We worked with Michele Warneke and Sandy Garrett to find our vacation property in Miramar Beach…read moreand Santa Rosa Beach area. They were great since the beginning. They were very responsive and helped us with a virtual tour since we are out of town. They checked several properties for us until we found out our hidden gem. They know the area pretty well, also they know everything related to short term rentals, which was key for us. They also helped us after closing finding some contractors on the area that could help us with landscaping for our property and original wall paint from the builder. Thanks Michele and Sandy for all your help!

From the owner: Owning a beach home is easier than you think!read more

We are a military family that owned a home in Crestview, FL. We reached out to Assurance Realty for…read moreProperty Management shortly after we moved. I can't even begin to put into words how absolutely phenomenal they were! We worked with Kim specifically as our property manager and she was so great. We really liked how their process was set up. If there were any concerns with the property, Kim told us immediately. We ended up moving overseas for 3.5 years and during that time frame, we switched tenants. I can't imagine dealing with all of that while being overseas. We experienced minor tornado damage to the property and Kim was on top of it. She was always open and honest. She kept things fair for both us as the owners, as well as our tenants. We fully trusted Kim and never once had to worry about anything. It was such a huge load off to know we had that! She really was such a blessing. We decided to sell the property in 2021 and got teamed up with Donna. Donna was just as incredible as Kim from the very beginning to the very end. She made the entire selling process super easy. She was open and honest about our options and walked us through every step and answered every question we had. We live out of state and knowing we had someone we could trust to take care of selling the property was a relief. From our end, the selling process was easy. We know that's because Donna is such a phenomenal agent and took care of the heavy load of things on her end. In the eight years that we worked with Assurance Realty, whether on the Property Management side or the Real Estate side, we knew we could trust them completely. Honesty, integrity, and professionalism are important. Assurance Realty of NWFL, LLC goes above and beyond for their clients. I simply cannot say enough good things about them.

I can't speak highly enough of Merinda Vause. After working with 4 less than caring and engaged,…read morequick sale mentality real estate agents, I was fortunate in finding Merinda . Merinda is a true professional, very personable , easy to work, dedicated to her client, kind , knowledgeable and genuinely cares about her clients and their needs. I not only found a top notch realtor I gained a lifelong friend . I highly recommend Merinda!:)

Our stay at Shoreline Towers in Destin, Florida, Unit 3074, was very disappointing. The unit itself…read moreis spacious and beautiful, and it has the potential to be a wonderful place to stay. Unfortunately, the condition and cleanliness of the unit were far below what we expected. When we arrived, the furniture was dirty, the floors were filthy, and there was mold throughout parts of the unit, including significant mold buildup in the showers. We also found what appeared to be blood on the walls, food particles inside the refrigerator and cabinets, heavy dust buildup, food splatter on the walls, crusty nasal particles on the bathroom trim, and old trash spillage inside the trash cans. Instead of being able to relax and enjoy our first day, I spent it cleaning the unit. I had to rewash the linens and towels, clean the refrigerator, clean various surfaces, and cover the furniture because of its condition. As an owner of multiple properties myself, I understand how important regular maintenance, inspections, and proper cleaning are. That is what made this experience especially frustrating. It is disappointing to see a beautiful property not being properly maintained. The location and size of the unit are great, but the cleanliness and maintenance issues need immediate attention. I hope the owners and management take these concerns seriously and ensure that future guests receive the clean, well-maintained accommodations they are paying for.

