Note: Reviews may include other agents on their team
What clients say about this agent....
Mundojessie
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIEDMelissa was amazing! My husband and I had some very specific wants for our new home and Melissa didn't stop until we found the perfect place. We had such a positive experience working with her. Melissa helped us during our house tours by paying attention to details and asking all the right questions. She is also very knowledgeable on new constructions and the development process whoch we needed help navigating. Melissa is a fierce negotiator and we 100% recommend her!
Saralewinson
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED This was my third time working with Melissa and I will continue to work with her in the future! She helped me buy a new build home in the suburbs. Her guidance when selecting finishes and planning the design of the space was very valuable. And she ensured all aspects of the transaction went smoothly. Melissa is the best of the best!
Heavym71
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED With the help from Melissa and Fernando, I was able to find and secure a place to rent in the little hidden gem of Kinzie Park. With the current rental market being what it is, I as happy with their performance!
Zuser20171127204056449
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa and Fernando were very helpful from the initial consultation, through putting the unit on the market, and dealing with the nuances of finalizing and onboarding a tenant. I felt I always could reach out with questions if needed, but often they were two steps ahead of me. I had never leased a unit before so they were patient and supportive the whole way through. Highly recommend.
Ramsey S.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Both Melissa and Fernando were great to work with through my whole buying process. Fernando explained all the steps I needed to take clearly, and his suggestions during the bidding for my new home helped make my offer the strongest one. His presence at my home inspection was very valuable because he talked me through all the things that I needed to look out for. He worked well with my loan officer and buyers attorney and was always responsive to any questions or concerns that I had. Melissa has detailed knowledge of the Chicago housing market. At the outset of my buying process, her expertise helped me determine exactly how to narrow down and select a home from a lot of different types of options, depending on the home features that were important to me. She is a great negotiator - she was also able to negotiate credits from the sellers that I would not have been able to negotiate myself. She was also able to provide me with referrals for any house-related work that I needed done after I bought the unit, which has been extremely useful to me.
Migalletita
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was truly patient finding us a home in a though market, her knowledge of the neighborhoods , her large network and great amount of resources to always answer every single of our questions in the most complete way possible and overall her sweetness to always do everything with a smile, made our experience to land our new home a really nice one.
Sabumnim23
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Genuine, sweet person, and very responsive. She caught more little nicks in my new place than the guy doing the inspection. Will definitely work with Melissa again, and recommend my family.
James
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED I would definitely recommend Melissa for your next purchase. She was very knowledgeable about every step of the process and really took the time to understand my wants in a home and was very candid about the pros and cons of each home we saw and how it fit my needs. I had an excellent experience as a first time home buyer.
Lauren C.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Excellent experience! He was responsive and helped perform virtual tours when I was forced to rent site unseen. Pleasant and courteous. Would highly recommend.
Businessbrokerken
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Mellissa gets the job done well. She knows what is needed and accomplishes it in a timely manner. Great suggestion to have Sizzle do the staging at my home- they did fabulous work Her associate is competent and provides good communication.
Linda A.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED We couldnt be happier to work with Melissa to sell our home. She laid out the process from the beginning and had a firm grasp of the selling/buying environment we were in. She accurately laid out what to expect. We would absolutely work with her again.
Pablomatul
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Awesome communication skills and customer service. He knew what we where looking for and heleped us right away. He also new a lot of payment methods that we could use as international clients. Very professional and nice.
Ginnymc56
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa and Fernando did a great job assisting my daughter in selling her home in Westchester. She made a great point to stage the home and that definitely paid off. They were both very knowledgeable about next steps and how we were able to maximize the selling price. I would highly recommend both of them to anyone looking to purchase or sale of their home. Go Irish!
Mitesh1214
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED We used Melissa Dondalski to buy our home this summer and she was amazing. I met Melissa during an open house, a unit that she was listing. My wife and I had some interest in the property, however we had concerns with the area, in particular the school district. Something ignited Melissa to present a strong sales pitch as she saw an opportunity to sell the unit. She presented use with factual information to help alleviate any concern relating to the school, presented us with private school options, and spoke with us about upside potential. Despite her best efforts, we did not move forward with the purchase. However, I noticed what she?s willing to do for her clients. A few days later, I decided to use Melissa to purchase our next property. She?s well informed and comes with a strong track record. I?m confident she?s going to build a strong business for herself. I highly recommend Melissa Dondalski to help with either a purchase or sale of your property.
Zuser20171017122614743
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa helped us greatly since we arent from Chicago and were not familiar with local processes. She provided easy access to local contractors if needed. She was great to work with.
Collintuck1
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED It was a pleasure working with Melissa. My wife and I were very happy with the whole process, especially as first time home buyers. We will definitely recommend Melissa to friends and acquaintance, and we both look forward to working with her again in the future.
