Happy Homeowners...

Dear Donna and Robert,

We have been reflecting on the sale of our beloved 

Oak Island beach house and felt the need to send you a written note that expresses our appreciation for your extraordinary efforts marketing our home and then working with us through the various offers received.

To learn that our house sold for the most of any home on Oak Island for nearly ten years really reinforced that we made the right decision in listing our home with you.  While we definitely consider you both friends, we approached selling our home not only as a very personal decision but as an objective business decision as well. As a team, we felt you both understood that.

You also both understood and recognized that we had cut no corners nor spared any expense building the home. The many unseen aspects of its construction as well as the more obvious ones in the finishes were all taken into account as we arrived at a fair listing price. Since that price was well above comparable homes on a cost per square foot basis, you cautioned us that it might take a while to match it with a qualified buyer.

However, we believe, in large part, due to your aggressive marketing, your appreciation of the home's quality and your ability to communicate its value, we accepted an offer within several weeks after brief negotiations.

So, please enjoy this small token of our appreciation. We wish you continued success with RE/MAX Southern Coast and will happily provide a recommendation for you to anyone we know who is looking to buy or sell in the area.

Warm regards,

- Joaquin and Amanda | Atlanta, GA

As you may know, we sold our home on Pelican Drive in early Fall of last year. It was a hard decision, as we loved being a part of the Oak Island community for the past seventeen years, first as part timers and for the past twelve years as full time residents. Moving back to our hometown of Danville, VA, was something we had planned on doing following retirement.

We knew that listing our home with the right agent was the most important first step. There are a lot of agents in our area...almost everyone knows someone in the real estate business. We chose to meet with the team of Robert Carroll and Donna Findlay of RE/MAX Southern Coast in Southport based on their reputation in the area. They were actually the ONLY agents we talked with because from the first meeting, we sensed that they had the honesty, professionalism, and dedication that we wanted in our real estate agent.

Donna and/or Robert kept us informed of what was happening every step of the way. One or both visited us as appropriate to discuss offers and negotiations. We felt that they gave us very good professional advice. They also listened to our questions and suggestions and made modifications as appropriate.

The write-up and photographs of the house and surrounding area, especially the pictures from the drone showing the ocean and marshlands, really showcased our home. We had an offer we were really happy with and a signed contract in less than six weeks. Having TWO of the area's top agents working for us really paid off.

This might sound like a little thing, but we really appreciated the care given to installing and then removing the "for sale" sign in our front yard. It was the neatest we have ever seen and not even noticeable that a hole was ever in the yard. Attention to detail means a lot and this is just an example even after the sale.

Again, we really can't say enough good things about our experience with Donna and Robert. We strongly recommend that you talk with them should you decide to list your home. In fact, we already have friends who listed with them, too.

- Claude and Evelyn | Oak Island, NC

Simply put, we think Robert and Donna were absolutely the very best, we can't say it more simply andhonestly. In the listing and selling of our Southport home their knowledge and expertise was outstanding.When we saw the listing writeup, with the photos and staging they completed, we were blown away. It was fabulous! Robert and Donna are extremely talented and very customer friendly. They were always there for us and quickly responded at all times to any questions. We were particularly impressed by their strong real estate marketing competencies. We feel their analyses and marketing strategies most definitely resulted in our realizing an excellent sales price, one that we believe their competitors may not have achieved. They consistently showed great professionalism and extremely high skill levels, all to our benefit. We simply had "no worries" with this task in their hands and it was easy to trust their sound judgment. It certainly proved to our benefit. They accomplished a very timely contract and closing, that was extremely satisfying. We would strongly recommend their services to anyone! 

- Alan and Carmen | Sterling, VA

If you are looking for a real estate team that excels at listing, showing, and selling a home, we wholeheartedly recommend Donna and Robert.What impressed us the most was their organized approach to selling a property.

They've developed a well thought out plan that, if followed, puts your home in the spotlight.They offer you an opportunity to optimize your selling price, describe and photograph your home exquisitely, generate solid showings, and bring you offers in almost record time.

Our home was listed and the sale closed in 35 days. Both Donna and Robert are very easy to work with.They are true professionals in the real estate business. We would recommend them as the "Go To" team if you are considering selling your home!

