SG Real Estate

This company took over as property management of my building last month. There have been numerous mistakes so far including them giving extremely short notice on the change over, being unable to followup with the previous manager on payments, getting tenants mixed up as it comes to repairs, not responding to emails, sending incorrect notices, listing incorrect information regarding lease dates, etc. This has all happened in one month. I am really disappointed since the management before was pretty good, and so far this has been a nightmare.

The staff here are amazing. Every maintenance request we have put in since we moved in has been responded to quickly, usually the next day. When there was a leak in our bedroom window that resulted in mold growth inside the wall, they worked so closely and nicely with us to have it properly diagnosed and repaired. While we had to be displaced during the repairs, they compensated us not only according to the guideline from the Oakland Rent Board for accommodations, but additionally for daily food costs. They even paid for our dry cleaning when we had to get everything in the closet cleaned because the smell of the mold had permeated the clothes while the wall was open during the drying phase! Communication was prompt and frequent, and so much care taken to make sure we were ok, comfortable, and happy.

Now I know what it feels like to want a zero star option on Unilocal.I and my partner are tenants in an apartment building in Berkeley that was managed by SG Real Estate until about two months ago. I can safely say that they are the worst property management company I’ve ever dealt with. Nearly all of their staff I interacted with (including the owner) are incompetent in several key areas of being a property management company: responsiveness, customer service, and being professional. The only person who was helpful and responsive was their Accounting person, Roi, with whom I interacted only because of the frequent billing mistakes they made.
There is a long story to be told here, but I will simply list specific instances of personal experience that paint a picture of an unprofessional, careless, and dismissive company. If you can help it, I strongly recommend that you find another company for your property management needs or find another place to rent.
1. Ant Infestation — Our second-​story unit became infested with ants in September 2015 and we were denied several requests for fumigation and treatment to seal the areas in the floor and wall where the ants were entering our unit. This was a problem common to at least 3 of the 5 units in our building. SG said that this was not a building-​wide problem and that they weren’t responsible for treating it. They also said that it was just «that time of year,» implying that we should just deal with it. I can honestly say that we keep our apartment extremely clean, and that this infestation was not due to our neglect or dirty habits. They never did do anything about it and we had to wait until the weather cooled enough and the raining subsided before the ants went away.
2. Chemical Odor — We notified them as soon as we moved in (June 2015) of a strong chemical odor in our apartment and asked for assistance in testing the air for potentially hazardous chemicals. We were told this is not a service they provide and that they wouldn’t «even know who to call.» The odor lasted for well over 6 months and, after repeated requests, SG never provided any support.
3. Garbage Collection — For several weeks in a row, from September to November 2015 the garbage was not being collected from our building and overflowing from the bins. Our bins are in the back of the building and need to either be rolled out front the night before or the garbage collection employee comes to the back and gets the bins during pickup for a fee, called driveway service. SG couldn’t figure out who offered driveway service, meanwhile telling me not to move the bins. I spoke to three different people and finally had to threaten to make a Rent Board complaint before they took action. It took me 30 minutes to call the City and Ecology Center to find out what services were available — it took them 2 months.
4. General incompetence — (1) SG changed the locks on our unit before we moved in but never kept a copy of the key for themselves so they always needed us to be home for maintenance requests. They also forgot they didn’t have the key several times so would send someone out only to have them come back later. (2) They issued a monthly rent deduction for taking the garbage out (after the saga about garbage collection mentioned above), but I had to repeatedly remind them to include the deduction each month since they didn’t put it into the system as a monthly recurring deduction. (3) They didn’t give tenants any notice when the property owner switched management companies, which happened to be right at the end of the month, so tenants received two rent reminders: one for SG and one for the new company, and we didn’t know who to pay. They could have just sent a courtesy letter saying that they would no longer be managing the property and that rent checks should be sent to the new company.
All in all, SG Real Estate consistently failed to meet our basic needs as tenants: timely service, responsive communication, and competent management. They market themselves as a Millenial-​friendly company that’s less property management and more cool friend who helps you out — which is good for advertising and making people feel warm and fuzzy, but it doesn’t mean anything if it doesn’t actually translate into acting like a friend.
Property owners — If you want a company that will professionally manage your property and meet the needs of your tenants, SG Real Estate is not the right choice.
Tenants — If you want to live in a rental where you can rest assured that the property is being properly managed, avoid SG Real Estate rentals.

Once again the Staff from SG Real Estate have done an amazing job at responding to my maintenance request! I placed 3 requests on Friday, April 8 in the afternoon and by the time I got home on Tuesday, April 12 all three of the requests were completed! Your timeliness in responding to all my requests/​questions is always appreciated!

I’ve been a tenant in a building in SF managed by these guys for years now. My wife and I are consistently impressed by how friendly and professional the entire staff is. In particular, my interactions with Erin and Athena have been first rate. Whenever we need something, they get back right away, which is unlike my experiences with other management companies. Our apartment is looking better than ever. Highly recommended.

