Essentially, Access Realty gets somewhere between a 1.5 to 2 star rating for their customer service…read moreand a 4.5 to 5 star rating for their accommodations, so I reckon that works out to about a 3 star average. Let's start with the positives. They offer relatively decent rental pricing and their properties (or at least the one that my family stayed in) are very well-maintained and clean. You also get a little tote with some "orientation" materials (ie, local brochures and ads, some toilet paper) upon checking in. That was a nice touch. However, checking in can be somewhat of a nightmare when dealing with Access Realty (or at least it was in my experience). Essentially, they do not let you take house keys prior to check in time (even if check in time is approximately 40 minutes away and it's not like you're going to barge into the house), they stress the need for you to present back at their command when your keys are indeed ready, they then neglect to call you when your keys are ready, and all the while they act as though it would be a major inconvenience to them should you pick up your keys any later then 3:30pm (their established check in time) and only very begrudgingly admit that they man the office until 6pm. The bottom line is that I would book a beach house via Access Realty again in the future (as their houses seemingly are very nice), but I would just try to interact as little as possible with the staff.

Homeowners Beware -- My Experience With Access Realty I…read morepurchased a $1.89M beach house in April 2026 with plans to self-manage it as a short-term rental. At the time of purchase, I understood that the previous owner had an existing management that I was required to honor until the reservations already booked were fulfilled. Because of that, I had to work with Access Realty for the upcoming season. I had about one month before the first reservation. During that time, I repeatedly asked Access Realty to come to the property, review the changes I had made, update the amenities, and take new photographs. Instead, someone from the office took unprofessional photos, which I found extremely disappointing. The property was not accurately represented, and it took an excessive amount of time for the photos to be updated on their website. Lack of communication was another major issue. I repeatedly had to ask the same questions and request basic information. I asked whether I could handle the linens myself because homeowners are charged $203 per week reservation for linens, plus $8.50 per bed for making the beds. I was told I could. After the first reservation, I arrived on time to begin the laundry, only to discover that Access Realty had not communicated this arrangement to the cleaning company. The cleaner was visibly upset by my presence, and I was made to feel extremely uncomfortable at my own property. I went to the office to address my concerns right after. I explained that more than a month after purchasing a nearly $2 million property, no one from the company had come to inspect it, discuss expectations from both sides, inventory my home. I left feeling there was very little accountability for the problems or interest in understanding my expectations as the homeowner. I felt that my property was being treated as though it were their investment rather than mine. My property was just a cash cow for the company and I was in the way. I start cleaning the property myself. The cleaning fee is $550, but I was also charged a $30 inspection fee after I cleaned the property myself. I later found that the $550 cleaning fee was actually built into the room rent rather than being charged to the guest as a separate, itemized cleaning fee. This meant that when I cleaned the property, I was cleaning for free. If I hired a cleaner, I would have been paying that cleaner out of my room rent income rather than the guest paying for the cleaning fee. I was also told someone would roll the trash cans to the road, only to discover that this was an additional $20-per-week charge. Access Realty charges 16% commission on room rent and also charges guests a $250 reservation fee per booking, for admin work. I repeatedly requested itemized breakdowns of reservation charges and was told that obtaining basic information about my rental income was a "special request" I eventually hired an attorney regarding the cleaning-fee issue and how the charges were presented. During a conversation involving my attorney, a representative of the company stated that they had dealt with many homeowners who had threatened to sue them and that those homeowners had NEVER WON. I found that statement extremely concerning and unprofessional. Why are so many homeowners unhappy with their payouts? Access Realty's own statement to homeowners:"No Hidden Fees or Charges: We don't charge our homeowners any hidden charges or fees. Our easy to read owner statements will clearly show rental income, our commission, and any other agreed upon services or work orders. We don't charge our homeowners housekeeping fees or convenience charges." LIES I felt there were numerous individual fees for services and that I was being nickel-and-dimed throughout the contract. For perspective, one guest paid $10,497 for a week, while my payout was $6,640. I am extremely relieved that my contract with Access Realty is over and that I no longer have to deal with the company. There's much more context that I can't add for the length of the review. Just avoid hiring this company it's shifty.

