Shilalis Real Estate

Jon Shilalis and his office are a fantastic company in an area that is badly in need of helpful and efficient real estate agents. Jon was able to show us two wonderful units on very short notice and walked us through the rental application process with efficiency and friendliness. As we prepare for our move, Jon has been quick and ready to answer whatever further questions that we have. We hope to work with him again when we are ready to buy a house!

One of their agents contacted me regarding one of my rental units and confirmed a rental showing. I walked for half hour in the pouring rain to come to the unit. But he and his clients didn’t show up. I called the agent and he said he had to cancel the showing. It’s very unprofessional. If a confirmed appointment has to be canceled, I expect to be notified at least 30min earlier.

If we could put down «0» stars for Shilalis, that’s what he deserves. Probably the worst real estate broker we have encountered in over 40 years. A close friend of ours needed to find a housing rental in the Boston area and regrettably we told her about Shilalis without checking his credentials with anyone, including Unilocal.He took down her contact information and told her he would get back to her, and never did, even after we called him multiple times. He should close down his business. Stay away from this guy.

Jon was great to work with. He worked around my busy schedule, listened to my needs and found the perfect location for me.

EDITED REVIEW:
I had originally given Sarah and Shilalis Real Estate a 5 star review but am changing it. I was a little surprised to see the other 1 star posts on here after my initial experience. I worked with Sarah and everything was great… up until all the paperwork was signed. First, their posting was NOT as advertised as they clearly listed «Free Laundry in Unit». Not the case. The landlord purchased a washer/​dryer from previous tenants then sold them to me. $ 200 isn’t bad for a working washer/​dryer combo, but it was CLEARLY advertised as «Free». Second, the posting stated «first and last months rent» required to move in and all paperwork was signed stating that. Also not the case. The landlord wanted first and security deposit. Ended up being the same dollar-​for-​dollar, but again, felt mislead by the ad. The pictures on their posting also did not show that the building was under construction.
The agent admitted there wasn’t «enough time spent» with the landlord to make sure their needs were clear. Probably should’ve been ironed out before posting the apartment. It caused a temporary rift to develop between us and the landlord that was completely unnecessary (the landlord has been super helpful and very responsive since we took over speaking directly with him). When I brought our concerns to our agent (Sarah), she offered no resolution except giving our money back so we could go elsewhere. We ended up staying with the apartment but had to smooth things over with the landlord ourselves. Why did we pay the relator fee then???
I would not recommend to friends… especially if you’re paying a relators fee.

Not sure about these other reviews but my experience with Jon was quick and positive. He found me a great apartment and a fair price.

My roommate and I used Shilalis Real Estate over the summer to look at an apartment. Jimmy showed her an apartment, and she immediately put in an application. We were kept in limbo for days. Jimmy would not get an answer from the landlord, would not return our calls, and once we did get a hold of him, he would not tell us whether or not we had been accepted or rejected. All the time, we could not put in another application for a different apartment.
This is how Shilalis thinks clients should be treated. We told this story to several other brokers we dealt with, and they all said it was incredibly shady, and that Jimmy was trying to hold on to our deposit check as long as possible.

Very unreliable. My GF called him on a Friday about an apartment that we were interested in seeing. Jonny told her that we could look at it at 6pm on Monday (⁴⁄₆) and that he would call her sometime on Monday to give her the address. Monday comes around and nothing. She decided to email him around 1pm on Monday since he had not yet called her. He answers the phone and says «I am so glad you called because I forgot to save your number to my phone. The landlord does not want to show it today because the tenant is still living there at the moment. Can you see it next Monday?» She was so annoyed with the fact that he was never going to call her and let her know of the change of plans, that she said no thanks we’ll pass. She has to switch her work schedule around to look at this apartment and he had NO regard for that at all. I don’t know how anyone trusts that company.

I hate to write negative reviews but my experience with Shilalis Real Estate was so terrible that I feel compelled to tell the general public to stay FAR away from this agency. When my boyfriend and I first met Jon, he was so nice and we felt at ease. However, that quickly dissipated when it came time to sign our apartment lease. He did not communicate any of the things we spoke about to our landlord (moving in early, moving with a dog, two parking spaces needed, etc). And to make matters worse, you have to stalk Jon out if you need to talk to him. Once he suspects that you are unhappy, he will avoid you like the plague. So unprofessional. The whole situation was an endless headache and I’ve never in my life had such a terrible experience with a real estate agent.

I’m writing this review because having dealt with Jon the experience is anything but professional. Chasing him around, not getting answers, and then finding out the place is no longer available was my experience with him. Won’t go back, pretty all around awful experience.

I recently listed my Condo in Watertown for rent on Craigslist and was contacted by Jon, owner/​operator of Shilalis Real Estate. He came out to the property at our convenience, and suggested a price that was above what his competitors thought, but ended up being spot on. The condo was rented within 2 weeks.
During the process I was in contact with Jon and the listing agent Rick who offered great advice, and helped my wife and I through our first experience as landlords. I highly recommend Shilalis Real Estate for rentals and would think thier expertise and conduct extends into the sales market too.

