to working with him again.

Tiffany

Sasha Jefferson has proven herself to be a reliable, transparent and efficient realtor. She has assisted me with an apartment search across three months. Constantly flexible and accessible, she showed me several listings for my initial desired price range. As my budget changed, Sasha continued to demonstrate professionalism as she searched for new listings that included important non-negotiable components/amenities (e.g. close to public transportation, elevator, etc.). Sasha provided me with a detailed listing of documents to gather in advance allowing me to submit an application quickly when I came across an apartment that I really loved. She served as an advocate with management as there was a delay in processing my application. When my lease signing lasted longer than expected, Sasha called a team member to cover for another client to ensure that I was taken care of until the very end. Even after the signing, Sasha has continued to check in and contact management when minor issues arose with furniture delivery access. It is with complete confidence that I recommend Sasha as a realtor for a young professional navigating NYC real estate for the first time.

I heard the good news!!! I am SOOO excited! Thank you for all your help David!!

Thank you so much for all of your help and determination to find us the perfect apartment to match our needs! We couldn’t be happier with the result and appreciate your due diligence to make this process as seamless as possible for Jennifer and myself. I will definitely pass along your contact information to anyone who needs assistance securing a new apartment in the future.

Thanks again!

I recently moved to NYC from Miami and found a great apartment through James Kogut of DSA Realty. James was a very nice, easy-going, down to earth guy that made us feel comfortable and at ease in the otherwise stressful New York rental market. He was professional and actually worked in our best interest. After going through the whole singing process, it seemed that we would have to pay an additional month of rent, but James was able to negotiate with the landlord so we wouldn't have to. The overall experience with DSA was terrific and I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for an apartment. 

It was a great pleasure to work with Eddie Piccini of DSA Realtors. Eddie encompassed everything the perfect realtor needs to be. He was respectful, attentive and ready to go above and beyond to help me with finding me exactly what I wanted; within my price range. His constant professionalism made finding my new place an ease and stress free. I have a lot of friends moving into the city after they graduate and I feel confident in referring them to Eddie and DSA Realtors!

It was a great pleasure to work with Phillip Itingen of DSA Realtors. Phillip encompassed everything the perfect realtor needs to be. He was respectful, attentive and ready to go above and beyond to help me with finding me exactly what I wanted; within my price range. His constant professionalism made finding my new place an ease and stress free. I have a lot of friends moving into the city after they graduate and I feel confident in referring them to Phillip and DSA Realtors!

Recently I was in the market for a change from my current residence of Hoboken, NJ and decided to take the plunge and move to New York City. Having been a resident of Long Island most of my life I was a bit skeptical of what I was going to get for my money. I searched on Craigslist for some upper west side apartments and stumbled upon a DSA listing for one in the Columbia University area. I emailed the contact on the listing and was put in touch with Phillip Itingen of DSA Realty. Phillip informed me that the listing was no longer available but offered to help me find other listings I might be interested in.

That afternoon I was able to meet Phillip and look at 3 listings. The fact that I was able to meet him right away to get the process started was just what I needed. Also, having never been inside of a NYC apartment I was able to ease my skepticism of what I was to expect. While the three he showed me weren't exactly what I was looking for, Phillip offered to find me a great place which was within my needs, wants and price range.

Within 3 days of meeting Phillip he was able to find me a great deal on a great place in a great area of the upper west side of Manhattan. Who knew this was possible?! The whole application process was very seamless as Phillip was willing to meet me at my job to get documents and funds needed to lock down the apartment. Phillip played a major role in my decision to make the move to NYC. On top of everything else he was even able to negotiate down my broker fee.

Overall I would rate my experience with Phillip as being excellent and I will make no hesitation to recommend him to my friends and family who are in need of an apartment or home. I look forward to working with him in the future and I consider Phillip to be a great asset to DSA Realty.

Sincerely, Peter K

Mr. Wade Johnson did a great job as my real state agent during my apartment rent in New York City. Clearly he understood my needs and financial situation. Also he made the process much more easier and fun. I would recommend Wade John real state expertise to anyone in search of a new home in New York City.

Sincerely,

Rosa C.

September 6, 2012

My fiancee and I were looking for an apartment on the upper west side  in Manhattan and were in need of a relator. Phillip was referred to me by my brother for whom he had found a duplex apartment on the west side. I told him exactly what we were looking for and our price point. Within an hour he called me back and had several listings for me to see the following day. He was ambitious and an extremely hard worker and did not stop until he got the job done. My experience working with Phillip was great and he always answered his phone. Not only was he reliable and professional but he was a pleasure to work with and I would definitely work with him again.

 Lindsay W

Thank you again for everything DSA did to help me find a new home.  I want to commend Sasha Jefferson on her professionalism and her dedication to this task.  She made it fun and she was encouraging when things got "hairy" and the outlook dimmed.  She really showed great patience and, indeed, kindness in explaining the ins and outs of apartment hunting.  We had many, many phone calls and emails going back and forth and she never wavered in her commitment.  She is an asset to DSA Realty. 

Thank you and best wishes, Linda Ann G. 