We stayed at Flipping Out last week Sept 19. Location is great and we had a good stay but I wanted…read moreto mention a few things that need improvement at the property. Kitchen exhaust fan and light above the oven have been broken since last year when we stayed there. The refrigerator drawers are also broken. The mattresses on both beds are sorely in need of replacement!! Also the kitchen is sparsely equipped. Last year we bought a can opener and left it at the property. Justin to note there are no closets in the small bedroom. That's a bummer The location is what keeps us coming back. But would be great if some improvements could be made.

I cannot say enough good things about Lewis Realty Associates. From our initial reservation months…read morein advance to the seamless check-in and checkout process, the entire team was professional, helpful, and truly fantastic to work with. As sometimes happens, our trip hit a snag about 24 hours before check in. While on our drive, I received a call from Jesse. There was a maintenance issue at our reserved property which would take several days to be resolved. Not optimal. With family traveling in from all over the country, needless to say, we were concerned. There was no need...Jesse already had a plan. There was a similar property nearby which was open. She sent a link to it's listing, my wife reviewed it while we were driving, and we approved the switch. There was a little snag as it was a home with some twin beds as opposed to the kings and queens we reserved for our all adult group. I ask some furniture be moved to accommodate our group. Jesse ask for some time to work on things...minutes later she called back, she would have maintenance convert some twins to kings, perfect! Check in was a breeze and everyone got busy enjoying the beach. As many rentals have done, the one we were staying in had converted from satellite/cable to all streaming. At no fault of Lewis Realty, the internet service in our rental wasn't adequate to stream video to the supplied Roku's. This wasn't a huge deal, but my wife is a doctor at our hometown hospital and had grand rounds she needed to attend via video conference, on Wednesday. This was a big deal. I contacted Lewis Realty concerning the issue. Jesse and Rylee saved the day again and within hours, everything was taken care of. We usually don't have much interaction with the realtor after the reservation process, but in this case, our family couldn't have been in better hands. I'm not sure what our next Topsail rental will be, but I know for sure our realtor will be Lewis Realty and Associates! Kudos to them!

*Review from a former non-disgruntled Employee*…read more I worked at Starfish for a year while I lived in North Carolina for the 2017-2018 season. Starfish Rentals and Realty is a Boutique agency. (This means a high focus on customer satisfaction and attention to detail however slower or limited resources for maintenance.) They are the only company on the island to conduct through inspections of their homes. Every Saturday you can expect to find the owner inspecting a third of the homes turning over. You can expect that when a call for a concern or a complaint comes in, the owner is addressing it as it is being relayed. You can also expect that during peak season, vendors (A/C technicians, Plummer's, pest control, electricians and any other trade) take longer to get to homes. You can also expect ( just the same as in YOUR hometown), vendors will not enter the home if you do not give permission prior. Especially in today's day and age, and with good reason. Helpful hint...If you are kind when you follow up about an issue being addressed, you will see better results. For those of you still not following; if you act like a jerk, you're going to be treated like a jerk. Now the nitty gritty of the matter. The owner. She is the most stubborn, independent, blunt but also thoughtful, humorous and driven woman you will meet. She started her career 30 years ago at the New York Times where they shaped her work ethic, organization and structure. (This is where her professionalism and stern personality come from) She also has a southern debutant demeanor. (She can chat your ear off.) She can be tough but she means well. She can be matter of fact, but it's because she is analytical. She can also make you laugh until you cry. While I didn't see it at first, she taught me a lot in just a year of working for her that I will be forever grateful for. So when you are looking for an agency that cares about the homeowners, cares about the customer and cares about the business. Take a look at Starfish, because I guarantee when it's 8pm and you are having a bad experience she will be the one to answer your call and take care of you. Ps. Don't book through VRBO, they are trash. Take every bad review with a grain of salt.

