amazing location. super attentive staff at Surf or Sound. Even a small concern was immediately addressed! Stay with local businesses for the best customer service!!!! read more

10/10 experience. Patty was exceptionally helpful, kind, and informative. We will be back again and only staying with a property managed by surf or sound read more

Surf Or Sound Realty - Deck view - Property Management Near Me - Salvo, North Carolina

Terrible management company that is anti customer friendly. Impossible to get a hold of and has super strict policies that lock you in. Book at your own risk. If there is a hurricane, they will force you to leave and won't refund your money. read more

Paid $600 for pool heat the last week of April 2026 only to get NONE. Surf or Sound admitted in writing that the particular house we rented (#1000 Bellavues) had prior issues with the pool heat. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCLOSED at the time we rented the house. After numerous phone calls, texts, and emails, Surf ornSound refuses to refund the monies paid for pool heat. BAD FAITH on the part of Surf or Sound. I see many other similar complaints. Do not rent from them. Steve Wade Carson, VA read more

We enjoyed our week with Surf or Sound so much that we plan staying two weeks next time. We did have trouble with the outside lights, the property manager quickly came out and got us working properly. House was clean and well kept. Will stay with them again and again. read more

We loved our vacation staying at a Surf or Sound Realty home. Our contact at the realty was fantastic and super responsive. The price of the house was very reasonable and we are excited to return! read more

Very rude customer service. And these Thieves will take your money . Was told to leave due to a evacuation order and won't refund money since we didn't buy the insurance. The insurance should be if I couldn't make the trip not if I'm there and told to leave. read more

I stayed at a property identified as Freebird #460 in Salvo NC managed by Surf or Sound Realty. This was the worst experience I have ever had from over 25 years of renting homes at the beach. Below is the email that i sent to Orville at Surf or Sound Realty Which is owned by Realtor Dale Petty. While I appreciate your intent to compensate for the shortcomings of our stay at Freebird last week, I am not sure that you are aware of all the things that were not acceptable. I will list the issues that we had to deal with because a refund of $79.75 doesn't seem to be in the ballpark. First the elevator does not work, and we were not informed of this until the day before our arrival. We had someone in our group that had both knees replaced so the elevator was an important feature in choosing this property. As we entered the house Saturday evening, there was a heavy musty, mildewy odor. I immediately checked the thermostats and found that the humidity was over 60%. I called the office the next morning and an HVAC service person did come out that day. However, there was no remedy. The humidity reached as high as 70%. Air vents were filthy and had mildew black mold (very unhealthy). I found significant mold/mildew throughout the house and visited the Surf or Sound office with evidence of the problem (pictures attached) and requested a dehumidifier. No dehumidifier was ever brought to the house. Then there were the bugs, cockroaches to be exact. Lots of roaches. Again, I brought this to Thomas' attention. An exterminator did come out the next day or two, but it was unacceptable to have issue to begin with. Now we are worried about unintentionally carrying the pests to our home. There was also a significant amount of mildew in the 2nd floor walk-in shower. Bathmat in green bedroom had mildew, and there were crumbs on bed under the bedspread. Green room and children's bedroom did not have pillows. I was mindful to not leave anything for roaches to be attracted to, so on our first night (and every night) I made sure to take all trash outside. I removed the trash bag in the kitchen, and the smell inside the can was disgusting. At this point I am getting quite disgusted, so I left it outside and informed Thomas. The carpets were sticky and filthy. Thomas offered to have them cleaned, but with the high humidity we felt that it would be unwise. The table on the deck was upside down. The checkers in the drawer of the checker table had mold. Ceiling fan blades had significant dust. There were many lights that had bad bulbs. Some did get replaced, but we found more as the week went on. Closet lights, broken bulb in lamp in children's room, ceiling fan lights one with broken/missing glass, red bedroom bath light, driveway light, pool area light, in pool light, deck light, dining room light, The ladders in the children's bedroom were both broken and unsafe. The table in the screened porch area was filthy. Set of king sheets came with smaller size sheet. Red bedroom bedspread had many tears and is worn out. The poolside sound system did not work, so we could not "listen to our favorite music piped through poolside speakers" as stated in the house's description. The outdoor shower door fell off of its hinges and was never repaired. The sound system in the great room did not work. I hope that you can understand by this accounting of the property's issues, $79.75 is not an appropriate amount. I look forward to your response. read more

