You can find a realtor in New York City for any block, any neighborhood, and most of them will reach out to you based on a simple email from Craigslist. But how many of them ask you what's best for you? In my experience, only one: Ken Hallenback. I met Ken through emailing what seemed like hundreds of realtors, all through Craiglist, RentHop and Street Easy. Everyone one of them was interested in nothing more than showing me the apartment they would get paid to rent to me. Whether it fit my needs, whether it was within my price range, and at least two of the times, whether it conformed to the ad's promises of allowing dogs, didn't matter to any of them. Ken reached out to me after I responded to an ad, and his first questions to me were "What are your priorities? What are you looking for? What have you seen in what neighborhoods so that I might tailor the apartments I show you?" Ken was renting a no-fee apartment to me. This line of questioning was unheard of, even with realtors who were getting paid by me for their services. Ken went out of his way to show us apartments which conformed to exactly what we were looking for, even if that seemed to be a moving target based on seeing other options of what was out there. He was more than willing to look through hundreds of ads to bring us 5 which met exactly what we wanted, and was even willing to meet us outside of his focus neighborhood, if only to see what we might like in other apartments and areas of the city. Ken's professionalism, generosity, patience, and personable traits make him an outstanding realtor and one whom I would recommend to anyone renting, especially in the Financial District. He knows the best areas of FiDi, and there's no doubt in my mind that he will find you what you are specifically looking for. He's the type of guy you offer to buy a beer after looking at apartments as he talks to you, gets to know you, and treats you not like a client, but like a friend who he's showing around the city. I'd use Ken again, and would give him a 10/10 on any scale. - Patrick L. FiD

Ken is an excellent broker. He is professional, knowledgeable, and friendly. Most importantly, he listens to his client's requirements, working with them to find exactly what they are looking for. If you're searching for an apartment Ken is your guy.

Ken was amazing to work with! He took the time to understand what we were looking for and we ended up in an apartment that we love! Thank you Ken.

Really nice, resourceful, patient and friendly broker. He will answer any question about the apartment in no time even after the deal is done.

It was a pleasure to work with Ken in securing a rental for my daughter who was moving to NYC. From start to finish he was extremely responsive and went beyond the call in making sure the rental process was handled - between the landlord, my daughter and myself (each living in different parts of the country) seamlessly. In addition, since the move in took place on labor day, a holiday, Ken was available to assist in securing the keys from the landlord and deliver to my daughter. And this was after the lease was long executed. The post sale service!

Ken is by far the nicest, most respectful and hardest working broker. He always made me feel like I was his most important client and was there to answer my questions all hours of the day and night. I felt comfortable going with Ken by myself each time to look at an apartment and he was never pushy. Overall, you can trust that Ken will find you what you need really quickly and in your price range!

It was a pleasure working with Ken as he found an apartment for our daughter attending graduate school in New York City. He is very knowledgeable about both rental and sale properties throughout the city. Ken made the process effortless, non stressful, and a fantastic experience. His expertise of the city and its neighborhoods is complimented by his complete knowledge of the properties and their amenities. We consider him our realtor and personal friend in Manhattan.

In a profession filled with bait-and-switch artists and question dodgers, Ken is refreshingly honest, knowledgeable, straight-forward, and helpful. I unfortunately had to go through 5-6 different brokers before finding him. He knows the city inside and out. He is super realistic about what your budget will get you instead of dragging you along with empty promises like most other brokers. My absolute favorite part about him is he is extremely transparent about fees and who is paying him if you inquire. I have recommended him to every friend of mine and every one has had a great experience. Yeah, paying a broker isn't my favorite expense, but if you're going to go with broker, trust me, use Ken.

Me and my roommate worked with Ken to find our apartment when moving to NY this spring. He was hands down the best broker we dealt with and actually helped us save money and avoid some fees. There are a lot of brokers who actively bait and switch or don't do anything more than open the door. Ken is definitely not one of those. He would prescreen any listing we found online to make sure it wasnt a bait and switch amd also got us appointments to fit our schedule. Would and have recommend Ken to anyone I know looking for a new place in Manhattan.

Thanks so much for helping me find a great apartment in FiDi! I'm glad I decided to go with an agent over trying to find myself. The process was much more efficient, my questions were answered, it eliminated the stress of finding a new place to live and my agent, Ken, was not pushy at all. I highly recommend!