Unfortunately, my experience was consistent with past reviewers. I thought I was booking directly…read morewith property owner on VRBO but it turns out I was really dealing with Starfish. Lots of additional fees but, sadly, that wasn't our biggest problem with Starfish and the owners of 360 Degrees of Heaven in Surf City, NC A family member had planned her wedding for Columbus Day weekend 2016 and many family members rented houses on the island for the weekend so that they could attend the celebration. Unfortunately, Hurricane Matthew hit the area that very weekend. Luckily, it was a well-forecasted storm and we knew more than a week in advance that there was no way the wedding would actually take place that weekend. The southern coast of North Carolina was the bullseye for a record-breaking hurricane precisely on the day we were scheduled to arrive. I didn't really anticipate a problem since the record-breaking storm hitting Florida and then South and North Carolina was all anyone was talking about on the news for at least a week. Unfortunately, I was wrong. When we tried to cancel our reservation, Starfish told me it was "business as usual" on Topsail and refused to let us cancel our reservation or even move the booking to another date when the area wasn't under the threat of a major storm. They insisted on keeping our full rental fee as well as the added charge for rented linens (bed sheets) for a home that was never used. Their reasoning was that somehow the rental company and homeowner were incurring a loss on account of our cancellation. Makes total sense in a situation where there is rain in the forecast so your guests opt to cancel their vacation. But that is far from what happened here. To suggest that there was an opportunity cost incurred because the reservation had been held for us -- instead of making the property available to others who may want to rent the home -- was a complete joke. The southern coast of North Carolina was the bulls eye for a record breaking hurricane precisely on the day we were to arrive. Flights into and out of Wilmington were cancelled. Portions of interstate 95 were closed. Everyone already on the island was being told, emphatically, to leave town. And we've all seen the videos of the aftermath on Topsail - major flooding. Not only would it have been unrealistic and unsafe for anyone to be heading to the island on Friday October 7th but -- if anyone made it there -- they likely would have left with significant damage to property including vehicles. If you choose to deal with Starfish Rental or the home called 360 Degrees of Heaven, you have been warned.

Very Professional and hopeful. I have rented from Ward's for many years and have had great…read moreexperiences.

have been vacationing in Topsail for over 20 years, and unfortunately this home, rented through…read moreWard Realty, did not meet our expectations. The standard checkout time is 10:00 a.m. and check-in is 3:00 p.m. We received a notification that the home was ready for check-in at noon, which meant there were only about two hours between the previous guests checking out and our arrival. Based on the condition of the home, it appeared the cleaning was rushed. (We did not ask for an earlier check in). There were stains on the walls, carpet, and baseboards. The floors were dusty and sticky in several areas, and the overall cleanliness fell well below what we expected. Outside, the picnic table was unstable, and the front porch railing was noticeably loose. We were uncomfortable using the porch because it did not feel secure. The photos of the listing are also not accurate of the current state of the property. The furniture is not the same. The listing does not reflect what you are truly renting. (Fun n the Sun) Overall, the property appears to be in need of both a thorough deep cleaning and some maintenance and updates. This is now the second time our family has rented from Ward Realty (last February) and the property was dirty and not as advertised. So much so that my parents had to ask for a replacement sofa because of how bad of shape the furniture was in. My parents left a negative review about this property as well but it was not posted on the listing. Which is unethical. We went multiple times throughout the year at Topsail, we will never rent from Ward Realty again. We have always had positive experiences vacationing in Topsail, so this stay was disappointing. Given Ward Realty's reputation, we expected the property to be in much better condition.

I recently hired Mr. Doug Yopp, so far so good. He seems…read morehighly intelligent, responsive and gets the paperwork done pretty quickly. I really appreciate the laid back nature as well.

Worked with Doug and what an excellent experience. He worked hard to find what we wanted and fit…read moreour needs. What impressed us the most was his dedication to us. He responded to texts and emails quickly. What was more impressive was he responded during all hours and and all days. He Made certain our questions and concerns were addressed and timely. He made our experience very enjoyable. Doug and his Staff are very hard working and made certain we were # 1!! Thanks for finding us the Beach House of our dreams!!

The house we rented, the great bambino, was nice and in a great neighborhood with easy beach access…read moreand a neighborhood pool. The house welcomed pets and management accommodated us. The house however, did not have adequate pots and pans. And there was trash behind several of the beds and dressers. Most disappointing was that one of the vertical blinds fell off the brackets on the day we checked in, close to our children. Four days later when we left the beach, the management still had not fixed it. And when we checked out, we got a very insincere apology. Overall it was a good experience with the house.

Great customer service and very attentive to our needs. The property we rented was very clean upon…read morearrival. Our HVAC did break down, but they had someone out and fixed within the hour.

Absolutely terrible. The rental we had was dirty, and you could tell this company does the bare…read moreminimum. There was trash on the floor. One toilet was broken, and they never sent anyone to fix. Yet some stranger was there "cleaning" the hot tub for no reason, and it was also dirty when he left. Coastline also defines incompetence. Our rental had electric locks, yet an employee insisted we pick up keys. We show up, no keys. "Oh, the place has electric locks." You're just now realizing that? They also left a sign from the previous rental company up, so Coastline obviously doesn't pay attention. If not knowing a place doesn't have keys and leaving an old sign up is any indication, steer clear of Coastline.