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The following issues occurred:- (All were referred to the Surf or Sound general number as well as to the "Results-Driven Operation Manager (RDOM) at Surf or Sound" 1. Bedding arrangements were not those listed on the listing (contacted on the first date of arrival - no response other than automated - we will refer it to the team. No response from (RDOM)) 2. Several doors would not latch or close properly - safety issue (maintenance man sent 3 days after notification - no fix to the issue) 3. Several spindles were missing from the deck, and several were loose. (Maintenance man sent three days after dangerous spindals, drilled weakened spindals back in - only issue slightly fixed, but at great delay) 4. Cockroaches in property - told business - no response other than that they would send it to the appropriate team and did nothing 5. Hot tub did not work, information from Surf or Sound says that it is checked before the stay and midweek (no evidence that either of these took place) - It was not functioning on arrival and no one was sent midweek, nor to any of the reports of the lack of function ((RDOM) again did not respond to the situation) 6. Generally, Surf or Sound did not respond to complaints beyond automated responses stating that they would refer it to the appropriate team, were not concerned about my issues, and had no desire to help their guests. We will not be booking through them ever again. read more

We took a family trip and did extensive research to find a place that had everything we wanted. One thing being a hot tub. The week before we arrived we were told the hot tub could not be used. They did nothing to accommodate us and we were unable to cancel. The pictures on the listing did not reflect how run down it actually was and they did not do a good job cleaning. Such a disappointment. We enjoyed the view of the sound but there are way better options out there. read more

Our stay in Salvo was amazing. The house had perfect views of the ocean from every room. The kitchen was well stocked and there was plenty of seating for dining. The beds were comfortable and we appreciated all of the extra pillows. Everything was clean and well maintained. It was an added bonus that we could bring our dogs with us. We have plans to stay again next year. read more

MOTHER OF WAVES # 1090 We had significant issues (listed below). We requested a refund for at least one night of rent, considering part of the home was unusable. We received $400! That does not even cover one night out to eat for our party of 12. Extremely disappointed in the customer service and would NOT rent from this company again. SATURDAY: We checked into Mother of Waves on August 2nd. Prior to arriving, we received a message saying that there were issues with the HVAC that caused a leak onto the carpet. We arrived and the carpets in the one bedroom were soaked. In addition, the area rug in the loft was also wet. Within an hour of arriving the management team had maintenance staff here. The carpet in the one impacted bedroom was cleaned and pulled up, with fans running. We were told it was best not to use the bedroom for the night to allow the carpet to dry. Fans were also placed upstairs to dry the area carpet. The HVAC team arrived Saturday afternoon to fix the HVAC. Additional fans were brought over to dry the closet where the HVAC system is located, which was also wet. In addition, 2 de-humidifiers were brought over with fans to be placed in the impacted bedroom, as well as the basement area. On our first day/night, we were unable to use the one main bedroom, had to live in a house with running fans and de-humidifiers with a very full house of people. As I am sure you can imagine this was not an ideal way to start a vacation. SUNDAY: All of the equipment remained in the house all day. On Sunday afternoon, we used the one main shower in the bedroom which had the wet carpet. We immediately noticed an enormous amount of water had leaked from the bathroom, through the ceiling to the basement area. We contacted management. MONDAY: They sent a plumber over at 9AM. We had to wake the family sleeping in that room up. He was unable to fix it. The plumber was planning to come back the next day but we were told it would be at least 36 hours that the shower would not be usable. This shower was unusable for the remainder of our trip with a full house for of people. OTHER OVERALL: -Top level shower has mold along all of the edges and the water stripping is hanging off -Bottom level shower towards the pool - shower doors are loose so we have not been using that shower -Bottom level shower towards the front of the house water temperature is inconsistent -Refrigerator - ice maker does not dispense ice read more

Wonderful company! Our home was beautiful, very clean and the employees at surf or sound Realty were so friendly and helpful . read more

We had a couple of minor issues when we arrived at our rental house in Salvo, North Carolina last week. Surf or Sound responded immediately, and took care of any issues within a very short amount of time. My contacts were extremely helpful and apologetic. They asked for any suggestions to make our stay more comfortable as well. After having dealt with Vacasa and their atrocious management over the last few years, I will never leave Surf or Sound. read more

We stayed at Queen Ann's Revenge in Hatteras NC. First SOS was great to deal with from start to finish. Nothing was a problem. Payment was easy and fair for the area not to mention in payments. They sent you out a link to set up your account so you could see what was owed and when. They sent you links that we used to rent items for the beach as well as bikes and kayaks that brought the items there and picked them back up for your stay. The house was spotless when we arrived. They worked with the company that got our groceries so they were all there and put away when we arrived. Most restaurants did not have reservations so we used a service that came on site and cooked served and then cleaned up 2 of our dinners. That was fabulous. Upon arrival we had someone who was our contact person if we needed anything and a few items we did like beach towels he texted us right back and the towels were there ASAP. The check out process was smooth and they sent you directions 2 days before you left. With only one improvement maybe put enough toilet paper for every bathroom to start would be better as for some it is a 8 hour trip and upon arrival more that 4 bathrooms needed to be used but truly that was it everything was amazing, everyone we dealt with was wonderful and could not do enough to help. We have already booked for next season. Thank you for making our vacation memorable ohhh yeah the free photograph session and picture you paid for was a wonderful perk no wonder you have so many people return . read more