Working with Phillip was truly stress-free.  When I contacted him, I had just about given up on finding an apartment after dealing with numerous non-dedicated realtors who felt extremely disconnected and rapacious.  His diligence, knowledge, kindness and availability at all times is what sets him apart from most NYC realtors.  Any and all important information was always delivered promptly to myself, my roommate, as well as our guarantors.  Making sure that every party was in the know at all times was clearly Phillip's top priority.  Also, he did a wonderful job of considering all of the criteria I supplied him with in order to find the best apartment possible.  I could not be happier with the apartment I rented from him.  Overall, the entire process was nothing but speedy, simple and efficient.

Working with Eddie was truly stress-free.  When I contacted him, I had just about given up on finding an apartment after dealing with numerous non-dedicated realtors who felt extremely disconnected and rapacious.  His diligence, knowledge, kindness and availability at all times is what sets him apart from most NYC realtors.  Any and all important information was always delivered promptly to myself, my roommate, as well as our guarantors.  Making sure that every party was in the know at all times was clearly his top priority.  Also, he did a wonderful job of considering all of the criteria I supplied him with in order to find the best apartment possible.  I could not be happier with the apartment I rented from him.  Overall, the entire process was nothing but speedy, simple and efficient. 

I would recommend Bijan Samawat to a friend. Although we ended up going with an apartment that was shown to us by another broker, Bijan was the most responsive and professional broker we worked with while looking for an apartment in Brooklyn (Cobble Hill/Brooklyn Heights/Boerum Hill). He listened to what we were looking for, sent us emails with possibilities and was always available to meet us for showings quickly.

Sasha, you were a great help in our search, very friendly and professional. I will refer you to all my friends that will be looking for apartments! 

Thank you!

      -Aaron 

I am in the process of looking for a new apartment myself. I have dealt with several brokers, lots of whom are awful people, pulling a lot of bait and switch.

This agent, Sasha Jefferson, has been amazing! She has been very upfront as far as what to expect for what price and has really taken her time and shown us so many apartments. I would definitely recommend using her for your search.

Finding a place and all the planning could be so stressful. I can't complain enough about the terrible process of moving. I was referred by a good friend of mind for an excellent broker to find my next nest. I was contacted with Eddie Piccini from DSA Realty Service and he promptly called to get an idea of what I was looking for. He was very patient in explaining to me the market and how listings open up and what steps I need to take to apply for an apartment. 

Eddie was patient with my price and he would email me listings that are with my price and details. We saw a lot of places in different part of New York City and explained to me what you get for the money in different neighborhoods. To make a long story short, I fell in love with the current apartment that I currently live in and Eddie made the application process as smooth as possible. 

Eddie was wonderful and I'd highly recommend him to anyone who needs to find a place in NY City. He is very friendly and works based on your schedule, all you need is 1 hr to see 4 or 5 places in one day. 

I found an apartment I liked online and within minutes Eddie found a time to show me the apartment. Working with Eddie was a huge success. He was accommodating during the viewing of the apartment. He let me take my time and look around, and answered all my questions patiently. I find moving to be an incredibly stressful experience, where I'm never sure if I made the right decision and immediately I start doing the math in my head and I can get very overwhelmed, but Eddie was there to help guide me through the process with patience and a sense of humor. Any time I needed information and I emailed or called Eddie he returned my call or email within minutes, which was extremely reassuring. He seemed to want me to get the apartment I loved as much as I wanted to get it. I appreciated the fact that he kept in contact with me through the lease signing to make sure that everything had gone smoothly. I would highly recommend EddiePiccini of the I Group to any prospective clients. 

I found an apartment I liked online and within minutes Eddie found a time to show me the apartment. Working with Eddie was a huge success. He was accommodating during the viewing of the apartment. He let me take my time and look around, and answered all my questions patiently. I find moving to be an incredibly stressful experience, where I'm never sure if I made the right decision and immediately I start doing the math in my head and I can get very overwhelmed, but Eddie was there to help guide me through the process with patience and a sense of humor. Any time I needed information and I emailed or called Eddie he returned my call or email within minutes, which was extremely reassuring. He seemed to want me to get the apartment I loved as much as I wanted to get it. I appreciated the fact that he kept in contact with me through the lease signing to make sure that everything had gone smoothly. I would highly recommend EddiePiccini of the I Group to any prospective clients. 

Wade - Thank you for taking the time to help me find my first place in Manhattan. I apprecaited your honest advice and all the time you spent showing me some great places (hands down better than all the other brokers and websites that I used). Thank you for getting me great deal. Good luck with everthing.

Best, Rishi

I recently moved to New York from London. My whole experience with DSA was excellent.

Mine was not the easiest move to facilitate. Having no credit history or a clear idea about what to expect from an apartment in Manhattan meant that I needed someone who was capable of finding me a place to live that I liked, but also understood the nuances of each landlord and their qualification requirements. Adam Jake Steinberg did a terrific job.

Working with Adam was easy. Other brokers seemed to lack the very basic things I expect in a business transaction - punctuality, timely communication and focus seem to be rare qualities to find in a broker today, whereas Adam exhibited an efficiency and personable manner which made it a pleasure to work with him.

