Scout Properties

It disheartens me to write this review of Scout since I signed up with them based on the pervious positive reviews and good initial interactions with them. Having said that, the quality of Scout has declined dramatically since I signed up to have my property managed earlier this year.
Maybe it’s better on the tenant side, but as a landlord I’ve spent more time chasing Scout around than focusing on the problems. I will say that Maxwell has been very helpful and responsive the few times I’ve called. But overall, their system to keep my property on track has been poor.
My rental has had only a couple issues, thankfully, because if it had more I would feel totally at a loss for time. I just feel a general lack of organization.
I had a refrigerator issue that I had in February last year. I was been billed for it but it wasn’t fixed until June and only after I had followed up in March and again in June. This is not my idea of paying for a service to have the comfort of not having to follow up with them to have an issue fixed.
The online system doesn’t work and password resets and other attempts have failed to get the system up and running.
I did not renew my agreement with Scout. In doing so I’ve written them, called and confirmed cancelation twice but they still forgot to stop charging my tenant. Sigh. Any issue seems to require tons of follow ups which voids the point of having a property management company in the first place.

As a real estate professional, as well as a former multi-​year tenant of property managed by Scout Properties’ founder, Sergio, I cannot recommend his company highly enough. He has the contacts to get property issues resolved quickly, as well as an intimate knowledge of DC and its surrounding areas. I have also consulted him on numerous occasions regarding my personal real estate investment decisions because you can always trust him to give you honest advice, even if it may not be what you want to hear (which is a valuable and rare trait in the real estate business).

My condo building switched to them October 1^st of 2015. Generally speaking they haven’t caught my eye other than the two interactions I’ve had with them.
Initially Scout messed up my condo fee balance telling me that they owed me money! I did the right thing, as all people should and asked them to explain how they came up with that figure, etc. Maxwell corrected it after I walked him through the errors, but I didn’t grasp that they will be «on top» of issues that came up.
I have been waiting for eight months for the building to pay for some damage due to water coming into my unit from rain (exterior common surface). I contacted Scout about it about five times. They didn’t come see the damage. They didn’t call me to better understand it. They sent me a denial letter saying it was damage to my unit.
Naturally, the legal determination of this situation will play out, but I am initially very disappointed in their service. Sergio, the owner, apparently made the determination. When I questioned it, I felt he was abrasive, short and said I should talk to the association.
One star? Yes. Further, they have 30 QUESTIONABLE REVIEWS… only one person with more than 16 reviews.

Scout manages the apartment building we’ve lived in for 3+ years, and they’ve been great every time we’ve contacted them. Super responsive and helpful, with minimal follow-​up from our end. A pleasure to deal with.

Can’t say enough good things about them! We were only able to stay with them for two years due to a job relocation but we had absolutely no complaints, wish we could take them with us for our move. Super pet-​friendly, very accommodating. If any issues cropped up they were always quick to respond and handle immediately.

These guys are good and completely reasonable.

Sergio and his team at Scout Properties are fantastic! I had been using them to manage my condo for a number of years and they really take care of everything. My tenant also enjoyed having them as property managers. They are attentive and helpful. Recently, they represented me in the sale of my condo and I could not have asked for an easier process, especially as an out of town owner. Sergio is extremely knowledgeable about the DC market and within 24 hours, there were three offers on my unit. He helped guide me towards the best offer for me and my needs and I could not have been more pleased with the outcome. I highly recommend Scout for both property management and real estate sales/​rentals.

I rented an apartment in DC for a bit over 2 ½ years and was constantly impressed with how attentive and responsible Scout Properties was. Sergio was especially excellent at always being available and responsive.
When you are a renter, a management company can have a big impact on your quality of life (I was subject to a terrible one prior to moving into my Scout managed property). Scout was always super quick to fix anything wrong, never nickel-​and-​dimed to get out of replacing broken appliances, and consistently surprised me by going above and beyond what I would consider to be great service. Their online portal is simple and works, and it’s a great way to document correspondence. They always follow up until they are sure whatever problem you had was completely fixed.
Of the 6+ years I lived in DC, Scout provided by far the best experience. You should be so lucky as to rent from them!

