Alliance Properties

I rented a property that was managed by Jim for six months in the Chicago area, and I had a really good experience. He was very accommodating to requests and always responded to emails in a timely fashion. I would definitely rent another unit from Jim in the future.

My wife and I were referred to Jim by friends as were were starting to look for a home to buy in Chicago after moving here from out-​of-​state. We were first time home buyers, and Jim took the time to guide us through the process from searching to closing. Jim was always super responsive to our calls and emails, and he made himself available on short notice when we wanted to view a property. We also really appreciated how frank and honest Jim was in pointing out problems with homes we viewed. He never put any pressure on us to make an offer on any property, and always gave us his honest assessment of the homes we viewed. Also, Jim was great during the negotiating phase of the process (with his advice saving us at least a few thousand dollars), and he remained ready to assist through closing. We would highly recommend Jim Flanders & Alliance Properties to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in Chicago.

Update: Jim Flanders responded to my review. Although it may be hard to believe from this, I am not the type of person to complain and have no personal vendetta against Jim or his company. I felt compelled to write an update after his response (which was very well-​written) was so baseless and far from the truth that I thought he may have confused me with another tenant. Anyway, I will let Unilocalers decide:
Jim,
I am surprised you responded to my review, given how difficult it was to get a response from you to fix major appliances such as the washer and microwave that were broken when we moved in.
Referring to me as «disgruntled» and expressing this as a surprise to you is hardly believable, but I understand you have to try to maintain your Unilocal credibility to people that may read this. I called and emailed you several times to express my frustrations and when I finally got a hold of you, you seemed very annoyed and bothered. On one of the calls, you even screamed «In what f’n world do you live in» when I was simply following up about some of the issues previously mentioned.
I am a landlord myself and never in a million years would I ever think it was appropriate to swear at my tenants and address them as «tenants» instead of their names, as you did on several occasions.
I can forward you copies of the emails if you would like to review them. There were several times I could not reach you for days including one time we never heard from you for over a month when the washer was leaking and we were trying to notify you so the unit’s wood floors did not get damaged.
I don’t expect a management company to offer Ritz Carlton concierge service, but I do expect a returned phone call or email in a timely manner when 5 major appliances are broken and affecting my day to day life.
Had you been more responsive and done things like not take 3 months to fix the washer and dryer that you knew (or should have known) were broken before we moved in, we probably would have renewed our lease. I hardly think that being responsible for losing tenants is doing any service to your clients.

Jim Flanders/​Alliance Properties managed our condo for approx. 32 months and my wife and I could not have been more pleased with the services he provided. Jim always returned our calls/​messages right away, and responded to and addressed any issues that came about in our unit in a timely fashion (ie: gas leak, replacing a board on the deck and replacing a vanity). Prior to managing our unit, Jim served as my wife’s landlord at another location, and his professionalism during that time was the main reason we signed on with him years later.
The only reason we are not still working with Jim is that we moved out of state and sold our condo. Jim has our highest recommendation.

I recently worked with Jim as both seller’s agent and buyer’s agent. On the sell side, Jim helped me negotiate for a full price deal and guided the process through to a smooth closing. On the buy side, although there were lots of issues with seller side of the transaction, Jim helped me to stay focused and strategize ways to get past a multitude of barriers that arose from offer to closing, including a significant seller concession. Jim is a straight-​up, experienced agent and I would happily work with him again and recommend him to my closest friend.

Jim & Alliance Properties managed the building where I rented. They were great! If I needed painting or any repairs done, they would take care of the issue immediately. They are on top of annual upkeep for heating/​AC units & furnace cleanings. I locked myself out of our apartment during a massive snow storm & Jim drove with his daughter to our place, and let us in. He was there within 30 minutes. Unbelievable! Jim is extremely professional & thorough. If my wife & I weren’t moving out of state, we never would have left. Thanks Jim! We will keep in touch.

I worked with Jim again in 2014 to sell my condo and buy a single family home. As expected Jim gave a 5-​Star service in both Selling my property and finding the right place to move. My sell was really smooth and i don’t even recall me doing any ground work for it and Jim handled the whole process. He helped me find a new place and again saved me lot of time by doing his research based on my needs and showing only the places that would suit us. Thanks you Jim and Keep up the good service.

