Centre Realty Group

Centre Realty Group - legally Newton Centre Realty, Inc. - is a Newton brokerage founded by owner and CEO Jack Foster and incorporated in 1992. It runs from 555 Commonwealth Avenue, with further offices in Cleveland Circle and East Boston, and covers sales, rentals, commercial leasing through its CRG Commercial arm, and property management. A large share of the work is apartment lettings, including off-campus student housing. Across 97 Google ratings it averages 3.9, and the written reviews explain why the number sits in the middle rather than at either end: the experience depends heavily on which agent you get. When it goes well it goes very well. In April 2026 a renter said one agent found a replacement apartment after the first was taken, and in March 2026 another said the same agent placed them in under two weeks. A July 2025 client described an agent handling listing updates and showings, then listing and screening tenants for their own place once they became a landlord. A June 2022 renter working from outside the United States was guided through the whole process across a time difference, and a September 2024 parent said an agent measured rooms and sent extra photos and video for a Tufts apartment the family could not visit. Sellers give similar accounts: a September 2025 reviewer sold a condo, and a February 2023 landlord praised an agent for coordinating contractors and the homeowners association through a sale. The complaints are just as specific, and they cluster on communication. A July 2026 renter said an agent never showed for a scheduled tour and then did not answer calls, texts or emails. A February 2023 reviewer described the same thing, with the agent replying that this happens. A September 2025 renter said an agent would not confirm whether a house was still available or reply about an appointment time. An October 2024 review says simply that if you like lack of communication this is your group, and an October 2023 client said that when they escalated problems with an agent to the owner, they got no reply. In August 2023 a renter described being discouraged from asking the landlord basic questions about lease terms and changing locks. Two accounts are more serious and should be read as customer allegations rather than findings. In October 2021 a reviewer said a deposit sent by Zelle to be held in escrow pending a lease was instead released to the landlord before any lease was agreed or signed, and was not returned. In June 2023 a reviewer accused one of the agency's agents of racist conduct toward the African American community. Ask which agent will actually handle your search, get their name and recent references, and put the deposit terms - who holds the money and until when - in writing before you send anything.