Chicago Apartment Finders - Edgewater

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Chicago Apartment Finders!I moved to Chicago in the middle of winter and had one weekend to find a place. I made an appointment to spend a Sunday with Chicago Apartment Finders. After a Saturday of scoping out stuff off Craigslist and being very disappointed by "vintage" (read: it looks like someone died in the bathtub) places, I went to CAF.My sales guy, Rob, was SO funny and helpful! I told him my budget and what area I wanted to live in and within 10 minutes he had a list of at least 8 places for us to check out. Not being from Chicago, he was especially useful in explaining the different neighborhoods to me and where things were located. Not once did he try to talk me into an apartment that was out of my budget or more space than I needed (from what I understand a lot of rental people will do this to bump up their commission). Great experience...I'd definitely use them again! more

Our agent, Matt, listened to our concerns and requirements, printed out a list of possibilities, and took us on the road. The very first place we saw was the apartment of my dreams. Highly recommended. more

I am relocating to Chicago and was in town for the weekend when I just happened to walk past Chicago Apartment Finders on Belmont. It was a busy Saturday afternoon and I had no appointment, but after a 10 or 15 minute wait I was able to meet with an agent. If you choose to use this service, I HIGHLY recommend Angie Fucigna. She was very warm, professional, patient, and did not pressure me at all. I told her what I was looking for and she found a bunch of different apartments for me to choose from. I picked six places that I wanted to see and she pointed out the nearest grocery, el, ect. for each place that she drove me to. She kept telling me that she was here to help me and wanted me to find the perfect place. She said that if I didn't find anything I loved on the first trip, we could just return to her office and start over on our search. I feel very confident with my Lincoln Park apartment that Angie helped me find. I would recommend her to anyone in a heartbeat. more

So I visited Chicago Apartment Finders last week after a waste of two days trying to find a place on CL. I was treated with respect the second I walked in, the woman at the front desk helped me sign in and offered me drinks and a cookie that was freshly baked, by HER, and it was delicious!Once I signed in I waited maybe 1 minute before I was greeted by a leasing agent named Rob who instantly made me feel like I was an important part of his day. Within 10 minutes we were out the door looking for my apartment. I was with my mom, who started out very skeptical, and Rob tamed her immediately. He assured me at the office that he would find my apartment today. While we were driving to each apartment he gave us a tour, and history lesson, of Chicago. This made my mother very happy.We saw 4 apartments and I could have lived in all of them. I couldn't be happier with caf! Thank you Rob for making this painless and fun, and my mom wanted me to remind you of the twig and the fly. hehehe more

With only one weekend to find an apartment in Chicago (relocating from Washington DC) we didn't have any time to waste on craigslist or wishy-washy Realtors. Chicago Apartment Finders was the perfect solution. Our leasing agent Matt Hicks was simply amazing -- friendly, extremely knowledgeable about the area and very upfront with the type of apartment we could get in our price range. He was able to read us very well and showed us 6 different places that generally fit all of our criteria. As we drove between apartments and through different neighborhoods, Matt gave us the rundown on things like parking, bars and restaurants and other area attractions. He was extremely honest and I never felt like he was trying to push anything on us. Finally, Matt really went the extra mile to get us into an apartment where CAF didn't have the correct keys. And of course, his judgment was totally on the mark... that was the apartment we ended up submitting an application for. Honestly, I would ask for him by name if you're going to use this particular CAF office. The convenience factor of CAF is what really makes this place a slam dunk for me. We walked in off the street and were placed with a leasing agent in about 15 minutes, we didn't have to worry about navigating the area or setting up multiple appointments and once we found a place CAF walked us through all the paperwork. I would recommend going during the week if possible, we were told the weekends can be a little crazy. Remember, there is no such thing as the perfect apartment but Matt was able to show us some really great, realistic options for our wants/needs/budget. At the end of the day we walked out of CAF even more excited about our move to Chicago. more