Surf Or Sound Realty - Amazing sunsets from the decks - Property Management Near Me - Salvo, North Carolina

Rented through surf and sound during off season and the price was $495. After all the fees and everything they tack on, the total was over $1300!! Charging $400 for a pet fee as it their cleaners do anything extra when there's pets. Arrived with sand, dust and handprints on everything! Everything in the kitchen was sticky. The couches were sticky. The carpet was sticky. About an inch of dust on both the bathroom mirror overhead lights which is how I know they do not thoroughly clean at all. Wish i would've seen all the complaints in fb groups about this company before I rented through them. They're clearly all about making money and not managing the rentals at all. read more

Paradise Cove #747 This place is absolutely the worst. There are so many things that are broken. The elevator is broken and they won't fix it, the internet doesn't work, the washing machine is broken, the toilet is broken, the doors don't open, the ceiling is leaking. I've been calling since the first day I got here and the problems just keep happening. The TV in each room is so small that you can't watch it. It's not worth for the money. read more

We had a terrible experience renting a beach house over spring break from Surf or Sound Realty. We rented a 5-bedroom on the beach in Salvo. The day before our vacation was to commence, we were told not to show up before 6pm on our first day. Rip off. We planned around it and arrived late on our first day. The first thing we noticed was that 4 out of 6 trash cans were already full to the brim. Then, we noticed the fireplace didn't work. Then, we noticed they only supplied 4 rolls of toilet paper. Then, we noticed the hot-tub wasn't even turned on. We figured out how to turn on the hottub, but it took 4 hours before it came to temperature and was usable. A few days later, one of our girls noticed some stranger came in the morning and moved some trash cans. We later noticed that the hottub had been turned off and re-sealed with the belt. We tried to turn the hot tub back on, but the power had been shut off. We called Surf and Sound realtor and advised them of the situation so they could turn the hot tub back on. Hours later, we followed up and they said "no one paid the maintenance bill" so we spent half our vacation with a non-working hot tub despite Surf and Sound Reality being advised (but did NOTHING about it). We'll never rent this beach house again or do business with Surf and Sound Realtor ever again. Big Wednesday - #1041 26003 Colony Drive Salvo Pathetic. read more

We have used surf or sound for the better part of a decade and we are always pleased with the cleanliness of the houses as well as their response to any problems that have come up. Highly recommend. read more

We had a great trip in a great home. I would use Surf or Sound again, 100%. Pros- Ease of booking, responsiveness, dedicated contact beyond standard business hours who was absolutely reachable, friendly maintenance people. Cons- One of my payments was not credited and then I was drafted way more money than I owed and I found it and had to have resolved. We were told to arrive at 6pm and I even tried to see if any possibility house ready early since it was not even rented the week prior. They said 6pm. We are loading the car the morning of arrival (6 hours away) and get a text that the house is ready, frustrating. I found that fees were way higher than some of the other rental companies. We did have to spend some time working through maintenance issues but they were resolved quickly and it's just the nature of renting a big home on the beach. read more

I would highly suggest surf or sound for any vacation plans. Check-in was very simple our contact agent,was very considerate and helpful. This property was truly amazing!!!! the attention to detail was the best I have ever experienced. After this experience I will always use surf or sound for all my vacation plans. read more

Communication was great from the beginning. The website made it very easy to place a reservation. The home was exactly as depicted online. Once our week stay began, we were assigned a direct contact at the company to reach out to with any issues (although we had none). The home was very clean when we arrived. One thing I will say is that they really mean check-out is at 10AM. The cleaning crew arrived at 10:02, just as we were loading the last of our luggage. All in all, I would definitely use Surf or Sound again. After reviewing dozens of homes, Surf or Sound had the best rates compared to the other rental agencies. read more

Surf or Sound, as always, made my stay very enjoyable. Very friendly and helpful staff. I always recommend them.

Very nice place. Spacious. Clean. Close to all the good stuff to do. I would recommend this place for anyone.

This is the 2nd time we rented PARADISE COVE #747 and the 10th year we have rented from Surf or Sound. Paradise Cove is a dump!!! And Surf or Sound's quality of service has gone seriously down hill over the past few years. We specifically rent a large house with an elevator as 3 of our family are elderly. This is the third rental we have had that had elevators that were not working. 1. Elevator - I received a text message message when we were enroute that unfortunately they just became aware that the elevator was not working - a bold faced lie as another review from June stated that the elevator was not working in June. 2. there was a leak in the ceiling and water was allowed to dip into a bowl sitting in the middle of the hallway 3. There was water damage near the ceiling above the kitchen sink with peeling dry wall paper hanging loose 4. Washer - was working but just barely (very loud) 5. Mold - there was mold that looked like black mold hidden under a picture above the kitchen sink 6. Decks - the boards on all of the decks were weak and spongy 7. Broken Tile and weak flooring - the tile in the entrance foyer was cracked and my son stopped on on area and his foot went through the sub floor 8. Boards on the dock needed to be replaced as one was actually curled up 9. Sliding glass door - the straw that broke the camel's back was the sliding glass door that fell out on my 10 year old grandson's foot. Unfortunately, it is difficult to find a sound side house that meets my family's needs w/o renting through Surf or Sound. They simply don't care about their renters!!!!!!! read more

Ease of making the reservation, payment process, and up front communications all made me comfortable with my choice to use SOS Realty.