Fivestarvalet
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Thank you so much Melissa for walking us through our first multifamily unit! My family and I are truly grateful that we were your number one priory and made us all feel like we were apart of the ?Dondalski Family?. I truly had no idea what I was getting myself into but with your expertise I felt at ease throughout the entire process. I?m excited about this new venture and look forward to your guidance in the future. Melissa is no doubt a champion for her clients not just about the bottom line $$$!! One meeting with Melissa is all it will take to see she?s brilliant in her business.
Samuels B.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was excellent all throughout the process. The process hit some out of the ordinary snags and she was able to successfully navigate through them. Though we had a stubborn seller in the process we were still able to come to a mutually agreeable contract and was executed flawlessly
Imouh
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was very attentive and helped us get the right resources needed to buy a home. Both the search and closing process went smoothly. Thanks, Melissa!
Aaronudany
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Its difficult to put into words how good Melissa is at her job. From day one, she takes the time to get to know you and figure out exactly what youre looking for. Our transaction was complicated, and there were many small speed bumps along the way. Melissa was the one calming influence that helped me maintain my sanity. Her expertise and positive attitude are a force to be reckon with. I cant say enough great things about my experience working with her.
Ksheedy8
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED My husband and I worked with Melissa to sell a condo and buy a SFH in Chicago and had a wonderful experience with her. Melissa marketed our condo extensively and hosted two open houses the weekend it hit the market, which resulted in an above asking price offer. She was also phenomenal during the buying process. Our home search was long and horrible due to a seller backing out of a verbal offer and then a closing falling through due to an unresolved mold issue, but Melissa was the bright light during the tough times and helped us eventually find the perfect house. Although our house search ended up taking months, she did not encourage us to settle and continued bringing new options to the table. Overall, Melissa goes above and beyond, and her professionalism and responsiveness (she will even respond late at night!) allow her to be an incredible asset to her clients.
Lainie G.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was amazing. Extremely knowledgeable, thorough and professional. Knew exactly what I wanted/needed without me having to say a word! Would recommend her to everyone.
Syringwr
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa began working with us in November of 2016 as we set out to purchase our first home in Chicago. As a first time home buyer, the process can be difficult and overwhelming to navigate even in a market with plenty of inventory. We were looking at a time with skyrocketing home prices, limited inventory and lots of cash investors (not us!). Melissa helped us every step of the way and made the process simple and as stress free as possible. After 5 months of searching and countless showings, we found a beautiful home in Lakeview. Melissa manged the entire process and got us the deal we wanted. Highly recommend her to anyone looking for an absolute PRO and someone thats a ton of fun!!
Carolinecowan8
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa helped us find the perfect condo in Chicago. We were out of state, so she took videos of all the properties we were interested and sent them to us. We would highly recommend her services. Thank you, Melissa!
Jenny M.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED I worked with Melissa recently and I have to say that she is the most professional person I have ever worked with. I dont know how she does it but she always (ALWAYS) stay at top of things. She is organized, professional, driven and extremely pleasant to work with. I highly recommend Melissa. She responds immediately. She cares about the client and that is a rare quality nowadays.
JuniorMalayavej
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa made our first home purchase easy and painless. She really took the time to get to know what we wanted and pushed us to figure out exactly what we were looking for. She buzzed us all around the city to see several beautiful properties that she had picked out for us, and she worked literally around the clock to make sure we got what we wanted. She negotiated hard with the other side, and it was clear throughout that she had our best interest in mind at all times. We love our new place; it fits all of our needs and it truly feels like home. We would 1000% recommend Melissa to any buyer without any hesitation.
Lindsey M.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was absolutely amazing. She made it possible for me to find and purchase my first home in 1.5 months. She worked well with colleagues in Chicagoland and lenders in other states. Melissa walked me through each step of the process and was truly my advocate. This experience could not have been any better!
Carl G.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED I love my new home, and Melissa was incredible every step of the way. I connected with her through a referral and she was outstanding from the beginning when she walked me through the process, to looking at listings every week, to the final closing process. Beyond her skill and professionalism, she showed a genuine interest in finding the right home that made me happy, and took it upon herself to always be available for questions or ideas I had, which as a first-time homebuyer was especially valuable. Im very lucky to have connected with her, and can only hope Ill be able to work with her again.
Chris G.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED We chose Melissa after having terrible luck with other realtors and it was the best decision weve ever made. After another realtor had our place on the market for 3 months, Melissa came in and sold our condo in 7 days for close to full asking price. I highly recommend Melissa for any type of property.
Aws21
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa made the process painless. She started the process by discussing some improvements I should make to help market the property. She also discussed various price points and determined an asking price that was realistic, with a strategy of marketing the property through a variety of resources. She was proactive when necessary and had my best interests in mind. The property was listed in November and we had a contract the next month.
