Peter Horowitz – Horowitz Real Estate

I’m sure other people have had very pleasant experiences with them, but I had a pretty bad experience with this company, not Peter Horowitz directly, but one of his agents. I tried renting three of their available apartments and each time it fell through, despite my being able to promptly provide all requested documentation. I also waited several days to hear back about whether we were accepted for one of these apartments, which as I’m sure you all know, is very valuable time when looking for places in NYC. The whole thing was a big waste of time and money. Their application fee is also very high too, at $ 75 a piece.

Peter is one of the most professional and reliable individuals I’ve ever had the fortune to do business with.
After having a bad experience with an agent in Brooklyn, when I first moved to NY, I was pretty jaded and probably overly defensive to the point of being a bit annoying with all my demands re: security deposits and fees, etc.
Peter was extremely understanding and accommodating from the very beginning. He took the time to explain things to me and he’s always been very straight forward and transparent. He completely restored my faith in NY real estate agents and I hope I’ll eventually be in a position to buy a property with his help.
He showed me a couple of properties and when I really liked one, he did his utmost to get me in it, despite a few obstacles along the way. He then truly acted as my advocate by asking for certain requests of mine to be met by the landlord.
Peter recommended a cleaning service that he uses himself, as well as a mover, and both were excellent services just like his own. Even the Thai restaurant that Peter recommended in my neighborhood is one of the best places I’ve been to, and I’ve had Thai in several continents! He also got me connected to an internet service that saved me a good deal of money.
I hope I can stick with Peter for all my future housing needs in the NY area. Thank you, and keep up the outstanding work!

I’ve worked with Peter over many transactions as a renter, a buyer, and as a landlord. No matter the scenario he’s always been professional and been on top of things with the other side in a transparent way, but more importantly, in a capacity where I never had to hound him to make sure my transaction was taken care of. He navigated my purchase very well considering it took nearly a year to apply and close due to the seller and a difficult financing situation. The tenants he’s brought have been very qualified and when I was a potential renter he never encouraged me to reach for an apartment where I wouldn’t meet the owner’s criteria. Really friendly guy on top of that and he has a great feel for the Queens market. Will be going back to him for my next tenants and when I decide to sell.

I HIGHLY recommend Peter for anyone making the move to Astoria, especially if you are unfamiliar with the neighborhood. Peter seems to know everyone and everything about the neighborhood, and as soon as I set foot in his office he went out of his way to make me feel comfortable. He showed me a rent stabilized 1-​bedroom right by the subway for $ 1870 in an elevator building. Despite the fact that I was not the only person applying for the apartment, he was able to secure me as the tenant. Moving to Astoria has changed my life for the better and I have Peter to thank for this fantastic move.

I have had the opportunity to work with Peter twice. The first time, in 2012, he helped me to rent my apartment when I moved cross-​country for work. Peter found me a great tenant and facilitated the approval process with the board so everything was seamless.
When I moved back to NYC my office was much further away from my home and so Peter helped me to list my apartment and find a qualified buyer. He managed everything from the photos and listing to finding financing with the banks and handling the board approval process.
He is a pleasure to work with– he is professional and responsible and follows up on all the details. He listens, answers questions and is with you every step of the way. It was my first time selling an apartment and Peter made the process so simple. I would recommend him to anyone looking to buy, sell, or rent.

Peter is a solid agent and knows his stuff. He may have been a matchmaker in a former life because he found the perfect buyer and only had to show my Astoria co-​op one time. We listed the apt on July 1^st and he got me an accepted offer by July 4^th. He was patient throughout what is a painful process when dealing with my co-​op and was available when needed.

DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH! UNPROFESSIONAL.
It’s already frustrating enough to find an apartment in NYC let alone a terrible broker who cannot follow through. I reached out to Peter via email, call, and text. The conversation went as follows:
Me: Hi Peter, Do you have any apartments you can show this morning. I am going to look at a couple near Queens blvd and 46^th street. If you can please let me know in the next hour or so.
Peter: Hi I actually have something in that area for 1650 however I can not show this morning. Maybe in the afternoon good for you?
Me: What time?
Peter: 4pm should work
Me: Could you meet a bit earlier in the afternoon? What is the address?
NO REPLY AFTER MY LAST CORRESPONDENCE. WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU SHOWING ME THE APARTMENT IN INQUIRED ABOUT?
I followed up with a text message, a phone call, and another email and still never heard anything back. It’s unfortunate when you see the 4.5 stars and think this agent is highly professional yet experience counters that. So sad you are losing business left and right.