Recently relocated from Michigan and was very skeptical of the company to begin. Basically, to my understanding, they crawled websites for places that met your needs and took a cut from those apartments. So, why did I need them, right? This would be true for 9/10 scenarios, but because I got TK as my agent, I got more than just a real estate licensed kid looking to get a cut from a signing. She took me out and only showed me places she thought were nice enough, places that fit my wants/needs/etc. She refused to take me to places she had bad experiences with, and was extremely helpful and knowledgeable of the neighborhoods and history of Chicago. Request TK. You won't regret it.I did end up signing through CAF for a studio in Lakeview. Overall, great experience. Thanks, TK! more

I am relocating to Chicago and was in town for the weekend when I just happened to walk past Chicago Apartment Finders on Belmont. It was a busy Saturday afternoon and I had no appointment, but after a 10 or 15 minute wait I was able to meet with an agent. If you choose to use this service, I HIGHLY recommend Angie Fucigna. She was very warm, professional, patient, and did not pressure me at all. I told her what I was looking for and she found a bunch of different apartments for me to choose from. I picked six places that I wanted to see and she pointed out the nearest grocery, el, ect. for each place that she drove me to. She kept telling me that she was here to help me and wanted me to find the perfect place. She said that if I didn't find anything I loved on the first trip, we could just return to her office and start over on our search. I feel very confident with my Lincoln Park apartment that Angie helped me find. I would recommend her to anyone in a heartbeat. more

BEST EXPERIENCE EVER!!!!! JON PLOUS IS AWESOME!!! CAF WAS GREAT TO WORK WITH AND JON PLOUS IS THE BEST AGENT AT THE LAKEVIEW OFFICE!!!!! LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!!!!! I was moving from Kalamazoo MI to Chicago and found this apartment finder site through http://google.com. I made an appointment with my roommate and drove down to Chicago from MI, we had an appointment at 11am and came in the lobby area was very nice and clean. The receptionist was friendly and offered us cookies and beverages, we waited for our agent to come and get us. Within 4 minutes our agent came out and brought us back to his desk, introduced himself and his name was Jon Plous. Very friendly and upfront with all the details of how the service worked as well as what our price range would get us and we explained what we were looking for in an apartment as well as in a neighborhood. He drove us around to five apartments and didn't B.S. around or show us crappy apartments, he was so friendly and so upfront and honest about what we would get and what we were in for, when we move to a big city. The third apartment we looked at was THE ONE! It was on Clark street and in the middle of Wrigleyville/ Lakeview- There were people out and about always doing something, there were great restaurants, great nightlife and close to the Red/Brown line stop at Belmont. We decided to look at two more places to make sure we weren't jumping into the wrong apartment. We knew that THE ONE was THE ONE and wanted some time to think on it and discuss between my roommate and I , Jon Plous let us go to lunch and discuss what we wanted to do and how we wanted to make a decision. We went to lunch at Big City Tap which was recommended by Jon Plous so we went to lunch and decided this was the one and we wanted to sign the lease right then with Jon Plous. He never pressured us or got frustrated with all of our questions and comments on each apartment, he gave us GREAT advice and really helped us out. more

I LOVE CAF. They have placed me in two different apartments and both apartment agents were helpful and sincere. I would use Chicago Apartment Finders again and would reccomend them to anyone who was moving or relocating in Chicago. My roommate and I went to Chicago Apartment Finders and told them we wanted a very detailed list with a specific price range. We saw 5 amazing apartments that met all of our requests (High rise, doorman, pool, workout facility, allows dogs, parking, new carpet, two bedrooms, etc.)I have used other apartment companies in the past and they do not compare to Chicago Apartment Finders. They are the best. more

The agents were actually really helpful. I've been apartment hunting in this town many times, and the last two times -- in addition to using Craigslist, the Reader, and multiple other agencies and realtors -- I used CAF. Yes, they have commission, but I never felt like places were being pushed on me. more