I would highly recommend Adrienne. She was very professional and worked around the clock to make sure I found the perfect apartment for me. She was almost always available by phone or email and really listened to my priorities.

When my girlfriend and I were looking for an apartment in the greater Boston area, we interacted with several agencies and agents, and were really taken aback by the lack of professionalism that we experienced. At least half a dozen times we contacted agents that were rude to us, didn’t respond to our emails or responded with one or two words like «Call me», or «Send Application». It was really appalling and disheartening.
By shear luck, we responded to an ad for a property that Jon Shilalis had listed. Jon met my girlfriend promptly, and showed her two apartments in the same building. When we decided we were interested in one, he helped us negotiate a better price. When I received the application and contract, I asked to amend it to further protect our personal information, which Jon, understanding our concern, supported. He was swift and professional with communication throughout the process.
When the lease had been negotiated, the two of us drove in from out of state to meet the property manager and sign the lease. The property manager attempted to tack on nearly $ 2000 more in dues for our initial signing than what we had agreed upon beforehand. We left the property manager’s office feeling taken advantage of, and headed for Shilalis Real Estate to speak with Jon. Jon was disappointed and embarrassed that this had happened to us, and although it was not at all his fault, he took $ 200.00 off of his fee (we wanted to pay him full. He insisted otherwise :)). He then called the property manager on our behalf and attempted to have the additional dues reversed. When this effort was unsuccessful, my girlfriend and I called the property manager back seeking some level of clarification, and when the property manager refused to take responsibility for changing the terms of the agreement after we had driven through 3 states to get there, we ended the phone call. Shortly there after, the property manager called Jon, and told him that he would agree to the original terms. Jon went to bat for us, letting him know that he wouldn’t be surprised if we were no longer interested, and that it was unfair for him to have changed the terms.
After carefully considering the situation and terms of the agreement, and much discussion with Jon, we agreed to sign the lease. He was very respectful throughout the negotiation and didn’t pressure us in any way to accept anything that we didn’t agree with. Despite the risk of losing us as clients, Jon encouraged us to do what we were comfortable with, even if that meant turning down the lease he brokered.
Overall, we couldn’t be happier with the experience we had with Shilalis Real Estate. Jon Shilalis is a fair, kind, and professional business owner who did right by us in a difficult situation. I strongly encourage anyone looking for an apartment in the area to work with him!

A friend and I used Shilalis Real Estate to try to rent an apartment in Watertown. First, the owner John did not show up to the place when he said he was going to. We couldn’t get in touch with him and when we finally did we had to wait for over an hour for him to send another realtor to open the door. We finally got into the place and loved it. We went to the realty office to fill out applications where we were required to give our personal information including social security numbers and salary details as well as pay a $ 25 application fee. A few days later, the realtor called and said they had accidentally listed the apartment at the wrong price. The new price quoted was now out of our budget. We requested that Shilalis eliminate the realtor fee for not showing up to show us the place on time as well as listing the wrong price online (false advertising) — the two main things a realtor needs to do. They refused to eliminate this fee and did not answer critical questions about the apartment after several requests. We did not end up moving forward with the apartment. Complete waste of time and money. Very disappointing.

I signed up for Unilocal specifically to write a negative review of this unprofessional excuse for a brokerage office. I dealt with Jon Shilalis himself and had a very positive experience initially. Quick to respond with answers to questions and held my spot as first in line. I **explicitly** asked Jon if the pictures of the unit in the listing were of the actual apartment and he said yes they were, that he had rented the unit for the current tenant and was helping her find a new location. He even added «you’ve got nothing to worry about.»
I met Jon at the unit a week later (the tenant was away and this was as soon as we could get in– note: I turned down two good units because I wanted to live in the complex of Jon’s listing). IT WAS A DIFFERENT UNIT– THE PHOTOS WERE OF A MODEL UNIT. Jon then said he hadn’t actually been in the unit to see it and even know if the photos weren’t right, and that he was sorry. Instead of high ceilings, sliders, a balcony, a large kitchen, hardwood floors, and a nice bathroom, there was no balcony, low ceilings, wall to wall carpeting, a small kitchen, a small bathroom, and a small bedroom. Total bait and switch.
I waited for Jon outside to talk to him in private (because the sweet current tenant was there to witness my «are you serious?» reaction. Jon said he was lazy because he was getting married and going on vacation next week. He told me I could rent it for a half fee instead of full as an apology. He then said I could think about it, and if the next showing (shortly after mine) decided to take it, and i contacted him that night, he would tell her she couldn’t have it any more. How bad is that?!
Jon drove a fancy BMW, and so obviously does ample volume, but it’s not good business. He either genuinely forgot (which shows his incompetence) or is highly unethical. EIther way, it was a total waste of time and I will never rent from him again.
Terrible.