Had an excellent experience locating a great apartment with Peter Horowitz Real Estate Agent’s Ana Saljanin a few weeks ago. My boyfriend and I just relocated to Astoria, and we only had to spend one weekend looking at apartments with Ana. Within a few days, we had keys. I’ve never had such a smooth moving process. Ana Saljanin is very professional and warm, and she didn’t waste our time. We had the fortune of meeting Peter Horowitz several times during our visits to the office, and he was fantastic as well. I highly recommend Ana Saljanin and Peter Horowitz Real Estate to anyone who wants to move within Astoria.

I have family who used this broker successfully, but my husband and I had the worst experience. We emailed both Peter at his direct address and the general office address, and we also left messages on the general voicemail and Peter’s cell over the span of a two week period early this July. We never heard back.
Finally, a week after our last message, in mid-​July, a broker named Ana returned our calls. She asked me for our requirements (which were Astoria, renovated, cat-​approved, and we had a fairly high budget to spend). 2.5 weeks later, when we’d already found our ideal place, Ana left me a voicemail telling me about an un-​renovated 1 bedroom in LIC.

12% Annual rent fee. Nice guy, but ended up using a different broker.
Edit: I said 15%. It is actually 12%

Simply the best. Always on time, super courteous and just an all around great person. He made my apartment search extremely painless. This is the guy for Real Estate!!!

You need an apartment? Call Peter. He’s your guy — and really the only guy who should ever help anyone find a place to hang their hat. We went through a very tough apartment search and situation and Peter went above and beyond his job requirements to find us the perfect spot. I am still astonished by the lengths he went to help us and make sure that we had the best place possible. He treated us like people — one could even say like a friend who he really cared about — not like a bank check, as many other brokers do. He truly listened to what we wanted and never showed us anything out of our budget, or which didn’t fit our requirements. He has great inventory!
He knows everyone and everything about Astoria, which was fantastic considering we are new to the area. If you are new to the neighborhood, as well, Peter is the perfect guy to wean you in — he gives you a good taste of what the people here are like, tells you about the good restaurants, and is basically a tour guide while taking you apartment shopping.
He has the perfect balance of professionalism and personable-​ness. He kept us in the loop with everything that was going on and was very good at getting back to us if we called or emailed. His office is also very clean, well-​organized, and professional.
While we didn’t work with Anna a great deal, she was very knowledgeable, helpful, and a pleasure to work with. She really knows Astoria like the back of her hand and knows all the good deli’s and bakeries! She, too, is very professional.
If you are looking for an apartment, call them. Really. You won’t be sorry. I see some bad reviews here but honestly, we worked with Peter for probably a good 2 months or so, and every single part of working with him was an absolute pleasure. Peter and Ana found us an incredible apartment that we probably never want to leave. If we ever do, though, we will only work with them. They are the best in the industry!

Peter and Ana are truly amazing. My girlfriend and I must have seen 6 apartments with them before we finally found the right one — a great 2 bedroom in Astoria. They were professional, friendly, and knowledgeable, and worked very hard to find us the right apartment, keeping our specific requirements in mind. Most importantly, they stuck with us even when it may have seemed like we would never actually rent anything! I’m sure other brokers wouldn’t have done that.
Be aware that the fee they charge is a bit more than many brokers charge, but they sure earn it. Will use in the future if we decide to move and stay in the area.

After a very long search, my husband and I found a gorgeous apartment through Peter. We had seen plenty of places with plenty of other agents, and Peter was the one who came through for us. If you’re looking in the Astoria/​Sunnyside/​Woodside area, he’s got the best listings (he also takes great pictures of the places– not one of those agents that takes a crappy shot of a corner of a room). He’s also a super nice guy who made the process fast and painless. I can’t recommend him enough!

Oy, what a mess.
After six years of living with a roommate in Astoria, I recently called Peter’s office to take a look at some one-​bedrooms in the area. I never heard back.
Two weeks later, I emailed Peter instead. After a day or two, I received a call from a woman named Ana, saying she was an associate of Peter’s and that Peter is on vacation. Fine, works for me. I gave Ana a very specific list of criteria I was looking for (a one-​bedroom near the center of Astoria with off-​street parking), and Ana said she would see what she could do. I also told her I was taking a day off work early in the month to look at places (with cash in hand), and was ready to sign the minute I saw something I liked.
Ana called back the next day with an apartment that did not have parking and was nowhere near the heart of Astoria, then acted offended when I said I had no interest. She asked me to repeat my criteria, saying she didn’t make any notes the last time. Umm, ok. So I repeated it.
A few days later, on the eve of the day I had taken off work to look at places, I called Ana again to see if she had found anything. After introducing myself yet again (she acted like we had never spoken before), she — and I can’t make this stuff up – asked me if there were any specific criteria I was looking for in an apartment. After picking my jaw up off the ground, I repeated my requirements to Ana a third time, and she again tried to sell me on an apartment that fit none of them. Frustrated, I hung up.
The next day, I called another realtor at 10 in the morning. By noon, I had put down a deposit on a one-​bedroom off 30^th Ave. with off-​street parking. Quick and easy.
I don’t want this review to be a reflection on Peter, because like I said I never dealt with him once throughout the process. For all I know he could be as wonderful as all these other reviews say. But if nothing else, he needs to choose his associates more wisely.

