In a city like Pittsburgh, where a little over half of its occupants are renters, property management companies play a vital role. It’s important to know who you’re renting from, so below we have put together some information on some of Pittsburgh's most prominent property management companies!
To give some context, the average rent for an apartment in Pittsburgh is $1,337, just under the national rent average of $1,482. The most popular neighborhoods to be in are Shadyside with an average rent of $1,502, Downtown Pittsburgh with an average rent of $1,580, and East Liberty $1,669. Most college students attending one of Pittsburgh's 7 colleges live in Oakland with the average rent of $1,461 or Squirrel Hill with average rent around $1,249.
Overview
Company Background
Birgo is the highest rated property management company on this list with a Google rating of 4.6 stars and 182 Google reviews. Originally founded in 2012 as GoRealty, Birgo has since merged with Birchmere Investing to form the fully integrated private equity real estate firm it is today with over 50 properties under management.
Birgo has a mission to improve lives through real estate with their management of affordable residential and commercial spaces and their investment opportunities for individuals looking to gain passive income through private equity real estate funds.
Properties and Pricing
Birgo Realty’s portfolio includes a wide variety of residential properties throughout the Greater Pittsburgh area and a few properties for commercial use. The majority of their residential properties are long term working class apartments ranging from studio to 3-bedroom apartments and averaging at around $1,089 per month; about $250 less than the average rent in Pittsburgh.
Additionally, Birgo has a collection of short term rentals and two luxury apartment buildings (Stables Lofts and Lofts at Terrain) in the Pittsburgh area available to rent. These residential properties are great for working individuals, with many of them residing in popular Pittsburgh neighborhoods such as the North Side, Mount Lebanon, Highland Park, Mount Washington, and more.
While Birgo’s properties are predominantly in the Western Pennsylvania region, they are expanding into new markets in the near future.
*rent averages are based off apartments currently available to rent
Company Background
Arbors Management is the second highest rated on this list with a 4.5 star Google rating and 86 reviews. They are well established in the Pittsburgh area with almost 40 years in the business and over 100 properties under management in the area. Arbors is unique in that they predominantly provide property management services to external property owners, as opposed to the other property management companies on this list that manage properties they own.
Properties and Pricing
Arbors portfolio includes mostly residential properties under management with a few commercial and condominium properties. They have a wide variety of properties under their management throughout the South Western region of Pennsylvania including Coraopolis, Creighton, Greensburg, Slippery Rock, Mckeesport, Moon Township, and the City of Pittsburgh.
Within the City of Pittsburgh limits, Arbors has a large selection of studio and 1-4 bedroom apartments available for rent in popular neighborhoods such as Highland Park, Downtown, Northside, and Bellevue. Their available apartments average $1,468 per month, which is slightly above the average rent in Pittsburgh.
Additionally, Arbors has Section 8 and low income tax credit housing available for individuals that qualify.
*rent averages are based off apartments currently available to rent
Company Background
Next on our list is John C.R. Kelly Realty, ranked third on Google with 4.2 stars and 273 reviews. They are a family-run property management company in the Pittsburgh area with 40 years of experience under their belt.
John C.R. Kelly is a popular company to rent from among college students and first time renters with their reasonable rates and extensive resources available to guide new renters through the process (such as sample leases and extensive tenant information).
Properties and Pricing
As a well established property management company, they have a diverse portfolio of commercial and residential properties which range from studios to 4-bedroom apartments. Within the Pittsburgh area they have residential properties for rent in the following neighborhoods: Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Edgewood, Greentree, Downtown, Northside, and Mount Lebanon with the average rate being $1,328, equivalent to the average rent in Pittsburgh.
John C.R. Kelly also has additional properties available for rent outside of the city.
*rent averages are based off apartments currently available to rent
Company Background
Walnut Capital, with it’s 20+ years of experience in property management, is ranked number 4 on our list with a Google Rating of 3.9 stars and 150 reviews.
They have an expanding portfolio of commercial and residential properties with an emphasis on high amenity housing for young professionals.
Properties and Pricing
Their assortment of about 75 residential properties includes quite a few luxury apartment complexes with everything from micro-units starting at $1,300 to 3-bedroom units starting at $3,000 per month.
They also have furnished corporate units available at some of their luxury properties for working professionals looking for a more temporary housing option.
Some of their higher-profile properties include Bakery Living in Bakery Square, Hot Metal Flats in South Side, The Foundry at 41st in Lawrenceville, and Walnut on Highland in East Liberty.
However, they also have some working class and student-friendly apartments with upwards of 5 bedrooms available in the Oakland neighborhood and surrounding areas. These units range in price with 1-bedroom units starting at $1,250, 2-bedrooms starting at $1,200, 3-bedrooms starting at $2,160, 4 -bedrooms starting at $3,000, and 5-bedrooms starting at $2,500.
This means their average starting price for a unit is $2,022 which is higher than the average rent in the Oakland area at $1,447. This also makes Walnut Capital one of the more expensive property management companies on this list.
*rent averages are based off apartments currently available to rent
Company Background
Our last company is Mozart Management, a family owned and operated property management business. They have been providing the Pittsburgh area with apartment and house rentals for over 50 years and have a Google Rating of 2.3 stars with 39 reviews.
Mozart has over 25 different properties and over 1,000 apartments under management in the East End of Pittsburgh.
Properties and Pricing
Their portfolio includes residential properties in 5 major neighborhoods: Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, North Oakland, Highland Park, and Frick Park; with additional commercial spaces in the Shadyside and Squirrel Hill neighborhoods.
With residential properties located in the Shadyside and North Oakland neighborhoods, Mozart is a popular property management company among UPMC employees and students studying at the universities in the area.
Mozart has studio, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, and 3-bedroom units available for rent at an average of $1,185 per month, which is lower than the average rent in Pittsburgh and makes Mozart one of the most affordable options of the companies we have compared.
*rent averages are based off apartments currently available to rent
Conclusion
Finding a place to live can be daunting, but hopefully we’ve provided some resources to kickstart your apartment search. Happy apartment hunting!
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