This review is to render a great gratitude to Bradley Calderwood. I am visiting from Huntington…read moreBeach, California. I needed to be aware of current housing market in compared to early 2000 when I purchased my house in the commons. I will be returning to Jacksonville this city is home to us...we will be purchasing our house plus rentals from Bradley. Devil Dogs, I highly recommend you give Bradley a shot. He was genuine down to earth and demonstrated upmost of professionalism. I am pending contact with my daughter we have not spoken to for 11+ years. She is 25. Depending on our encounter we will decide weather to purchase a home now or wait till we relocate to Jacksonville. I am a retired Senior Marine and a Barbershop owner and I recommend this dude. Thank you.

As other reviewers have noted, Desiree goes above and beyond. I had the excellent fortune to be…read morereferred to her by a friend and now I can't imagine working with anyone else. Desiree is thorough, and professional and great to work with.She made my first-time home purchase quick, easy, and stress-free. She explained the process to me every step of the way (repeatedly if necessary) and was always there with an expert opinion. Desiree definitely exceeded my expectations. Can't recommend her enough!

My family and I recently returned from our lovely stay in North Topsail on Island Road. House right…read moreon the beach, who could ask for more, right? Since this was our 1st rental outside of a family home on DE shore, we were very surprised by the upcharges (sheets & towels not included in the quoted weekly rental rate) and non-disclosure on what you don't get with your rental - No beach towels at a beach house! Really!!! 1st call into management office with our list of items needed resulted in drop off of kitchen towels. 2nd call resulted in trash and recycle bins emptied. (They were both overflowing when we arrived - not good) Items never corrected - replacement of 2 broken lounge chairs (9 adults were present, 4 loungers total) and light bulbs in master bathroom never replaced. Next time I'm going to ask for room measurements, as the house was much smaller than we expected by the photos. And ask what you have to provide on your own; ie, trash bags, dishwasher soap and TP if you use a lot. I would have preferred to have an agent meet us on the property so our issues could have been immediately addressed rather that making frequent calls to the office. Until the next time . . .

This company earned zero stars if possible…read more This is the second year we have rented from Treasure Realty and it will be the absolute last. First year: 8203 fifth Avenue, Topsail Island, NC The first year the property was unclean. And I don't mean it was dusty. It was downright dirty. The carpets were beyond filthy, so much that we all wore shoes inside the entire week. The mattresses were likely 20 years old. Fridge was dirty. Dishes were in cabinets dirty. Sinks and toilets horrible. Bad bad bad. We decided to try again. Because things happen. 2021: Second year: 1218 N. Shore drive, surf city, NC This year we paid a substantial sum to stay in a beach front property. What a mistake. It was worse than the first year. The air conditioning never got lower than 75 degrees. It was like sleeping in a personal pocket of hell. The smell! Let me tell you about the horrific smell!! It was like a punch in the face of cat urine each and every day. First thing you smelled when you walked in. Barf. It took us a full day to clean the home to have a livable smell. The hot water pressure in the kitchen sink and second shower was non-existent. Dripped from faucets. Maddening. Washing machine smelled like a teenage boy's personal locker room. The light cover in room 2 was missing. Exposed wiring. Light in room 3 did not work at all. Fan in second bath did not work. Refrigerator was filthy upon arrival. Gate to beach from back porch needed the muscles of two men to open and close. Outdoor "shower" was a short hose, hooked to absolutely nothing. Bathroom 2 looked like a prison bathroom, complete with a chipping tub. Turning on the water was like trying to solve a rubix cube. And then trying to turn it off was a lot of fun also. It was not a usable bathroom whatsoever. Bathroom 1 had enough mold on the shower curtain to cure polio. Phone did not work. When we contacted the company we were told they came into the joke to check for these issues. No one came. This was a lie. Reported to BBB to attempt a fair resolution. We were ignored by the company when they text and we responded w the above noted issues and voicing our displeasure with the proposed "resolution." We were offered a "generous" refund of 7% of our stay complete with a 5% discount for our next stay DURING OFF SEASON. HORRIBLE. RUN. RUN FAST. RUN FAR.