A great, dependable broker with years of experience. If you want to rent in Astoria he is your man. He knows the area like no one else and won’t waste your time showing you apartments that are crap and run down. Thanks Peter!

I chose them because of their website and other reviews. Cash in hand, I called 4 times to schedule a showing for an apartment that I wanted to rent back in December. Never spoke with Peter (he was too busy to call back) and the assistant kept promising to call back with a date and time and never did. I filled out their application for nothing. Total waste of time. Great website — bad customer service with no follow-​up. :(

So I woke up one day in March of ’13 and decided to move closer to the city. I was currently living in Jamaica, where my 50 minute commute was starting to get on my nerves. I was previously in Williamsburg, Brooklyn when the rent of my decrepit, tiny 1BR railroad apartment jumped to over $ 2000. So I knew going back to Hipster Central was a no go. I thought, Greenpoint! But no decent subways (the G, ugh). Farther north we go, LIC! Nope. Still waiting for more ‘hood amenities (laundromats, groceries, bars). Next up, Astoria! Noooow we’ve got something!
Now I’m a 20 minute bike ride to my office near Columbus Circle. Whuuut?! Great restaurants, bars, groceries, laundromats, retail stores and subway options. Need the N/​Q or the M/​R? Astoria’s got you covered!
So now that I’ve solidified your decision to move here. You’ll need a great place at an affordable rent. Okay, we all know that apartment hunting is a tough job, so you’re going to need the right man. A good man. A man by the name of Peter Horowitz. He’s one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet. He had the nicest places I saw at very decent prices. Peter charges a broker fee for a reason. He’s got exclusives on apartments other brokers don’t have. He’s established relationships with landlords in the area that call him first when there’s an upcoming vacancy. Check his website daily, and you’ll see the inventory change a couple times a week.
When I chose a place (w/​a view of the Empire State Building!), he told me everything up front, no surprises. It was very quick and easy dealing with Peter. So much so that eight months later, I decided to move again and immediately called him. He had a perfect place for me, so I took it. He even rented my current place so I could break my lease. Can it be this easy? If you have Peter at your side it is.

Peter is without question among the better brokers in Astoria. And I have done business with quite a few.

When I first decided to move to Astoria, I knew very little about the area. Basically just 1) good Greek food, 2) near Broadway or 30^th Avenue are nice areas to start, and 3) the subway is strangely above ground. So yea, I was kind of lost in my search for a new apartment.
I met with Peter based on his good reviews and I was not disappointed with his professionalism and helpfulness. Not only did he show me a lot of newly renovated and affordable spaces, he told me a great deal about the neighborhood and gave me a lot of insight on how living in Astoria would be. He was never misleading during the process, never forced me to move to a place I didn’t like, and never treated me like just another commission fee. His listings can sometimes be limited and he focuses mostly on pre-​war buildings, but Peter will only show you places that he think you will like and afford.
During my next apartment search, Peter will be the first number that I call. I recommend you do the same. Happy apartment hunting!

My wife and I had a very good experience with Peter. We were moving out of a bad apartment in Boston, and didn’t want to repeat the experience, so after weeks (months?) of research, we had some idea of our price range, the neighborhoods we wanted to live in, and had decided to use a broker.
I read the reviews of brokers all over the city, but got a really positive feeling about Peter from reading the reviews which are here on Unilocal.As you can see, a few of them are negative, but they seem to mostly relate to individual experiences with getting in touch with Peter, who, not surprisingly, is very busy. Once we put our application in, Peter was good about continually updating us on the status of our application, as well as what other documents I would need to submit.
Peter was able to work us into his schedule pretty quickly, which was helpful because we were down from Boston for just a couple of nights. Although we only saw one apartment, it met all of our criteria, and Peter gave us a good sense about how that individual apartment compared price/​amenity wise to other neighborhoods in Queens. This information helped us to make a decision, and now we are very happy living in our new apartment.
Otherwise, he’s pretty friendly and easy going, and he didn’t pressure us or make us feel uncomfortable in any way. He was also very upfront about fees associated with our application, or likely deal-​breakers. Also, his assistant was very kind and informative. A great experience all around!