Marinepal1
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa has been fantastic at helping me evaluate potential properties in Lakeview and Lincoln Park and enter into negotiations to make sure that I get the best price available. Melissa is from the Chicago area and knows the market exceptionally well - moreso than the other brokers I have utilized in the past for various investment opportunities. She is exceptionally responsive and goes the extra mile to make sure she is connecting us with the right properties. There are many good brokers in Chicago but Melissa is among the very best. She will always go the extra mile and Im not sure she has ever taken a day off - she puts the client first and it is greatly appreciated. She is the best, would recommend her every time.
Sfurphy
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED As an real estate investor, I appreciate the analytic capability of Melissa Dondalski. When combining this with her ability to zero in on properties based upon my criteria, she is able to save me a tremendous amount of time. She is not a Robo-Agent, so she has introduce me to up-trending neighborhoods for consideration which I was unaware or had previously ignored. She works very hard to generate a target list of properties that exceed typical Cap-Rates. Real estate is not sold in a vacuum, so she provides hard comparable properties for each given property. I find her to be very responsive and willing to work with my limited availability. If you are looking for an agent that has the brain power and resources to do more than just set-up appointments, and you are not afraid to have your preconceived notions or perceptions challenged, then I highly recommend Melissa. She will cut through all the market noise for you.
Deirinberg
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Want to give a shout out to Melissa. We are a little more than a month into our new place and couldnt be happier. She got us into a pre-market property and helped us get it locked down before it ever saw the light of day. We gave her our bottom line, and she was able to negotiate a deal for us the exceeded what we were willing to pony up. The closing process went pretty smooth as we were kept in the loop on the entire process and she handled the few small inspection items for us. All in all, we have already recommended her to friends and will continue to do so. She rocked!
Amy D.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED For starters, Melissa is very professional and will work hard to get you the house or apartment you want. She lays out the facts of the place as well as how the process works. She will also let you know if someone else is bidding and like all realtors, will suggest some urgency so that you dont lose the place you want to someone else. Melissa is a very good communicator and knows the downtown Chicago real estate extremely well. I was impressed with all the detail she knows about the market as well as neighborhood details such as nightlife, places to shop and eat, etc. I want to take a minute to defend Melissa from that one bad review. Im really not sure what that person was talking about. Frankly, I dont think they have dealt with more than one person interested in a property before. It is natural for a real Estate agent to tell you that someone else is interested and if your offer is seemingly low, theyll give advice on a more proper bid so that you can get the place you want and not lose it to someone else. Melissa is a great communicator and I know from experience how she would handle that situation and she does it honestly. One really has to rely on the expertise of a real estate agent when it comes to bidding and I dont think that person was understanding that. Overall, I highly recommend Melissa as an ethical and trustable real Estate agent of Chicagoland who has great knowledge of the neighborhoods. If youre having any doubts, give her a call and all doubts will be calmed.
Hinman B.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Most unprofessional broker Ive EVER had the displeasure of working with. Melissa attempted to manipulate me throughout the entire buying process. I was extremely upfront with her about my situation and what I was looking for, and told her after the first showing that I was interested in purchasing the unit she was representing. The first showing I went to without an agent on my behalf simply to see if the unit was feasible. After I expressed to Melissa just that she started getting VERY AGGRESSIVE trying to pressure me into using her as a dual agent. I immediately said no, which was the correct response, however, later that day, she called again, and started pushing for dual agency another time, this time claiming she could get me a lower price (there was another offer in play) since 1) Id be paying cash, and 2) She could reduce her commission. She told me she would represent both the interests of the seller as well as those of myself. That could not have been further from the truth. She blatantly lied to me on this point as subsequent to agreeing to dual agency she barraged me with various inconsequential, completely subjective merits on the property. She spoke to me like a brochure, as if I hadnt seen the property myself. SHE NEVER ONCE BROUGHT UP A NEGATIVE ABOUT THE UNIT THAT SHOULD BE FACTORED INTO MY OFFER. NOT ONCE. And this is regarding a unit where the washer/dryer was shoved into a closet so small that the entire machine was oriented SIDEWAYS and you literally had to shimmy in to accomplish any laundry (and thats if youre lucky enough to have a 30 waist). On top of that she went on for days about the marble bathroom as if all marble is of equal merit. The bathroom was covered in a disgusting red marble that some contractor probably got on heavy discount, and she spoke of it as if it were white Carrara. She hounded me about the sweeping city views when there were several buildings which interrupted it (though she never mentioned that... coincidence, Im sure). She showed me comps, one of which included parking for $375k, and then proceeded to argue how that wasnt a legitimate comp despite the fact that it 1) exists and 2) was presented to me by her. Brilliance. After all her harassment and manipulation and offensively phony behavior, I still wanted the place (since she didnt