I found a great apartment this week through Chicago Apartment Finders - Edgewater Office! The whole process was fast, efficient, and friendly. Ask for Jeff Dumas as your Leasing Agent. He is awesome !!! Jeff is very professional, courteous, proactive, and most importantly, willing to listen to you and ask you about your needs/wants in finding an apartment. I set up an appointment with him and when I met with him to drive around, he had already printed out 6 locations that were almost exactly on target for what I was looking for in my new place. I do have to admit, I was a "not-perfect" candidate with some credit issues and less-than-perfect credentials, but Jeff treated me very well and worked overtime to work around my issues. Also, he was available via a cell phone whenever I needed to touch base with him, even when he was not in the office! I would also like to mention the manager, Brian, who was very welcoming and helped me with a small issue I had. So compliments to both the agents and managers at Chicago Apartment Finders. Again, ask to work with Jeff Dumas. And just a disclaimer, I know readers sometimes are suspicious of 5 star glowing reviews, but this one is 100% accurate and heartfelt. more

Chicago Apartment Finders has been helping my daughter fine a place, I am so glad that she has professional, friendly and caring people helping her since I can't be there all the time. I have spoken to a few people there and they have been great! I've tried other places but they have given me the runaround. I'm sticking with these guys! Thanks CAF! more

When moving to Chicago, I checked with the Apartment Finders as I liked some of the places they had posted on Craigslist. they were the last company that I went with, it was just a fluke of scheduling. They are the only place I visited that offered an array of free (non-alcoholic) drinks to their clients. Caffeinated soda was a wonderful thing to have when looking for an apartment. The agent we met with was really nice, listed to what we wanted, and tried hard to find apartments that fit our needs. Unlike the other places, he actually had notes from himself and other agents on the places he was going to show us! Wonderful! This means he could actually answer our questions and avoid showing us places we were sure to turn down! This saved an awful lot of time. We liked the one placed he showed us, but alas, we submitted an application the day before for another apartment (we wanted to keep looking in case we were rejected). While we checked out the place, he took his own photographs to help future clients. Based on my experience, I'd recommend going with them early in your search. Just make sure that you know what you want and that you're upfront about it. more

When moving to Chicago, I checked with the Apartment Finders as I liked some of the places they had posted on Craigslist. they were the last company that I went with, it was just a fluke of scheduling. They are the only place I visited that offered an array of free (non-alcoholic) drinks to their clients. Caffeinated soda was a wonderful thing to have when looking for an apartment. The agent we met with was really nice, listed to what we wanted, and tried hard to find apartments that fit our needs. Unlike the other places, he actually had notes from himself and other agents on the places he was going to show us! Wonderful! This means he could actually answer our questions and avoid showing us places we were sure to turn down! This saved an awful lot of time.We liked the one placed he showed us, but alas, we submitted an application the day before for another apartment (we wanted to keep looking in case we were rejected). While we checked out the place, he took his own photographs to help future clients. Based on my experience, I'd recommend going with them early in your search. Just make sure that you know what you want and that you're upfront about it. more

My fiance and I recently used Chicago Apartment Finders to help us find a place. And when I say recently, I mean we walked in on Tuesday 7/29, needing a place by Saturday 7/31. Thankfully, leasing agent Jerry Patano was there to save the day. He listened to everything we wanted and kept us within our price range without showing us dumps. We really enjoyed our experience with Apartment Finders and will be looking Jerry Patano up the next time we are looking for a place in the city. I highly recommend this service to anyone looking for a place in the city. Our agent was extremely knowledgeable, however many other agents in the office that day provided plenty of opinion and insight. We moved into our new place Friday evening and we love it. more

Short version: I'm not kidding. We found the *perfect* apartment in less than a week!!! Tuesday: First appointment with CAF (our agent/ new best friend is Corey). Saw 3 apartments the same day, including one that seemed *way* too good to be true. Wednesday: Walked around some other neighborhoods we were interested in on our own, made a few phone calls, saw 1 apartment we had arranged ourselves. Nothing special. Thursday: Saw 2 more apartments with Corey. Got a good 2nd and 3rd choice, but nothing as perfect as the one from Tuesday. Thought about it for a few hours alone while comparing neighborhoods. Called Corey back to fill out the application.Friday: Got a call from Geoffrey (it was Corey's day off but we were still taken care of) saying that we were approved for the apartment! The office is open until 7pm, so we had time to open a bank account, get a certified check and sign the lease the same day!! Director's Cut: My girlfriend and I had been apartment searching on our own for months before we even moved to Chicago (which is a bad idea since each of the 70 or so neighborhoods have *very* different feels to them). Our first "work day" in the city (Tuesday, 6/9), I found the Chicago Apartment Finders website, called them, and set up an appointment for 2 hours later. The person on the phone gave us great L directions and made us a makeshift profile over the phone to save time. EVERYONE at the Edgewater office was great, and the fact that we were working with the same agent all week made us feel at home in a big, brand-new city. Everything about the process was explained to us up front, and there really is NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR THIS SERVICE. Plus, we had someone who had lived in the neighborhoods we were searching for 6 years as a personal tour guide! Corey was very sweet and personable, and he gave us his open advice without pressuring us into any one apartment or neighborhood. This was one of the most efficient experiences of my life. I still can't believe that we found the perfect apartment, within our price ra more