I’ve worked with a lot of brokers in Manhattan and Astoria, and hands down, my experience working with Peter has been by far the worst.
After seeming shocked that I didn’t jump on the first apartment he showed me, he showed me a second the next day, which I fell in love with. Things rapidly deteriorated after this.
45 minutes after seeing the apartment, I emailed him to reiterate that I loved it, and that I wanted to apply, but had a couple of questions first (Like, did the appliances work? Any history of roaches in the building? Etc) Less than 15 minutes later, he reposted the same apartment on his website, with a price almost $ 200/​month HIGHER than it had been listed for. I repeatedly emailed him, and didn’t get a response for over a week. When I finally heard back, he said he couldn’t answer any of my questions. I asked if he could direct me to someone else who had the answers? He said no. I asked if I could see the apartment again? He said no. I asked if I could speak to the current tenants? He said no.
This saga went on for over two weeks. I finally got to see the apartment again, it was still available, but he was still unwilling to even try to negotiate the price down to what it had been listed as, telling me that I would be throwing my application fee away if I didn’t offer the highest price. He actually laughed in my face on the sidewalk when I said I was only willing to pay the price he’d told me it was.
Fast forward to almost a month later… apartment is still available, and he’s dropped the price back down. A phone call and three emails later asking when I could drop off my deposit to him and, I still never heard back. My GUARANTOR heard back over a week later that it had been rented. I still haven’t heard a word from him.
I withdrew an application on another apartment when I heard this one was available, and it was due to Peter dragging his feet (again) that I lost it (again). In mid-​June, I was ready to sign a lease beginning July 1, and it took until July 15^th for this fiasco to end.
This is just plain old bad business, Peter. Bad business. I would advise any renters to steer clear. You can do better.

This will be my fourth year renting in Astoria, and I’ve worked with two brokers previously who had completely underwhelmed me. I had found Peter’s information through a search over a year ago, and lusted after his listings, annoyed that I wouldn’t be able to move until now.
Friends of mine moving from the UES to Astoria were in need of a broker, and I recommended him, based solely on his blog and social feeds; the quality of listings he represents was impressive.
When my boyfriend and I decided to take the jump and move in together, Peter was the first one I wanted to call.
I met with a few other brokers. They showed me things out of my price range, not available for my move dates, and without knowledge of code and the buildings.
Peter was amazing. He was proactive about reaching out based on a comment I left on his blog and a general tweet I posted. We met and saw the apartment just days later. I applied same day, and signed my lease today.
He makes the process seriously painless, and was really helpful in making sure we were comfortable, answering my boyfriend’s obnoxious questions about his very standard lease.
Super professional, not at all pushy, and went the extra mile to make sure we were happy.
You will not regret working with him. He’s no nonsense, very light-​hearted guy — not a universal quality in brokers, and especially not in brokers in Queens.
Visit his blog, scour his Twitter feed. You will find the apartment of your dreams there, or he will find it for you.

Peter’s great! I received a response shortly after reaching out with my budget and what I was looking for. The apartments he has available are awesome, and he does really seem to have great relationships with the building managers and supers, so that definitely helps. He didn’t try to push me past my budget and, in fact, warned me about certain things that could have potentially changed my decision. That honesty/​upfrontness isn’t something you’ll find everywhere, and I really appreciated it.
Overall, it was a really easy, great experience. He’s somewhat of a local celebrity in Astoria — often recommended, and for good reason. I absolutely love the apartment I wound up with, but if/​when I move again, I’d go with him.

When we first moved to New York I sent Peter an email. I didn’t hear anything back for a few days so I gave him a call and left a voicemail. Received no response whatsoever. Even if he thought he didn’t have any properties that would fit what I was looking for, a simple email stating that would’ve been nice.
Looking to move in a few months and his name always pops up here as highly rated, but I will not be calling him… even if I did I probably wouldn’t get a call back. ha.

I take partial responsibility for Peter being so busy some phone calls don’t get returned promptly. Let me try to explain:
I moved into my apartment in January 2009. I worked with two other brokers before him who caused me to lose hope that there were decent people in the world who worked as realtors. I was shown apartments that didn’t fit what I had asked for. One of the realtor’s cars smelled like Indian food that had gone bad two years prior. I was given the hard sell. I told them to walk off a short pier. Then I found Peter.
Peter showed me several apartments before we found «the one». He carted me around in a clean well maintained car. I spoke to him honestly about what I was looking for. In return he told me exactly what I would get with each apartment — no fluff. We chatted about our dogs and Unilocal.
I implored Peter to create a Unilocal page, the rest as they say is history. There is a reason he comes up first in search results and has the rating he does. He is honest and thorough. Two years later, I still call him to bitch about my landlord and gain advice. In short, be patient with Peter and he is worth any and all fees. I recommend him to everyone debating on moving to QNS.