Royal Service Realty Elite Properties

I purchased a property to flip in Oak Brook. Working with Stan Kozel, the process was PAINLESS! Stan worked hard for us to get a great price and when it was time to sell, we received the highest amount ever sold in that condo group.
Next, we worked with Stan to sell my late father home and we received $ 30k more than my family expected. He gave us lots of advice to prepare the home for sale and it was successful.
Then, I was purchasing my own home in Naperville and Stan was there again. My husband and I had different ideas for our home but Stan was able to find us a beautiful home that fit both of our wishes.
I strongly recommend Stan Kozel as my agent. He works tirelessly for his clients. He knows ALL the options for purchase: first-​time homebuyers, veterans, FHA, etc.

I am writing to let people know Royal Service Realty Elite Properties is not a realty company you should work with. They had a listing posted on many sites as ‘available’. When we inquired about viewing the property we were told it was temporarily unavailable. When I inquired as to why it was unavailable and if they foresaw it coming available soon, the response I received was rude and curt. They simply said it is not available. I asked if it had already been rented to which they responded with the same line ‘it is not available’. If I were a client of theirs, I would expect them to treat potential renters/​buyers with respect and courtesy and provide background as to why the property was not available temporarily. Realty is a business rooted in referrals so I hope many people read these posts and choose not to do business with Royal Service Realty Elite Properties.

First, I want to make it clear that I’m not writing this bad review because Royal Service Realty Elite Properties did not find me a tenant in a month’s time. It’s more about their lack of expertise and lack of professionalism. During my one month, I only worked with one person who so is very nice and personable so perhaps I am generalizing too much. That said… there are a couple of things that deserve to be highlighted.
1. Incorrectly listing my condo as having 0 instead of 3 bedrooms
2. Posting poor-​quality grainy photos (taken with a blackberry, instead of a normal camera) on the MLS and choosing photos that made me cringe the first time I saw them: instead of highlighting the beautiful interior, I immediately see a leaf-​covered (otherwise empty) deck and a near empty storage space in the basement.
3. I repeatedly asked to have a copy of the signed contract for my record, but to this day, I never received it.
4. They never even bothered to send me the MLS link. I looked up the link myself and another person I know in the business sent me the link.
5. Did a poor job screening tenant. Granted, there are few and far in between to screen, but instead of actually screening for a legitimate candidate, they sent me a package of credit report and pay stub from a person who clearly would have a difficult time affording the rent. There was no analysis or input to the qualification of the applicant. I painstakingly analyzed the application and credit report on my own. I had to ask them to get me the most basic thing: 3 references so I can call. The deal did not go through because when I persisted on getting references and proof of income, the applicant backed off.
6. When I asked to end the non-​exclusive contract, Rob emailed me and said that I’m «unfair» and «dishonest» since they have put in so much work already and basically said the reason why my condo is not renting is because I overpriced — even though it was his people who suggested the price and they never brought up the issue of pricing until after I asked to terminate the contract.
7. His people suggested to me that I can pay them using my future tenant’s security deposit. Ummm… no. It’s called security deposit for a reason and in Illinois, there are laws regarding how this money should be handled.
8. I explained to them why I am not satisfied. Although I have not heard from Rob, I found out later in the day that my listing was taken off the MLS. That’s that — no additional email to confirm that yes the contract is now terminated.
I would stick with them for a few more months if I get a sense that they either know what they are doing or actually care that I get a good tenant, not just any tenant, so they can get paid and get on their way. I also get really annoyed that in evaluating the one possible tenant they sent my way, I had to literally teach them the very basic of tenant screening: getting references, checking information on the application against what is actually said in person, getting all proofs of claimed income, etc.
In all, I would not recommend this agency to anyone. If I did not know some basics about rental property, I would have been screwed.
Very unprofessional and unhelpful.