come with it), additionally there was a previous offer on the table, so I made an opening offer of 380k. This was 5K more than the comp she presented, and my offer was all cash, quick close. She came back to me the next day and basically laughed in my face. She told me the other offer was IN A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEAGUE, and told me the seller said HELL NO (I could hear how she enjoyed saying this; there was a detectable muffled laugh that went along with the vulgarity). These are the literal words she communicated to me. The fact alone she thinks its okay to speak to someone like this in a professional exchange is nothing short of stunning. The genius then told me I need to get in my best offer by the end of the day, which was basically to say, I had about 6 hours for the singular privilege of handing over several hundred thousand dollars in cash to her and her client. Ive never heard of a buyer being pressured into giving a final offer within hours of hearing back about an opening offer, but this is just par for the course as far as Melissas business ethics are concerned. After thinking about this for 30 minutes, I wrote her an email telling her to get lost: That she never represented my interest, was a complete liar, etc. etc. She then contacted me again, though I deleted her response before ever reading it because once a liar, always a liar. I did see a text message she sent me as well where she told me it was up to me if I wanted to contact her again. Really? Ya think?! I was going to write a review earlier when this actually happened, but I decided to let it go, not knowing what the home had sold for, and allowing for the possibility that she got close to full ask of 435k. Well, today I checked, and the final sale price was a mortgage for $410k! 410k is in a COMPLETELY DIFFERENT LEAGUE than 380k? In what universe? Especially when 380 was my opening offer, it was ALL CASH, and remember that line she threw out about a lower price because of dual-agency?! I am beyond offended by the complete absence of business ethics carried out by this person. And the funny part is: I would have gone up to 410... I even said so to my girlfriend when this whole thing was going on, but this broker was so obnoxious that on pure principle I decided theres no way in hell Id ever help her make a living and pay her bills. Be very careful around this one. She is extremely phony. She only looks out for her commission. She could not care less about helping anyone besides herself.
Stacy H.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was a pleasure to work with from start to finish! As first time home buyers, she guided us through each step of the process and was always available to answer all questions. We would definitely recommend her to other home buyers in the area!
User77574177
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was fantastic in helping my fiance and I find a home. She went way above and beyond in working with us to determine what was really important to us and which home would be a great value. Melissa was so impressive- she really took the time to educate us (as first time homebuyers we had no idea what we were doing!) and help us feel comfortable and knowledgeable about the process. I couldnt believe how many great properties she was able to take us to on such short notice. She was spot-on with every piece of advice offered and I really cant say enough about how awesome and hard-working she is. If you have the opportunity to work with Melissa, definitely jump to it!
Michael D.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was great to work with! We are out of town real estate investors, and Melissa did a great job creating a plan with us on where to look and what kind of units to look, scheduled showings when we were in town based on the listings we chose from, and was able to schedule several full days of showings. We ultimately found a unit that we were interested in. There were many ups and downs in the negotiations and closing process. Melissa was very helpful in being an integral part of closing the deal. We also used Melissa to find tenants after we closed on the condo unit, and she was able to find tenants we liked within a couple of weeks, resulting in minimal income losses.
Nathan G.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa was great to work with and stayed on top of properties for my roommates and I. She was attentive and was always conferring with us to make sure she was on the right track. We are very happy with the new spot!
Pdonovan44
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa helped me find the perfect apartment. Based on a thoughtful consideration of my interests and needs, Melissa narrowed down my search to a feeling buildings in the downtown area (K2, Circa 922, and River North Park). We went around to each one for a tour, and she provided me with thorough information about the different neighborhoods and the ins and outs of each building. She was consistently easy to get ahold of via cell and email. Highly recommend!!
Maggie R.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa helped me to find the perfect apartment! She knew just what I needed from the vague description I gave her. She is wonderful at sharing her thoughts on creative ways to make different spaces work. This realtor facilitated filling out all the meticulous paperwork by using easy to sign documents via email. I was in a time crunch to find a new home, and she took me for showings late at night to accommodate my schedule. Melissa was so enthralled in finding me a place she would send me listings to my email in the middle of the night. Having a broker with such energy and enthusiasm was a blessing.
Chelsea R.
Review for Member: Melissa Dondalski
ZillowVERIFIED Melissa is extremely knowledgeable and helpful about properties in Chicago. I had just recently moved to the city, so I didnt know much about all the different neighborhoods Chicago has to offer until I got in touch with Melissa. She helped me understand the pros and cons of each area, found options within my criteria and budget, and patiently helped me choose the one that was best for me. I would highly recommend Melissa to anyone- I would not have found my perfect apartment without her!
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