We were referred to Jim Flanders from a friend and just finished working with him over an eight month house shopping process (we are very fickle) ending in a smooth closing on a great city property. First off, Jim is the kind of agent who always has your best interest at heart. He’s protective of his clients and advises them honestly even when it goes directly against his own financial benefit. He is full of advice on things to look for, how to prioritize your needs in a house, and always asks sellers questions that we never thought to ask ourselves. He’s not afraid to push back on your behalf. He’s also not afraid to lose a sale of it’s in our best interest. There were times that we would talk ourselves into liking a house (usually due to fatigue) but Jim wouldn’t let us settle on a place he knew would not ultimately fit our needs. Basically, he’s just a really good guy who wants his clients to be happy.
Jim is also a very patient guy. We started our house search in the city, then changed our minds and started looking in the suburbs for a few months, before ultimately deciding back on the city. Jim was with us every step of the way, sending us search options every time we thought of a new neighborhood. His response is always immediate and I don’t think we ever waited more than 5 minutes before receiving an email back from him. He was extremely accommodating and always made himself available to our schedule to see homes — even if he had to push sellers to accommodate our schedule as well. He would set up showings for us within 12 – 24 hours of notice, never letting us miss out on a potential opportunity.
When it came down to making an offer (after what seemed like 50 showings) Jim was very helpful in the negotiation process and kept us in the loop every step of the way. He makes you feel like you are his only priority and is completely accessible at all times.
I cannot recommend Alliance Properties enough and know that we are clients for life. Thanks for everything, Jim! We love our new home!

We worked with Jim of Alliance Properties in finding our dream 2 flat. Summer of 2014 was truly a seller’s market. It was a challenging time for us as buyers. Thanks to Jim’s great instincts, detailed attention to the market and thorough knowledge of the city, we were able to land exactly where we wanted to be within our price range.
In addition, Jim proved to be a true buyer’s advocate during closing when we run into a small glitch. We did not sign papers until all was ironed out. We do not know how we would have approached this stressful situation if it were not for Jim. I would work with Jim again and, I would certainly recommend his services to friends and family.
Jim was always timely, professional, pleasant, easy to communicate with and attentive to our needs. Most importantly, he was an email/​phone call away. Available for questions/​concerns. Thank you for all you have done for us.

My recent interaction with Jim found him to be severely lacking in professionalism and customer service. Two things that are integral when making such a huge decision. He was unhelpful and uncooperative with even the most minor request and really made working with him unpleasant. In addition he misrepresented the truth in our interaction costing me thousands of dollars. I would highly recommend using someone else for such a life altering process.

I recently rented a garage space from Alliance Properties. The initial lease was great with no problems. However, when I pursued a renewal, I had issues. We had agreed upon a lease term, but Jim changed that at the time of signature. Then when making the term changes, verbiage was inserted into the agreement without a phone call or e-​mail conversation with me requiring all full term payment up front over a month before the extension took effect. When I caught this, I communicated that I was not ok with this change, but was pressured into agreeing with the terms. Although I did not succumb to the pressure, I was made to feel ignorant and my integrity was challenged. This is not the type of rental experience I would wish on anyone.

I was terrified when I began the process of looking for a house in Chicago. Jim Flanders made the whole process easier for one simple reason — he knows what he’s doing! He knows the market and the neighborhoods and was always quick to respond and get us into the houses we wanted to see. The house he helped us to find was only on the market one day before we scooped it up. He stays on top of things so that his clients don’t miss opportunities.
I’ve also referred Jim to other people who are equally happy with his work. I highly recommend Alliance Properties and specifically, Jim Flanders.

Jim Flanders is my current property owner, and my roommate and I have both been so pleased with Alliance Properties. Jim is the most attentive property owner I’ve come in contact with. Whenever there is an issue, he will immediately help out. He goes above and beyond for his tenants, and he takes such good care of his properties. He puts a great deal of effort into the business and does an exceptional job.
My rooommate and I have been lucky enough to live on the same property as Jim and we have gotten to know him and his family. Not only have they been incredibly welcoming to us, but they have made us feel very safe and secure since we’ve moved here.
I remember I spoke with the tenants before us, and they said something that I stand by. They told me, «Jim treats you like family.» I have been very pleased with Jim Flanders and Alliance Properties and I highly recommend it!

