NY Marathon Realty

I had just rented another apt from Craigslist, in Astoria, & over the course of a few days started moving my things in. 3 days later I had to move out because of the smell of a previous oil burner spill or leak that the landlord never properly cleaned up or told me about.

Having no apt, I had to relocate back to upstate NY & commute to the city every day. Once I had summer break I called & emailed several realtors in Astoria. After reading all the terrible reviews online I was pretty hesitant about using a realtor but I had no choice since I was living so far from the city. Marathon had the best reviews so I decided to try them first. Spoke with Tina & told her what I was looking for & the neighborhood I wanted.
She made some appointments for me & in a few days I came down to see the apts. Irene showed me the apts. One apt was exactly what I was looking for, totally renovated & close to every convenience. We went back to the office & did the necessary paperwork & credit check.
The next day I came back down, signed the lease & got the key. Irene even drove me over to the apt with a bunch of my belongings so I could camp out there until I fully moved in a week later.
I tried for several months, while I was living in the city, to get my own apt through Craigslist. I had 2 really bad experiences & wasted my time looking at some pretty gross apts prior to contacting Tina. It was well worth the fee. Navigating NYC rentals is not like any other experience. She knows the landlords she works with.

Tina works magic. After visiting over a dozen realty offices in Astoria, I randomly walked into her office. Five minutes later she was showing me photos of a unit that was EXACTLY what I wanted and below what I was expecting to pay. Apartment was mine the next day. Tina knows the neighborhood well after twenty-​something years of working real estate in the area. She didn’t pressure me in the slightest and helped me answer all of the questions I had. Really felt at ease and I kept pinching myself because I couldn’t believe how easy she made the whole process. She won’t let you down.

A wonderful experience. Thank you so much Tina for finding us our dream apartment!
We were probably in and out of 15 broker offices when we found Tina at NY marathon. We have a small dog, and that seems to be the ultimate deal breaker. She said she had nothing for a dog, but then managed to work her magic. She talked our now-​landlord who didn’t want dogs OR young tenants into approving me and my 23 year old roommates and myself. She worked her buns off and was there for us every step of the way.
Thank you so much Tina and NY marathon!!!

My roommate and I found a cheap two bedroom apartment on Craigslist in a great place. Tina responded to us very quickly from the ad and got us in to see it right away. We really liked it so she talked to the other realtor and we were good. We set up a time to sign the paperwork and while we were there to sign, the owner of the apartment decided she wanted to move back into it herself so we were out of luck.
Tina felt awful and did everything she could to find us another place right away. It ended up working out for the best because the next day she called us saying that another one had popped up for her and we went to see it immediately. It was twice the size and much nicer and newer than the other one. We are so happy with our apartment! We couldn’t have done it without Tina!

Tina from NY Marthon Realty is really good at what she does… She found me exactly what I was looking for, for a great price, quickly, and I also felt like she was a really good person… I would recommend this realtor to anyone and everyone.

Tina is such a good resource when you are looking for an Apartment in Astoria. Me and my fiancée saw a one bedroom listing for an apartment on Wednesday and by Friday we had the keys to the apartment in our hands. The whole process was THAT fast. She’s super personable, efficient and gets things done. If you’re looking for an apartment, use her!

Tina from NY Marathon Realty is a great resource if you are looking for an apartment in Astoria. She is very nice, professional and easy to work with and has access to a lot of the best buildings in town.

Dealing with Tina and Vana at NY Marathon Realty was the most genuine apartment searching experience I have ever had (and I have rented multiple times in Astoria, Queens). I felt like they had a true emotional investment in where I ended up. I responded to a legitimate ad on Craigslist, which I appreciated because a lot of realtors unfortunately post false apartments on that website to lure people in.
I did not wind up taking the initial apartment and Tina and Vana worked vehemently to find me an apartment/​house that has more than three bedrooms. They even negotiated with the landlord to produce a substantial price break. Overall, my roommates and I could not be happier with the services we received at NY Marathon Realty and I cannot express enough gratitude towards Tina and Vana for all that they have done.

My boyfriend and I found a 1-​bedroom listing we liked on Craigslist, and contacted Tina at NY Marathon to take a look at the place. The boyfriend looked first and liked it, but by the time I could take a look, it had been snapped up. But never fear! Tina reached out to the landlord and found the exact same unit on a lower floor available for the same price.
I have to echo earlier reviews and say that Tina really looked out for us the entire time. She really vouched for us to the building’s owner and even paid for our credit reports out of her own pocket. She’s really easy to contact and can work around our crazy work schedules to meet with us and show us listings. Her fee is one month’s rent, which tends to be standard, but at least she’s not one of those brokers who charges 15% of the year’s rent. I’d recommend her to anyone looking for a place in Astoria.