Really great management agency. We stayed in one of their apartments for a year and had no problems with them at all. Their online systems for paying rent and sending requests was really helpful.

Thank you Scout Properties. You guys are fantastic.
Not only did Sergio and Kelly help us find a great investment property in DC, they also stuck with us through the entire process, and are now managing the property.
They are extremely well organized and making it real easy for us to be out of town property owners.
We are planning to expand our portfolio very soon, and looking forward to be working with Scout Properties again.

I used Sergio as my agent to both sell and buy a property. Throughout both transactions, he was consistently available, responsive, and fair. He has built up good relationships with many local players in the real estate process (lenders, inspectors, insurers, contractors, title agents, etc.), which helped make things smooth and painless.

Scout knows what it means to manage property. I turned over my property to them in June and Scout got the place back in shape and rented without any worry on my part. Communication, service, documentation, and accounting are first rate. And as a customer, I do feel like they put my interests first; something difficult to find these days. It is invaluable to be able to trust your management company, and I’m really thankful to have Scout as a business partner!

Although we ended up not using their service due to a change of plan on our end, they gave exceptional service prior to our final decision. Sergio and Kelly are amazing. Very prompt and thorough on responding to our inquiries, they made everything so easy! Sergio was very understanding when we informed him that we would no longer renting the house and therefor no longer needed their service. We would definitely contact Scout Properties again in the future for other real-​estate needs. We highly recommend this great team of people.

Scout Properties handled the sale of our DC house. We’re living many miles away, and they were there for us all the way. They were our eyes and ears, they handled every last bit with professionalism, with quick thinking and quick acting, and with the solid, positive attitude to help us get through unexpected stresses. As our agent, Sergio was smart, sensitive, and sensible with everything.
The whole process was handled by Scout with the greatest ease to us. It was all a terrific, satisfying experience and we whole-​heartedly recommend Scout for any real estate needs. Truly great people, a great team.

I’m a tenant in a building managed by Scout Properties, who recently took over from a different management company. The difference has been night and day. Whereas before, our service requests weren’t taken seriously or responded to promptly, if at all, our emails, calls, and service requests now are all returned and completed right away. We couldn’t be happier with the change.

These guys are amazing. I signed them on to manage my investment property several months ago, and it’s probably the best business decision I’ve made. My costs are down, yet my tenants are happier than ever. That doesn’t really make sense until you email or call, and get an immediate response with a solution.
I travel overseas for work, and have never even been to their office. The guy on the phone, Matt, told me there are only four of them. But their website lets me pull up my financials 24/​7, and lets my tenants make service requests and monitor them online.
I’m not a real estate expert. I have one property, and only used one other management company. Scout Is so easy to work with. Most of the time I forget they’re even there. Money shows up in my account and that’s all I need to know. When we did have a plumbing emergency, they had it fixed same day, and did a great job of keeping my tenants and me calm. They’re smart, organized, and honest. Five stars.

Scout is the best! I’ve lived in a property managed by Sergio and he was extremely responsive, professional, and easy to deal with. He’s also involved with several DC community organizations and knows the market like the back of his hand. Highly recommended.

Excellent service.
This team is prompt, friendly and very knowledgeable about Washington, DC. I definitely enjoy working them and know I’m in good hands.
Sergio is very involved in multiple community organizations, so he has a real connection with the the neighborhoods and the City. I would definitely work with him again in I had the chance.

The staff at Scout are always courteous and they go above and beyond for their clients! The knowledge of Sergio and his team is second to none and they have always been my first choice for real estate services in the DC area. I would recommend them to anyone!
We were recently in the process of looking for rental/​property management and they have proven to be the best choice around. Affordable and well rounded service like this is hard to find.
Give Scout a try, you won’t regret it and you will be recommending them to your closest friends and co-​workers.

We switched to Scout Properties and couldn’t be happier — local, affordable and quick to respond! Highly recommend