- E Gifford and Sylvia | Caswell Beach, NC

Dear Neighbors,

As many of you know, we recently sold our home.  We wanted to share a little bit about our experience and also tell you about our Realtor, Robert Carroll.  He brought to the table the youth and enthusiasm it took to market and sell our home.  Robert has a unique knowledge of our area.  He understands the current market trends and is always monitoring change with the latest in technology.  Robert maintains a level of honesty and professionalism unlike any Realtor we encountered.

We purposefully interviewed several agents and immediately felt comfortable with Robert.  You see, Robert became more of a family member to us, than just our Realtor.  He was considerate of our particular situation and walked us through the process step-by-step.  Robert never hesitated to make certain we understood everything and was quick to answer any questions we had.  In all sincerity, we fell Robert gave us 200% of both time and effort.

He knew that we were going to move out of our home while it was still on the market.  He had the foresight to know that vacant homes don't sell as quickly and professional staging was going to be necessary to get it to sell.  He brought in a professional stager, who furnished the home beautifully and added lovely accessories.  We had a contract in less than a week!

Robert gave something greater than just the sale of our home... he gave us peace of mind along the way.  We strongly recommend Robert Carroll if you are thinking of selling your home.  Contact him if you have any questions or want to have a conversation about listing your home.  We are so glad we chose the right person to help us and know you will be too.

- Bill and Pat | Caswell Beach, NC

To Whom It May Concern,

We are writing to share our experiences with Robert Carroll, who served as our Realtor in a real estate transaction on Oak Island.  We were the owners of a vacant lot which we had bought many years previously.  After some period of time, we decided not to build on the lot but to hold it as an investment.Over the years, we had been contacted by several parties about the lot but never reached the point of actually selling it.We had no intention of selling the lot this year and were not actively seeking buyers.  We had not placed a sign on the lot nor advertised it for sale.

In August we were contacted by Robert out of the blue as a cold call to see if we were interested in selling.  We were not motivated sellers but were always interested in offers for the property.  We are always wary of cold calls but are also familiar with real estate transactions and soon became comfortable with Robert as a Realtor.  He brought to us a serious buyer who presented a clean cash offer for our lot.  We were pleased with the amount and after a short discussion decided it was time to sell the lot and let someone else enjoy building a home there.

It is interesting to say that we have never actually met Robert in person.  We live several hours from Oak Island, and all of our contact was by phone and email.  He represented us at closing making it unnecessary for us to appear in person.  In our interactions with him, we have found Robert to be honest, competent, and responsive.  We would have no reservations in calling upon him again should the situation arise, or in recommending him to others seeking real estate in that area.

Sincerely,

- Jeffery and Jincy | Raleigh, NC

Dear Robert,

We want to take this opportunity to thank you for all your assistance with our short sale.  It is not the side of a transaction you want to be on but you helped us in many ways to get it done.  From our first phone call in March 2013, you put me at ease and gave me encouragement.  We were still ambivalent about doing a short sale.  We had tried to keep our head above water during the housing decline and had reached a point of despair.  We were losing money monthly on the rental house.  We had been through a job loss, my Dad's death and my Mom's diagnosis with Alzheimer's.  She then moved in with us and we had reached a breaking point.  We had tried in the past to refinance the mortgage and had researched a short sale with no success.We did not know where to begin.  After a tenant skipped out on the lease without paying or notice I made the decision to not rent again.  We would try to sell the house and take the loss.  I asked around for a recommendation of a good realtor and was given your name.

You have a very positive attitude and yet it is tempered with reality.  Everything you told us went the way you explained.  You had the house sold in a little over a week and we had numerous offers.  After one fell through, you had the next offer right behind it at a higher price.  You regularly kept in touch with us.  We live out of state and you made communication very accessible and easy for us.  We never had to travel to Oak Island and we were able to complete the sale through a combination of computers and the good old U.S. Mail!  Our transaction was very slow due to our mortgage company transferring the service to a new provider during our process.  You were helpful in recommending a good law firm to negotiate the short sale.  They in turn recommended a reputable firm that provided us an informative phone conference on the tax issues with a short sale.  Everyone worked well together and we were impressed that you continued to keep in touch even after we had hired both law firms.  The whole process took 8 months.  We had our doubts at times but you never wavered in telling us you felt confident it would all work out.

We felt we had professional service from you along with a personal interest in us.  That is a rare combination in today's world.  We have bought and sold numerous houses through the years.  Although this was the first time we dealt with a downturn in the market; we felt we had the best experience to date with you as our realtor.  We are grateful for all you did for us and wish you continued success in your endeavors.  We have many friends in the Carolina's and will be sure to highly recommend you for their future transactions.  Thank you Robert.