I had a great experience with Chicago Apartment Finders, but more specifically with one of the leasing agents, Neal Gallagher. It all started with my inquiry about an apartment listed on Craig's List on a Thursday. On Friday morn, Neal called me back to schedule a viewing. He offered to change around his schedule to take me to a viewing 1.5 hours from the time we spoke. He definitely understood putting the client first and he the urgency of the situation. We visited five apartments during one "viewing sesh." At each apartment, he gave me all the facts without leaving anything out: whether or not heating was included; security deposit or move-in/admin fee; rental incentives; proximity to public transport; abundance or lack of street parking, etc. As you can see, he was incredibly thorough and repeated the process like second nature at every single apartment, never leaving anything out. Neal's very good about making the apartment hunt as pleasant as possible. He is great with people, knows how to engage in interesting conversation, and is genuinely interested in helping people either with the apartment search or just offering general advice about things in general. He is incredibly genuine and dedicated and a great communicator. He's a good communicator in the normal sense of the word, but also, what I mean is that he kept me apprised of everything that went on with the rental and approval process. I never really had to wonder what the underwriting and closing departments were doing because he told me how the whole process would work! If I had a question and had to call him, he'd answer the phone just as if we were old friends by saying, "Hi J'nai." Those personal touches did wonders for the apartment search experience. Although I think I liked an apartment in Hyde Park better than one of the ones I saw with Neal, I decided to go with Neal because of all the aforementioned attributes he possesses and professionalism he has. After the closing on my apartment, he even took me out to a celebratory dinner (his dime) t more

Chicago Apartment Finders has been helping my daughter fine a place, I am so glad that she has professional, friendly and caring people helping her since I can't be there all the time. I have spoken to a few people there and they have been great! I've tried other places but they have given me the runaround. I'm sticking with these guys! Thanks CAF! more

I'm moving to Chicago from Boston in June, I'm available to look at places on this ONE day in April, and the apartment needs to fulfill these 32 criteria, 30 of which I can't quite explain."Matt was traveling later in the day on the one day I was available, so he obliged me the ridiculous favor of waking up early and picking me up at 7am to go look at apartments. Including a quick and delicious trip to Julius Meinl, we saw seven places in two hours, every single one of which was completely on point. If he had brought me back to the office after that and said, "okay, now we're going to spin this wheel to determine which one of the apartments we saw you're going to HAVE to live in," I would have been totally okay with it - that's how well he had chosen places to show me. By 10am I had an application in on the best of the bunch, and within a week we'd locked it down. I had planned an additional trip out to "take care of apartment stuff" before moving, and ended up not having to do any of that. Matt is truly wonderful at his job - very smart and insightful throughout the process, and willing to extend himself to accommodate impossible scenarios. Five stars. more

I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE Chicago Apartment Finders! I moved to Chicago in the middle of winter and had one weekend to find a place. I made an appointment to spend a Sunday with Chicago Apartment Finders. After a Saturday of scoping out stuff off Craigslist and being very disappointed by "vintage" (read: it looks like someone died in the bathtub) places, I went to CAF. My sales guy, Rob, was SO funny and helpful! I told him my budget and what area I wanted to live in and within 10 minutes he had a list of at least 8 places for us to check out. Not being from Chicago, he was especially useful in explaining the different neighborhoods to me and where things were located. Not once did he try to talk me into an apartment that was out of my budget or more space than I needed (from what I understand a lot of rental people will do this to bump up their commission). Great experience...I'd definitely use them again! more