ROACHES! German roach infestation... seriously, keep reading before you book this place…read more Sunbird is the property RealJoy managed unit 412E among others. Ok so let's start with the good because there is good. The Sunbird location is great, right on the beach. This particular unit, 412e, is on the front of the property towards the parking lot but the balcony angles to the back so you get an obstructed but still decent view of the beach from the balcony and living room windows. It's on the less busy side of PCB but still extremely close to so much. Security actually does their job and you feel safe. It was spacious for just me and I think it can hold 2-3 people comfortably. Check in and check out were easy. Price point is great. I didn't swim but the pools looked clean. On paper, this should've been a five-star stay. Now the cons... when I first walked on the Sunbird property I noticed the building itself was a bit run down. Cracks in the wall, dirty siding, elevator dim and grungy. I figured it was just an older beach property and upkeep must be hard so I didn't make a big deal out of it. I opened the door to the unit, easy check in, and it seemed clean from the hallway. Didn't notice any odd smells. Kept walking and the floors were still pretty sandy but whatever, we're at the beach. After setting my things down I went to plug my phone up in the living room and there were big dust balls along the walls, like it hadn't been swept in a while. Then when I went to plug in by the bed, what do I see behind the nightstand... old candy wrappers. Ok so they need a better housekeeper I thought. I checked the sheets and towels pretty thoroughly and there were some markings already on the fitted sheet so I just used the extra one. Everything else, towels and linens, was clean. Honestly my whole goal was to beach it sun up to sun down so I let those things slide. I really wanted to like it, it's cute, I felt safe, and the location can't be beat. I was still ready to give it a 4-5 star review. Then day three happened. I had to run back to the unit around 1pm for something with parking. Turned the light on, went to grab my wallet off the kitchen counter and there it is... a small German roach just making itself at home walking around my wallet. I freaked out a little and scanned the room and see ANOTHER one crawling on the stovetop. They were having a whole party I grabbed my phone to snap a pic but by the time I got the camera open they had already scurried off between the stove and counter with the quickness. I was disgusted. They were on my wallet, on the counter, and on the stove. I don't live with roaches, I definitely did not come here to vacation with them. I messaged RealJoy right away, on Airbnb and by text. One thing about German roaches... if you see two of them hanging out together there's bound to be an infestation. I asked to be moved to another property. I didn't want them spraying roach chemicals around my stuff, I knew this needed actual pest control not a spray bottle from Walmart. They said they couldn't move me without trying to treat it first. I agreed but asked them to let me know when someone was coming so I could meet them at the unit, I wanted to see it myself. That was 2:30pm. No one ever came. Around 4:50p, right before the property front office was about to close, I followed up again and was told it couldn't get handled that day. Still no offer to move me anywhere else. At that point I knew I had to leave a 1 star review. I went back and reread the reviews on Air BnB for the unit and the RealJoy management, just to make sure I hadn't missed something and the only bad review just mentioned space, nothing roach related. It wasn't until I checked the Sunbird's 3rd party reviews that all the roach reviews showed up. Lesson learned, always check reviews outside of Airbnb. That night I slept with all the lights on and just tried to big girl it out since it was my last night and I really needed my beach time. It was an extremely non productive night of attempted rest. I got up early, packed my things, put most of it in the car, and went to the beach to nap instead. Unfortunately, I didn't leave without another surprise. I went into the kitchen to make sure I didn't leave anything in the fridge, and I look up and another little brown critter was on the kitchen ceiling and crawled straight into the dusty vent. That was just plain disrespectful at this point. Confirmed they have a bigger issue and they know about it. Yikes. I communicated with RealJoy, they did nothing. Offered them an opportunity to make it right, nothing.

I used Owner Direct to rent a condo, directly on The Malecon in Puerto Vallarta. The transaction…read morewas smooth as silk. No problems. The gatemen were expecting us and I admit to being a bit nervous at first when booking, their perfect BBB rating put me at ease. Thanks.

We've been booking with owners around the world with other agencies and came across Owner Direct…read more We're impressed with the level of communication directly with the property owners without intermediary. Also the fees have been substantially less than the other agencies, a major deciding factor. We look forward to seeing what future plans have in store with Owner Direct

We stayed at Edgewater Beach Resort in Panama City Beach for 5 nights in June 2026, and…read moreunfortunately our experience was very disappointing. The biggest issue was that we did not have water in our unit for the first two days of our stay. That made it difficult to do even the most basic things--shower, use the restroom, or clean up after being at the beach. While the rental company did respond to my messages, they never gave us any meaningful updates or solutions. We were not told when the issue would be fixed, and we were never offered the option to move to another property or any type of reimbursement. The resort itself was nice, but the lack of support and communication during such a serious issue overshadowed everything. We expected much better service and accommodations, especially when something as essential as running water was unavailable. Overall, this was a very frustrating experience, and I would think twice before staying here again.