Slum lords! I’ve lived in my unit for over 5 years. The company that bought my apartment building a year and half ago chose SG Real Estate. Professionally managed, how? My last rent increase letter got lost in the mail (wrong zip code, still NOT corrected by professional management.) They do NOT answer questions at all, emails unanswered and phone calls never returned. They do NOT do maintenance requests in a prompt fashion. I’ve been waiting for them to fix my outdoor light socket that electrocuted me that I put in a maintenance request 3 weeks ago. It took them several months to finally fix a similar problem that I had put a maintenance request in to be repaired. This company is NOT professionally property management.

I have lived in a SG property for just over two years. I have had to call the office on two occasions and I must say both experiences were very positive. I placed a maintenance requests for my broken shower head and it was replaced the same day. I was also locked out a few months ago and called the emergency phone line. They responded to me right away and provided me with a copy of my keys.

I’ve been a tenant in a residential unit managed by SG Real Estate for over 3 years. They are the most responsive and professional management company I’ve ever dealt with.
Whenever I call them a REAL PERSON actually answers the phone and is always very helpful and doesn’t give me «the runaround.»
Every time I’ve submitted maintenance requests, emails are promptly answered, usually within the hour and they normally send out a maintenance person the next day.
I would highly recommend SG Real Estate as property managers for residential or commercial property.

Worked with them for years, an outstanding company. They have made my life so much easier.

I am a commercial tenant at 2020 Milvia in Berkeley and I have always enjoyed how proactive and responsive the SG team has been.
They have always helped me with maintenance issues, no matter how big or small. When I have emailed or called their office, I get a response right away or within minutes. I have also utilized their after hours emergency line and Kenneth was more than helpful!
I am very grateful that SG genuinely has my best interest at heart. I highly recommend them!

I have been a tenant of a commercial building that The Shamszad Group manages. I feel that their team does a good job of communicating effectively and also helps us when we really need them.
Any questions I have are always answered right away. They are a friendly and professional group of people I know I can count on. Working with the people who do maintenance is always easy. Whenever there is a question about the rent, the accounting team is always there to help. Walking into their office, they always kindly greet me and shuffle me to the right person to speak with and I always leave with an answer.
I don’t know much about the residential side, but as a commercial tenant, they have been doing a great job! In my opinion, email has always been the best form of communication for this company and I’m glad David has done a great job with the team he’s built.

Leslie was an awesome landlord. I lived in a studio apartment on California street in Berkeley for a little over a year. I was initially skeptical about renting from a management company because I had heard horror stories from friends about other companies in the past. I was really impressed with The Shamszad Group though as a management company. They were receptive to all my needs and very professional. Leslie was supper easy to get a hold of and always answered emails right away which I really like. The only reason I moved out was I decided to go on a several month road trip. They were really awesome about my trip though and let me continue to rent on site storage while I was out of town which was extremely helpful. I would move back again if my apartment ever opened up!

I’ve been a tenant in an apartment that is managed by the Shamszad Group for about a month now. I’ve been renting for the past 8 years I can honestly say, hands down, that they’re the most friendly and professional property management company that I have ever done business with. The signing process was a breeze and they were pretty patient with all the questions I had. Also, they’re quick to reply to emails, usually responding within 1 – 2 hours and sometimes as quick as 15 minutes. Would highly recommend them!
Also, big thanks to Leslie and Erin for dealing with all my random questions and maintenance requests. Other landlords/​management companies would’ve just told me to «tough luck; deal with it».

Dave and his team have been managing an apartment building I own since 2010. I brought in a property manager because I was feeling overwhelmed trying to do it myself while working full time. It was absolutely the right decision to A) hire a manager and B) select the Shamszad Group.
The building has been 100% full for the entire duration of their management save for a month between tenants to service and show the units.
They are quick and thorough in responding to maintenance issues.
Their pricing is competitive and the structure gives them incentive to maximize revenues for the building.
Lastly, they’re just good folks. I have always signed checks in person at their office and I feel like over the last few years they have become my friends. They know what’s going on in my personal life and I theirs. It makes all my interactions with them much more enjoyable and I feel more confident they have my best interests in mind at all times.
5 stars!

I’ve been a tenant in a building managed by the Shamszad Group for three years. I could not possibly recommend a buildling management company more highly.
— Excellent Communication: They are incredibly responsive to my questions via email and phone.
— Flexible: They are very flexible to my needs, for example if I am out of town on business for an extended period of time, they always work with me to make sure that I don’t miss anything buidling related.
— Knowledgeable: They seem to know an endless supply of contractors who can help with anything — plumbing, electricity, glass, hardwood, etc.
— Tech-​savvy: They have several rent payment options available, including online which comes in handy.
— Friendly: the entire Shamszad Group staff, for example Andrea and Kenneth, are always amicable and cheery when I communicate with them via phone or email. They always treat me as an individual person, even though I know they deal with tons of tenants throughout the Bay Area.
— Well-​managed: The owner, David, could not be nicer. He’s the utmost professional and someone who I feel like I can always count on for whatever comes up in my day-​to-​day routine (Another plus: he’s a huge Bay Area sports fan and always has the latest inside intel on what’s up with the Dubs/​Niners/​Giants).
As a tenant, I know that the Shamszad Group will make sure that my best interests have a place at the table with the building owners. Five big stars and a special thanks to everyone at the SG.