Another rental agency that is far from professional or transparent in their practices. I found a listing through Shilalis on Craigslist on a Thursday morning and called the contact person, Gretchen, right away. She sounded confused on the phone and after a lot of talking in circles, it was decided that she would call the landlord to set up a showing and call me back. I never heard from her again.
My husband then contacted Nicole A., who also posted the listing, later that evening. They coordinated to see the apartment the next day. Unfortunately that couldn’t happen due to citywide lockdown. They set up a new viewing for Saturday at 2:30. Nicole called my husband an hour before the appointment and said that she just learned that someone had relisted a bunch of apartments that were actually no longer available and that the apartment was rented. She seemed genuine and apologetic and we appreciated that.
Fast forward to Monday evening and I decide to check out the Shilalis site since they seemed professional (despite Gretchen) and the situation with Nicole seemed legit. What do I see? The SAME apartment still listed. So this time I contact Bob to see if the apartment is available and set up a viewing. Bob responds this morning (at least he was prompt) saying yes it was still available (!!!) but that he’d have to contact the landlord to set up a time. He follows up with another email saying that actually that apartment had been rented, but here’s a great place I can show you (that was $ 125 more expensive and «way nicer» than the place I had inquired about)…
My response (to both Bob and I CC’d the owner/​broker Jon): «$ 1750 is way out of our price range. I will say that I find it very interesting that my husband was in contact with Nicole at your agency over the weekend and was given the exact same scenario with this apartment.
This leads me to believe that this apartment is continuously used as a bait and switch to get people into your agency and I find this to be highly unethical. Nothing like the „Tradition, integrity, knowledge, and understanding“ that is boasted on your website.
It is very easy to find the name of the owner of this house and report what is occurring here. People do not have time, especially with one week before the first of the month, to deal with this unprofessionalism.
I request that if this apartment is actually available, we are given the opportunity to view and apply for it, and if it is not, the listing is ACTUALLY removed from your listings and Craigslist.»
I’ve yet to hear back.
So, this is my third bad experience with a rental agency that I am sharing on Unilocal.I may keep going, as there are more. Something needs to be done about the ethics of these «agencies». Unbelievable.

We were very reluctant to use a broker for our recent apartment search since we had heard such horror stories, but we didn’t have the luxury of looking on our own until we found the right place since our apartment complex charged crazy fees to go month to month. Our lease was almost up so it was either move now or sign a new one. After looking a bit on our own, we finally gave in and contacted agents for a few properties on craigslist that we liked. We got a couple of automated responses asking for more information so they could send us daily listings, a couple that never responded, one that said that particular listing was rented but would keep us in mind if something else came up (we still haven’t heard back from him)… and then there was Adrienne from Shilalis. Yes, the initial apartment we asked about had been rented, so naturally I thought «here we go again», but the next day she emailed details on another property that exactly matched our criteria! That one rented before we were able to get there to see it, but a couple of days later she got an exclusive listing that once again matched our criteria and immediately thought of us. We went to see it, loved it and filled out the application the next morning. The next day it was ours!
Bottom line… If you are looking for a place in the Watertown /​Belmont /​Newton area, Adrienne is your girl! She listens to your wants and needs and really works to find you a great place. Everything was handled with professionalism; she responds to emails quickly and not just during «office hours», fees and other details were clearly explained and the lease signing was arranged around our schedule. Unfortunately for her, she did such a great job finding us the perfect place that we won’t likely need her help again for a long long time.

This review is for Rick Flynn at Shilalis. In case you don’t read the whole story — the summary is… RICK IS AWESOME!
Hunting for a rental in the Newton/​Waltham/​Needham area can be a real nightmare with few listings and inflated prices. Add into that real estate companies and agents who could care less, don’t call you back, and forget to meet you at appointments to show a place — it’s enough to drive you crazy!
That’s why you should all know that Rick Flynn is awesome and will really help you find a new home!
Reasons Rick is Awesome (especially compared to every other agent I dealt with in the past couple weeks):
1. Responds super quick and in full sentences to inquiries.
2. Does NOT disappear after showing you the first place you were interested in. He kept sending us listings that perfectly met our criteria and met up with us several times to show us places.
3. Always on time. Which is sooo appreciated when you have a 6 week old baby and each minute feels like an hour when the baby is crying.
4. A true advocate for his clients. We found this gorgeous place that already had 6 applications submitted for it. He gave us tips on how we could make a great impression.
5. When we ultimately wound up finding a super deal by renting through a private owner, he was actually excited for us and congratulated us.
Next time we rent, I will definitely contact him wherever he’s employed. You should too!!!

It’s not easy when you are looking for a new place to call home. It seems that the majority of folks out there in the Real Estate game are just in it for the most $$. They don’t call back, and as many times as you tell them what you want they still take you to see dumps. It’s like they just don’t care what the customer wants.
This is NOT the case with Jon @ Shilalis RE. This dude is super professional and really LISTENS! I would highly recommend him whether you are looking for that next McMansion or just a long-​term lease. Jon is your man. And he is willing to work around your schedule.
THe next time I need a crib. I’m calling Jon first.

Jon and Shilalis Real Estate are the combo you need in your hunt for a new place to live or a hunt for new tenants. He was extremely resourceful and professional to meet my required needs. The attention and service he was able to provide me could not be matched by anyone. He is a candid individual that I would feel proud to refer to friends and family and he is personable enough to get along with everyone.
My impression of him and his business comes from directly working with him and let me tell you he delivered to a level greater than expected. Trust me you will be happy you contacted him!