Found an apartment in Astoria in the part of town I wanted, on Craigslist. And like most of you who have done the same should know, you are often at the mercy of whatever sleeze-​ball real estate agent you are stuck with. A real estate agent who you visit through craigslist doesnt earn their commission 98% of the time.
I was surprised to find that my broker was actually looking out for me. When I went to check out the apartment, I noticed a few things about the apartment that I didn’t like. She pointed them out to the landlord and actually used it as leverage to bargain for my rent to be lowered. Now you may be thinking that this was just done to try to get a sale, but the broker actually ended up lowering her brokers fee to match the lower monthly rent.
Have you ever heard of a broker lowering their fee without having their hand forced? I hadn’t before. The people at Marathon Realty also had a good neighborhood feel to them. I didn’t feel like I was dealing with someone on their hustle, just trying to earn a quick buck. They knew the neighborhood, they treated me well, and I would definitely recommend them to a friend.

My roommate and I agree – Tina at NY Marathon Realty is a superstar! Extremely helpful and honest. She was patient yet fair while we were deciding and made everything easy for us and our schedules as we went through the whole process: filling out application, meeting the landlord, lease signing. If you like an apartment that NYMR is showing, then know you’ll be in for an efficient and satisfying process.

With any broker, you need to do your homework before actually setting foot in their office (ie, price location, requirements, and compromises). You can find tons of books about it, so I wont waste any time on that.
I was looking for a place at the worse time… end of the month, at the end of the year, during the winter (low volume… no one wants to move!). I visited a few realty offices in Astoria, as there are plenty to chose from.
I stumbled here off a Craigslist add, so I called and to schedule a viewing. I almost gave up on Craigslist postings as I never received follow ups on phone calls or emails. Or, the unit was already rented. LAME!
Arrival to office, I was greeted by Constantina (shes been doing this for years). She is like any broker when you first meet them, but after a while of chatting, she is extremely friendly and helpful.
She showed me two apartments and I fell in love with the one that she had posted online. She isnt pushy as long as you know what you want; but she does make her recommendations.
Tina made the deal go thru the same day (because I had limited days off and late hours). I was able to put down a deposit and sign a lease all at once (even got the main door keys!). A few days later, she left the other keys with another business for me to pick up. I trusted her completely.
I really enjoyed my experience at Marathon Realty. I will come back when I need to look for a different place, but hopefully that wont be the case.

i have been looking for rentals all month and have tried 9 realtors. this is the best by far!
Tina is fast trust worthy and efficient.
i walked in on Sunday before labor day and found that she was in the office and we went to see an apt together and the following day (LABOR DAY) she talked with the landlord and got me the apartment. i love the location and the space!
this will be the only real estate office i will be visiting from now on
Thank You

Tina has truly been a lifesaver! Our first experience searching for an apartment in the NYC area was a chaotic journey. Initially we were hesitant to use a broker, had met with a few beforehand, and were disappointed with the results.
On a whim, we walked into Tina’s office, without an appointment. We explained our price range and preferences, and she arranged to show us a suitable unit right away. It was a lovely apartment at a very reasonable price for the square footage and neighborhood. Consequently, we decided to take the unit right away, and in the process, discovered the merits of a stellar broker.
From the first greeting until after the lease signing, Tina was accommodating, courteous, professional, and efficient. Her broker’s fee was one month’s rent, which is standard, and in her case, worth every penny. We highly recommend Tina to anyone who is searching for an apartment in the Astoria or NYC area!

Great people, really friendly and willing to spend time with you to help you find the right place.
The downside, we couldn’t afford the places we were shown. Still the prices were right and the apartments were beautiful.
If you want to find the right place this is a good place to go.

I used this broker to help me find the EXACT apartment I wanted.
I had very specific demands and limited time to come to Astoria and look.
The very first apartment Tina had me look at was the apartment I am now moving into. She placed me right next to Astoria park in an elevator building, with live-​in super, and a laundry room for less than 1400 a month. Thats pretty unbelievable.
Even against the advice of Tina I went to look at another apartment in the area with another Realty. They showed me a dark and dreary 4^th floor walk-​up 7 blocks from the park for 1450 a month… YUCK!
I drove right back to TIna and Marathon and put a deposit on my new place.
If you don’t want to waste time and money go to Marathon. They are honest and very helpful.

I used this broker a couple of years ago to find my apartment and once again dealt with them last week to leave the aprtment.
The agents there seem a little rough (sorry) in a busy office for the first sigh, but turned out to be really friendly and nice people.
I believe I used ALL THE REALTORS in Astoria to look for an apartment (took 2 month!) and must say their one month fee policy seems decent in this area (amazingly some still charge 15% annual rent in this recession).
And while some of the realtors even said didn’t want to see me (because I was a student without guarantor back then), the agent there (I think her name is Tina) welcomed me and my roommate and made effort to find/​persuade the landlords who can offer apartment to students!!!
I know some other nice realtors in Astoria too, but after all, I’m really satisfied with their service and believe one of the best realtors in Astoria.