I waited a couple of weeks to write this review because I wanted the facts--not just my anger--to…read morespeak for themselves. The facts are bad enough. Every year, my wife and I rent a vacation property and invite our three grown children, their spouses, and our six grandchildren. This year, we booked a large condo through Southern Vacation Rentals for $3,500, months ahead of our October 8 arrival. Then Hurricane Isaias approached the Gulf Coast. Our group of 14, including four grandchildren under four, was supposed to drive down Thursday evening, with the hurricane expected to make landfall Friday. Authorities were warning people about dangerous conditions and storm surge, and coastal communities were issuing evacuation orders. We called and emailed Southern Vacation Rentals. Their response: "If it's not a mandatory evacuation for Panama City Beach, you will not receive a refund." Apparently, warnings about an approaching hurricane weren't enough. Their refund policy hinged on whether a specific evacuation order had been issued, not whether bringing small children into the path of a hurricane was a responsible decision. We requested a full refund in writing. Over the weekend, Southern posted a notice on its website saying ALL CUSTOMERS would receive a full refund. We took screenshots. Good thing, too: within hours, that message disappeared. After more calls and emails, we finally received a partial refund. Let me be absolutely clear: We never checked in. We never set foot on the property. We never even left Birmingham. Southern's explanation for keeping the rest of our money? Refunds covered the rental, but not certain other fees. Call them whatever you want. They were part of the $3,500 we paid Southern for a vacation we never took because a hurricane was approaching. Southern kept roughly $1,500 for a stay that never happened. Based on how they handled our reservation, I can only conclude that protecting their revenue mattered more than our family's safety. We made the responsible decision to keep our children and grandchildren out of harm's way, and Southern made sure that decision cost us. So, Southern Vacation Rentals: Enjoy that $1,500. It is the last money you will ever receive from me and my wife. I'll also make sure our children's families, our extended family, and my roughly 5,000 Facebook connections know exactly how you handled this. We rent a family vacation property every year. You had an opportunity to earn years of repeat business by treating people decently during a hurricane. Instead, you chose to keep roughly $1,500 and lose our trust permanently. Congratulations on the business decision. You protected a short-term payout and sacrificed potentially tens of thousands of dollars in future bookings. If you're considering Southern Vacation Rentals, ask yourself this: When a hurricane threatens your family's vacation, do you want a company that helps you, or one that explains which fees it gets to keep?

We absolutely loved our stay at Katmanblu! Hayden Markowitz is an outstanding host and this house…read moreis a dream! It was the perfect location for my cousin's wedding on Rosemary Beach. Katmanblu is picture-perfect! Right out of a magazine yet comfortable and inviting at the same time. Thank you Hayden for your attention to every detail. I will definitely stay here again! Shelley Myers

From the owner: 30A Rental Properties offers a wonderful collection of the finest and most unique luxury vacation…read morerental properties on 30A. With our full-service property management, our team is here to provide the highest quality of guest relations and unmatched response time ensuring all our guests and homeowners alike feel that personalized touch that our company does so well. With our exceptional service guarantee, we work around the clock to make everything perfect.

Ocean Breeze is beautifully decorated, and the pool Is…read moreperfect!! Walk and golf carted everywhere; never got in the car till we left. Location location location - you got it here. Come and check it out.

Southern Vacation Rents is an excellent company To mange a…read moreproperty. Loved the rental, and location was amazing! Any concerns they had someone on site within the hour. Highly recommended long booking through their group.

My husband and I stayed with Five Star Properties twice last summer. The views in both places - a…read morehome and a condo - were breath taking. Both rentals also had pool access, the home a private, heated pool that we greatly enjoyed. In addition to the properties though, the staff was excellent! We had trouble finding the first location because our gps was down and customer service guided us over the phone to the property. We also had a complementary fresh sweet bread and bottled waters left for us during our second stay. I highly recommend a stay with Five Star Beach Properties - they make the booking process (over the phone or via their user friendly website) easy, the properties are one of a kind with state of the art amenities and great views, and the customer service is fantastic.

