Above and Beyond
This review is going to be a little long, but a house is a significant asset so I want you to know what is behind my 5-star rating. Some context is in order. The property my brother and I sold belonged to our mother. It is in a gated community (ie., there is an HOA) on the barrier island. Neither of us ever lived in the house; my brother lives in another part of FL and I live in New England and we used it as a vacation retreat.
We looked at various agencies and individuals and interviewed our top three using a list of interview questions that reflected our priorities and concerns. The list included threshold questions about basic technical knowledge of what it takes to sell a house in a seasonal market (e.g. pricing, marketing and advertising, and timing). It also included questions particular to our situation. For instance, it was essential that any realtor we worked with be able to handle the complexity of having distant co-owners. Finally, we also looked for evidence of a kind of can-do, committed approach to the selling process and us. These are the reasons we chose to work with Melissa and recommend her without reservation.
1. Technical knowledge – Melissa more than met this threshold. We liked that she has worked in different markets and does not limit herself to a particular area in Indian River or type of residence. She’s up to date on all legal and business requirements, and is backed by an excellent team at a longtime Vero based agency. She came prepared to talk about all aspects of the process, her experience and approach, and about Sorenson.
2. Knowledge about the development, area, particular details about the community and houses in them – Melissa knew the development the house was in and already had past clients there. She was not only familiar with the various models of homes in the area, but also certain builder options. Note this is a house that is more than 20 years old so her knowledge comes from observation, conversations, and research. She also knows Indian River County and the uniqueness of its various communities. That knowledge enabled her to highlight the special assets of our area compared to others.
3. Highly client centered and focused – this is where Melissa really shines. If you work with her you won’t ever feel like you are competing with anyone else for her time and attention.
a. Communication – she is totally available and responsive. She promptly responds to texts, email, and calls. Especially important to us was that she also initiated a lot of our communication such as updates on her plans for selling, results of those efforts, or news about other sales in our market. We never had to chase her for anything.
b. Problem solving – we ran into a lot of unexpected snags like an open permit from 20 years ago. Melisa and her team were true partners in figuring out how to resolve issues that arose. As non-resident owners this was so so helpful and needed. Hopefully your sale or purchase will go without a hitch, but if something comes up you can be assured, she will be there to help you address the issue.
c. Going the extra mile – As I noted earlier, this was our mother’s house. She passed away 12 years ago and we needed the comps from that time in order to address post sale tax costs. Even before we signed on with Melissa she took the initiative of getting the comps to us. One could argue that she did this to get the sale. It’s true, it did help. But it also demonstrated early on that she had the drive and desire to represent us. From working with her I know she watches and tends to other houses in her care, alerting other owners to an outside leak, and meeting workers. She goes the extra mile. You will feel well taken care of if you choose to work with Melissa.
d. Advocacy – Melissa always fought for us. In negotiations we felt well represented. At a time when we had to decide to lower our asking price Melissa made sure we did not undercut ourselves. We felt like we had a fierce defender always at the ready to operate on our behalf.
e. Honesty – Melissa’s honesty was evident in a couple of ways. In terms of her practice she is a professional who operates with integrity. On a personal level she let us know what we needed to do to make the house sellable. She was always respectful in terms of acknowledging any emotional attachment we had while also honestly sharing her knowledge- and experience-based opinions on what to upgrade, address, change, and remove to make the house appealing to others. Her guidance was extremely valuable.
4. Rolls with the punches and unforeseen events – last but not least, this sale had some one-of-a-kind (hopefully) things happen before the closing. For instance, a wired check that was hacked abroad and required Interpol involvement. If you hire Melissa she can tell you how the story ended. What I can say is that everything I discussed above was in evidence as things got sorted out across multiple parties. It is clear she can deal with surprise challenges – whether it’s a storm, international intrigue, or some new wrinkle to an already complex situation Melissa is calm, professional, totally has her client’s backs, is in constant communication, coordinates between agencies, uses her knowledge and skills to keep the process going, and ably makes the whole thing happen. I can’t say enough good things about working with her.
