Some of these reviews make me really angry. I grew up with parents as realtors, and I've met some pretty bad ones in my day... so I know the sour taste they can leave behind in your mouth. As a freshman at BU I first looked up Inbound Realty and was SO turned off by their awful and pushy service that I didn't move off campus. As a sophomore looking for housing for my Junior Year, I stumbled upon Harvard Ave Realty and came across a Realtor named Dan Patzelt.
Honestly my situation was horrific.  I had two weeks to find an apartment, and I was overseas without ANY internet connection for most of my transaction. Dan worked above and beyond to get me an apartment.
On top of that, when I landed in America the entire office helped me unload my 4 suitcases off the curb, into the office, and helped me move into my apartment THAT DAY (again I gave them 2 weeks notice.) Almost every agent in the office was so helpful that day. They helped me get a parking spot, worked with me even though I was probably the most difficult client they had. On top of that, I was getting a studio. That means they were making very little money on me.

I have to think that some of these reviews are coming from disgruntled customers who didn't necessarily "get there way" which if you live in Boston for more than a year, you can understand not every apartment is going to be perfect for the price you're asking. Honestly, I'm not sure why some agents are getting bad reviews, but I can say I've dealt with four real estate agencies in the Allston/Brookline area and this is the ONLY one i'd recommend to a friend (and I have several times), and I'd recommend any Realtor there.

  I never thought I would deal with such a horrible and dishonest realty. It was my first time dealing with brokers in Boston and I had no experience.  The mistakes they made are uncountable. They deposited my money into the landlord's account before the deal went into fruition. They didn't give me any receipt and thought photocopying cash was an acceptable receipt. They modified the address and broker fee on the brokerage disclosure form after we signed the paper. They kept pushing for the deal to happen although it was clearly a complicated situation that we needed to walk away from. They didn't give us the addendum till lease signing day and then blamed us for not taking the house because the realtor worked so hard and they kept demanding their broker fee even though we ended up without a house and even though only 2 of the 4 people signed the broker fee agreement which clearly sated that: all prospective tenants must sign prior to moving forward with the application. when I went to get my money back, they didn't give me all of it, and David, the owner, was very rude to me and treated me disrespectfully and charged me a $200 application fee though only 2 people signed the applications. I am still in the process of the dealing with the landlord to get my money back. All of this wouldn't have happened had they been professional and ethical.

  I had a great experience working with David. He was on time for my appointment and even stayed a little later than he normally does to show me a place and accommodate my schedule. He was honest about both apartments that he showed me, both the positive and potential downside, but I loved one and ended up signing a lease that night. I was lucky because the building works exclusively with him. He wasn't pushy like most other realtors that I've dealt with. It was a really pleasant process, and I will be recommending him to anyone that needs a realtor.

  I'm a little confused and disappointed that others on this page have given Harvard Ave Realty such poor reviews. In my experience this agency is as good as it gets. I came to Boston University last summer to take some summer classes - also Boston has been on my list of places to visit for some time. Harvard Ave Realty was incredibly helpful and accommodating in my search for a short term rental for the summer. What I appreciated the most was that this whole process was entirely last minute and yet they still managed to help me find a great apartment close to campus - and within my budget! I would highly recommend Harvard Ave Realty to anyone searching for an apartment in the Boston area. 5 stars!

  I'm not sure why there are so many bad reviews of Harvard Ave Realty! My boyfriend and I were looking for a one bedroom off-campus to save money. We didn't have a big budget and I was picky with what I wanted. Furthermore, apartments were renting out fast! We worked with Dan Patzelt and it was only a pleasure. He was very candid about the apartments and seemed to know a lot about the area. He was accommodating to our student schedules and even picked us up/dropped us off at our dorm sometimes on the way to or from showings. Now that we've moved in, the process was easy. Dan answered all of our questions and concerns. I'd definitely recommend Harvard Ave to others!