Booked White Sands directly through Five Star in June for a September week in Destiny by the Sea…read more In July they cancelled - the home was leaving their program - and offered Storybook as the only comparable option for our dates. I took it the same day. What I didn't know then is how much their listings move. At the time I accepted, Storybook's page on their own site was headed "Storybook - Pet-Friendly Vacation Rental in Destiny by the Sea with Private Pool," with "Pet-Friendly Property" as the first item under Favorite Features. Today that same page drops the pet-friendly language entirely and the amenities list reads "No Pets Allowed." Both versions are archived and public. When I raised it, the response was that there was "no indication on the original reservation" I'd be traveling with a pet. The indication was their listing, for the home they moved me into. Nobody acknowledged it had changed. We scrambled for dog care and lost the first night of a week we'd paid for in full, and on arrival were still made to wait past 4:30 to check in. The property itself is fine. The way they handle their own mistakes is the problem.

ECVR is AMAZING!!! I own a beach house on 30A in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida and they have been…read moremanaging for me since the get go. Justin (my PM) is fantastic. There isn't anything that does not get handled promptly, completely, and with the utmost of integrity. It's literally automatic with these guys. In addition, they have a great pulse on the market. Over the past two years, even through the pandemic - they have been able to provide our guests with more dynamic rental opportunities to suit their needs. Whether that be longer term rentals in winter months, or weekend only vs weekly rates, etc. - they have maximized my return on investment while at the same time providing more flexibility to our guests. My house is booked almost every single day of the week through all seasons. I literally cannot say enough about Justin and the team at ECVR - they are simply the best.

BEWARE OF LAST-MINUTE CANCELLATIONS!! Our 2,100 sq ft condominium in a quiet twenty unit complex…read more was canceled less than 24 HOURS before our arrival. We were told that there were construction issues. We were offered the ONLY unit they had available which was at a completely different resort or get our money back! THE DAY BEFORE? We could not find anything on such notice comparable and the take-it-to-leave attitude by Emerald was ridiculous. There were no offers of any discount for the last-minute relocation to an inferior property or the stress that it caused my family. The condominium was a complete downgrade: * Size and Privacy: We went from a private, low-density 20-unit building with grass walk-out access to a highly crowded, high-rise complex with a smaller room. * Added Expenses: Our original booking included free beach setup. At the alternative property, we had to pay out of pocket for beach chairs and umbrellas. * Accessibility: The new location required a much longer walk from the parking lot and was not within walking distance of local establishments that we patronize, unlike our original booking. * Amenities: The unit lacked the full-sized washer and dryer that was in our original condominium, offering only a small stackable unit. The bedrooms were extremely hot at night, the front one more than 76 degrees at night. I contacted Emerald Coast afterward via email for compensatory measures but heard nothing back. I then started investigating. On Emerald Coast's Facebook page, I found a lady who had Emerald cancel on them 1 month prior their arrival because of CONSTRUCTION issues (same verbiage used for my issue) She was also given the same take it or leave it attitude and scrambled to find another property. She did but looked later at Emerald website and their condominium that was under "construction" issues was available for the same week at a $2000 higher price tag. I then called a reputable rental company in Miramar/Destin that we used many times before asking if they had another way for me to complain locally ( beside BBB) concerning the questionable business practices. She then asked who the company was and she stated "I have had a lot of people calling stating that their condominium was cancelled at the last minute and they were left scrambling to find a new condominium. Emerald SEEMS TO BE PRACTICING UNPROFESSIONAL PRACTICES. I . PLEASE DO NOT USE EMERALD COAST !!!

We stayed in their Seabiscuit property in the Preserve neighborhood in October 2026 and loved both…read morethe price and location as well as Ocean Reef communication and support (we arrived shortly after the hurricane). Would stay again!

Good weather, working elevators, and unlimited restaurant options…read more The pools are open and good for enjoying after a long day at the beach.