We saw many apartments, in a few different areas before finding what i was looking for. DSA had some great listings which meant i could focus my thoughts more on the characteristics of the neighborhood rather than worrying about the quality of the apartments themselves.

DSA's relationship with my landlord meant the qualification process was easy, even in my more difficult circumstances, and the whole process of signing the lease seemed transparent.  I would happily recommend working with Adam and DSA.

WOW!  I can't say enough about the team at DSA Realty Services.  We live outside the New York area and had to find an apartment in the city for our son going to NYU.  This is a daunting task and we quickly discovered we were not getting anywhere fast trying to do it on our own.  A lot of so called "No Fee" advertisements for apartments turned out to be very expensive monthly rent for not a lot of apartment.  We then turned to the professionals at DSA Realty Services.  We worked with Grace and Sarah and they found a nice apartment for our son and his roommate within our price range. 

We were in New York on two separate days and Grace trucked us around the city to see over 20 apartments.  At first we thought our son would be rooming with three other NYU students and we spent a day looking at places for four.  What impressed us most was Grace, after seeing each apartment, would ask the students (and us) what they liked and didn't like about each apartment.  She would then communicate this information to Sarah back at the office.  Armed with the information of what we wanted, Sarah would then search for apartments that fit our needs.  It was amazing how fast they were able to get us into the next apartment.  Each one we saw took into account our likes and dislikes.

We didn't make it easy on Grace and Sarah.  We learned that two of the students would not be renting and had to tell DSA that everything changed.  We were now looking for an apartment for two.  They started all over again and took us out on a second day of apartment hunting.  Already knowing our needs they lined up a bunch of new places for us to see.  We found what we were looking for in our price range.  The kids have moved in and love their apartment.  Thank you Grace and Sarah for all your hard work to get it done.

Our experience with DSA Realty Services was very positive.  We highly recommend them.  They were organized and professional.  Even when we made them change over to a place for two, they never made us feel bad about doubling their work.  Grace and Sarah were great.  Thank You!!!

Richard, Nancy & Bryan
 

7/24/2012

Good morning, Christine

I enjoyed our conversation yesterday morning.  It is clear to me that your Group is unique....I have experienced the sense of commitment to relationship and the trust that follows,

in every interaction that I have had.  In the 'medical world' in which I have invested my career,  these principles are also critical for good outcome...I recognize and appreciate the investment that is necessary to achieve this.

Steve and I hit some unexpected stumbling blocks yesterday....I had had every expectation that we would complete our process.  He will give me another date and I will return at the very beginning of your next cycle.

I look forward to completing this current business with your Group and to the future interactions we will have.

Thank you.

Alex & Christine -- Thank you so much for everything you did to get me the apt! I'm so excited to move and w/out you I probably would've ended up in some kind of crack den with a roommate named Slippery Pete. Instead I've got a great apt in agreat location with an awesome backyard. Many thanks! -A

My roommate and myself had been looking for an apartment for around a month. Both of us were stressed in more ways than one about finding the right place in the amount of time we had. We had hoped to find something in our price range that wasn't too tiny or a disaster. I found out about DSA Realty, and set up and appt. with realtor Alex Mecum to see some places. The second apartment he showed us was an absolute perfect fit. The area was what we wanted, the price fit our budget and the apartment had just been renovated and was in great shape! Alex got in touch with us to follow up and was available to show us the place again right away. With DSA's help we were able to get the ball rolling very quickly. The lease was completed by Christine Carter, and DSA was truly incredible at staying in touch and letting us know that our getting the apartment we wanted was their priority. We were able to successfully lease the place, and we couldn't be happier, not only with our new apartment but with DSA who helped us find it and made the whole experience incredibly enjoyable. Everyone that we met and worked with from the organization was friendly helpful and just overall there to make the rental process not a terrifying experience. I would highly recommend and definitely use them again!

I really appreciate all of the HARD WORK that you put in to help me find a place and it's too bad that the places on 30th/Lex and 35th/Lex didn't work out. I also appreciate that you had my best interests in mind and were really pleasant to deal with (unlike most brokers). If there is anything I can do to help you out such as write you a recommendation etc., please let me know. I will also be sure to recommend you to my friends.

Sarah L 

~For Peta Heys of The CARTER-MECUM Group

I recently moved to NYC from Miami and had read about the horrors of New York brokers. After experiencing our fair share of terrible, pushy, and rude brokers, we came upon James Kogut of DSA Realty. James showed us a great apartment in the East Village. Unlike most brokers we came across, he didn't push us to sign quickly or tell us the usual "you won't find anything better than this." He simply told us that if we were interested, to let him know. After going through the whole singing process, it seemed that we would have to pay an additional month of rent, but James was able to negotiate with the landlord so we wouldn't have to. Overall, James was a very nice, easygoing, down to earth guy that made us feel comfortable and at ease in the otherwise stressful New York rental market.  

I would definitely recommend DSA to anyone looking for an apartment in NYC. They are a great brokerage firm. If you can get James Kogut be your broker, even better.

~For James Kogut of The CARTER-MECUM Group