Rapid Realty Cobble Hill

They falsely advertise very attractive apartments on
to get customers to go view the apartment only to get there and be informed that it is no longer available. So instead they show you a completely different one. Waste of time. Very dishonest in advertising apartments that are not even in the market.

Called about a listing on Trulia, and ended up talking to Nelcy who listened to what I was looking for, and showed me two different apartments in two Brooklyn neighborhoods (Prospect Heights and Park Slope). Nelcy was fairly prompt, very approachable and friendly. Both apartments were viable, but neither was perfect for our needs, and since we had time, I wanted to see more. I told her what I liked and disliked about both apartments, and asked her to send more listings. I did feel like she was putting a little pressure on me to put down a deposit to reserve an apartment, saying that I could change my mind and the deposit was refundable, but when I told her I wasn’t ready to put down money, she didn’t push any further.
In general, she was super responsive, flexible, and sent me appropriate listings. The next apartment she showed me was exactly what we were looking for – the right neighborhood, and the perfect apartment for us. I decided to reserve it by going with her to the office to put down a deposit and fill out an application. However, I wanted to bring my husband to look at the apartment before starting the application process and paying the credit check fee. Make sure you read the fine print – the agreement I signed said that the deposit was only refundable if my application was denied, which wasn’t in line with what I had been told. I asked for clarification, and they told me they wouldn’t deposit the money, and would give a full refund if I told them the next day I changed my mind, before starting the application process – that as long as I didn’t «press the go button» I could get my money back. I didn’t get anything in writing to that effect, but at that point, I was fairly positive that even if that apartment fell through, I would be willing to go with them to get another apartment, so I wasn’t too worried about losing my deposit. But if you’re not sure about the apartment or about the realtor, I’d advise against putting down a deposit. Luckily, I didn’t have to worry about any of that, because after taking a second look at the apartment that evening, we decided to take it.
I saw the apartment on a Friday, at our request the closing agent Shaheed negotiated a lower rent on our behalf over the weekend, and I just signed the lease tonight (Tuesday) – everything was super fast and efficient. I did have to trek far out in Brooklyn to sign the lease, but Shaheed (also very friendly) gave me a ride back to the new apartment to pick up the keys from the super.
We’re excited to move in! When I first started looking at listings, I hadn’t wanted to pay a realtor fee, but in the end I feel that it was worth it – I didn’t have to waste any time looking at duds. After hearing what I thought about those first two apartments, I felt that she knew exactly what to show me next. I actually felt like I was an on episode of House Hunters – I only had to see three apartment to find the one I wanted! Overall, I had a very positive experience.

Recently went looking for an apt and contacted Gina Diponio (saw her listing on
). She contacted me back quickly and took down all my prefs and started looking for apts. I was from out of state and she was very helpful in answering my questions and setting up a meet time when I did arrive. All the apts she showed me were in my prefs. Even though I did not rent from her she did show a genuine interest in trying to find me an apt something a lot of brokers lack.
I would def rec her if you are looking for an apt in the brooklyn area.

Working with Rapid Realty in Cobble Hill was *not* a good experience.
Instead, I’d recommend going around the corner to Smith Hanten Real Estate and talking to Jean — he *won’t* make you feel like he’s just trying to make a buck, or that he would say anything to get you to sign on the dotted line. Unfortunately Jean didn’t have anything in my price range when I was looking, so I got stuck at Rapid Realty instead. It was a really regrettable experience that made moving into my new apartment unbelievable stressful.