I was very lucky to be referred to Jim and Alliance Properties. Bottom line, I own a condo, I don’t want anything to do with other than to collect the rent money. I handed them the keys and I haven’t seen the place ever since.
They have a great infrastructure in place that none of us novice condo owners have. Each month, i get my rental income and statements noting any adjustments made (tub caulking etc.) and that’s about it. I receive my rent auto-​payed and I don’t have to deal with the headaches of ownership including renter calls, complaints, contracts etc.

Jim was referred by a good friend and I can’t say enough good things about the job he’s done managing our condo in Chicago.
As out-​of-​town landlords, we now have peace of mind knowing that someone we trust and count is managing our property.
Here are few reasons why Jim rocks and we’re so grateful for his help:
1. Procured tenants — Jim had our place rented in one week at the price we hoped for. He’s friendly and outgoing, so he’s a natural at showing apartments and answering tenant’s questions or concerns. He’s also very good with the minutia of contracts, credit checks and all that stuff I hated dealing with.
2. Rent collection & deposit — Done like clockwork and sent directly to my bank account online along with statements emailed each month tracking expenses, receipts, etc. Taxes should be a breeze.
3. Oversees repairs — We’ve had some unexpected repairs and Jim has been all over it. He’s very responsive and has a solid network of resources for anything we’ve needed. Cleaning, repairs, new appliances. You name it.
4. Communication — Jim respects our time, so he only contacts us when he has to, keeping us up-​to-​date with anything important. His calls and emails are friendly and to the point. Even if he’s delivering bad news about something breaking, he manages to soften the blow.
5. Coordinates with my building management — Jim takes care of everything, which sometimes includes communicating with my building management to get things done.
You get the idea. He’s an all-​around great guy and a total pro. You will not regret hiring him.
Steve

Jim has been our broker twice now since we moved here a few years ago and he is awesome.
I was moving to Chicago from out of state and we were lucky enough to meet Jim. He helped us find properties in our price range that met all of our needs and introduced us to some great neighborhoods in the process. When it was time for us to find our second place, we called him right away and he quickly turned around a set of listings that were just right. In no time at all, we signed for our new place and were ready to go!
What I like about him is on-​target service that is always professional and always friendly. He’s helpful at giving practical advice and has a good gut instinct that is important for us since we dont really have a lot of experience in the industry.
My husband and I have recommended him to several friends of ours now and I look forward to working with him again.

I’ve rented from several individual landlords and management companies over the past several years, and Jim at Alliance Properties has been by far the friendliest and easiest to deal with. Any time we have needed maintenance work he is quick to respond to our calls, texts, or emails, and always follows up to make sure everything is running smoothly. Consistently excellent and professional service — highly recommended!

My wife and I found Jim at Alliance Properties through a search on Unilocal so hopefully this review will help others select Jim as their realtor with confidence. You will not be disappointed. Jim was extremely patient during the process and showed us many properties over the course of about four months. We never felt pressured when looking at any properties and Jim’s knowledge of the market came through. We were able to find a property to fit our needs and are very excited to move into it. The search could not have gone better and we look forward to working with Jim again in the future.
We highly recommend working with Alliance Properties.

We worked with Jim as our realtor. We looked at many, many houses over four months and submitted multiple offers, circling around figuring out what we wanted and whether they were the right deal for us. Jim never pushy and a helpful sounding board as we tried to figure out what we really wanted in the end. As first time home-​buyers, we couldn’t have asked for more. We also really valued that he helped point out both the good and the bad with each house – every house has issues and we really just wanted to know what we would be up against.
Highly recommended!

I highly recommend Alliance Properties for anyone looking for help with real estate sales, purchases, and property management. I’ve used Alliance Properties for all three of the above categories and find them able to produce superior results and service.
My first interaction with Alliance was after using another agency for several months with no luck selling a condominium. Alliance was able to find a buyer in less than 3 months and I received daily status reports via email and telephone during this time.
Since then I’ve used Alliance for purchasing a home and for finding renters for my rental property. I always feel like a million dollar client even if my transactions do not always produce significant commissions.
The company also makes a conscious effort to build strong relationships with reliable attorneys, home inspectors and contractors and I’ve benefited from these relationships on a number of occasions.