All the best,

- Ed and Noreen | Louisville, KY

Robert,

Lori and I are writing to thank you for the successful sale of our home and for making the process such a positive experience.  While this is not the first home sale we have experienced, it was definitely the smoothest and least anxious one.  We attribute that to your careful planning, solid instincts, upbeat confidence, and great personality.  We were very impressed that you envisioned a plan, never wavered from it, and achieved the results you predicted.  Your approach to selling real estate couldn't be more different from the typical "list it and wait."

We also appreciate the professionalism that you exhibited throughout our relationship.  It is so reassuring to work with an individual who knows his business and who really seeks to achieve excellence.  Your knowledge of the local market was evident in your assessment of our property, your pricing advice, and your evaluation of seasonal timing factors.  All aspects of our relationship with you - from our first meeting at your office through the many conversations we undertook, and the final negotiations and closing - were handled at a most professional level.  We never felt that we had to advise you how to manage the selling process; rather, our tendency was to step back and let you do your job.  Your expertise and approach instill a lot of confidence.

On a personal level, it was also enjoyable working with you.  From our first meeting you appreciated things about our home that were also important to us.  This was very flattering, but more importantly, it was characteristic of the kind of person you are: genuine and gracious.  We wish you every success!

- Dave and Lori | Southport, NC

From selling our home, to buying our waterfront lot, to building our dream home, Robert has been with us every step of the way.

His expertise got us under contract quickly on our home sale and got us a fantastic deal on our bank owned lot.  He was a tough negotiator on both transactions

Robert was excellent at helping us stage our house.  He brought in a professional photographer for our marketing photos-they really captured our home's best features.  I believe that these things, along with his pricing strategy, allowed us to sell our home quickly and for just under asking price.

Robert went above and beyond to help us locate a suitable rental house.  I couldn't believe how much time he spent just on that!

We are so excited to finally be building our dream home.  Robert has been an integral part of the design process.  As a liaison between us and the builder, he has helped keep the project moving and given us great advice and ideas for the design.  He will be with us until the end to help ensure that we stay on schedule and budget during the building phase.

Robert is full of integrity, dependable, knowledgeable, and such a joy to work with.  We feel so lucky to have chosen Robert to be our agent. 

- Darren and Ashley | Southport, NC

My husband and I hired Robert because of his responsiveness, attention to detail and incredible work ethic. I'm a fellow Realtor in a different county and needed someone I could trust to handle my personal business in the Brunswick County area as well as someone to whom I could refer my clients. After interviewing many Realtors in the area, we chose Robert to handle the sale of one of our properties. He did an excellent job and exceeded our expectations. The clients of mine that I have entrusted in Robert's care for their real estate needs in the area have been thrilled with his service and professionalism. We are pleased to call Robert a colleague and a friend!

- Paul and Amy | Charlotte, NC

In 2010 we vacationed on Caswell Beach and had the good fortune of meeting Robert Carroll of RE/MAX Community Brokers and his wife Michelle of Oak Island Accommodations. Robert familiarized us with the Caswell Beach area, and ultimately facilitated our purchasing a home there. Since that time, we have purchased two other properties on Caswell Beach.

During the three years since we met the Carrolls, we have come to know them quite well. They are young professionals who have impressed us with their honesty, attention to detail, and responsiveness. Over the years, we have purchased many homes and home sites in various markets. In our estimation, Robert is the best real estate professional with whom we have worked. He knows the Caswell Beach market and is prompt and responsive when opportunities arise. Once an offer is made, Robert's negotiating skills are fair but firm. He helps his clients make tough decisions based on the market and his experience. After the sale, Robert remains willing and available to help with the necessities of establishing a new home. Because Robert represents only a handful of clients at one time, he is fully knowledgeable of and responsive to their needs. He understands the uniqueness of Caswell Beach-- its serenity, beauty, and relative isolation compared with Oak Island. He knows that the homeowners on Caswell Beach are looking for a home or second home rather than solely a rental property. Similarly, Michelle is very responsive to any questions or request we might have regarding the rental of our homes. Our experience with Oak Island Accommodations has been very positive, largely due to her excellent customer service.

On a personal level, the Carrolls are delightful. We have come to know them as friends and, should you consider selling, buying or renting a home, we wholeheartedly recommend them both professionally and personally. 

- Jeff and Lynda | Caswell Beach, NC