The stay was great the one thing that I would suggest is that they need a handicap bar in the top floor bathroom because I have arthritis in both of my feet n the shower was slick n I was afraid of falling. Also there looked like there was mold around the vent next to fireplace n around the kitchen windows n around some of the vents otherwise it was a great place n I appreciated how you all kept in touch with us to make sure everything was ok i have never had a rental company to do that I thought that was awesome. Thanks have a blessed day read more

Unfortunately we did not have a good experience with Surf or Sound realty. We had issues with the AC for the entire week we were there. There was also black mold and cockroaches in the bedrooms. What made it worse is that Surf and Sound communicated poorly during our stay and did not take ownership of the issues. read more

We rented the Perfect 10 for our family beach vacation. The house only provided 4 rolls of toilet paper for 12 bathrooms and 1 small hand soap. (Total) There were no kitchen towels. The hood range fan doesn't work above the stove. There were two dishwashers but one beeped continuously. Kept the two bedrooms up for hours beeping. Called the after hours line 2 times after midnight. Was told we would receive a call back. Waited over an hour and never received a call back. Beeped the whole time. Maintenance finally came the next day. Showed us where the breaker was. (In an occupied bedroom behind the door) We can see a review from a year ago saying the dishwasher was broken so we know they were aware. Still was not fixed before we left. There are several locks on the bedroom deck doors that don't work. The carpet is disgusting not to mention pulled up on many of the door entries. (See pictures). Kids stepped on nails coming up through the missing carpet. The tv in the main room has wires all hanging down and was maybe a 40 inch. See photos. The grass wasn't cut until halfway through our stay and there was a big pile of dog crap in the back yard when we arrived. The entire third floor smells like wet dog. The pool was green with algae on the last day of our stay and unusable. There was one broken towel bar and one broken toilet paper holder. (Were fixed by maintenance)The upstairs upholstered furniture needs replaced and was very dirty. Positives. House is very large and fits a big family and the location is great. Can walk to the surf and to icecream. For the premium price they charge, the house leaves a lot to be desired. I also find it interesting that there are no reviews allowed on Surf or Sound's website or Facebook page. read more

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We rented Sunset Pleasure through surf or sound. The house had tons of ants and cockroaches. There was trash all under the front steps when we arrived and sand on the floors. It was very disappointing to say the least. read more

We had someone reach out upon arrival and she was our contact for the week. it was so nice to text an issue and get a reply anytime of day, even weekends. It took a couple of days to get the garbage disposal repaired but we were told they would come ASAP and they gave us updates. Such a great experience interacting directly with the same person throughout the week. Thank you Surf or Sound! read more

We stayed at Livin the Dream but it definitely was not, other than the location. Very disappointed in pretty much everything. the Livingroom upstairs smelled so bad of dog pee. it was all through the rug and dog hair all over all the blankets, doors unable to lock, windows were left open on arrival in rooms we didn't use, found them a couple days later. broken toilet seat in 2nd floor bathroom. broken fixtures. pictures on site are not the same as what's there. broken air hockey game. pool clear but dirty on bottom, hot tub full of bugs and buttons didn't work. on arrival garbage next to house smelled like dead animal and covered in flies. they did come and put it out after we said about it. I wouldn't of been complaining some much about all this but we spent a lot of money on the home. forgot 2 cockroaches too LIVE read more

My family has been coming down to the Rodanthe area every summer for years. We always book our stay with Surf or Sound Realty. We have never been disappointed. Every house has always been exactly what we wanted, clean and ready when we got there. read more

Surf Or Sound Realty - Deck view from our Surf or Sound vacation rental - Property Management Near Me - Salvo, North Carolina

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We rented a beach home through Surf or sound realty in June and it was a terrible experience. The home was not clean and the floors covered in dog hair and dead bugs, 2 doors were broken, found blood on the sheets and duct taped carpeting upon arrival. The ac broke our second night and they did place temporary window units until the ac company could arrive the following day which never happened nor did I receive a follow up. There was also a bug issue with mostly spiders everywhere, including in my son's bed. Do not rent from them. They do not stand by their words or their homes. I was assured I would receive some response and resolve which also never happened. The quality of this home for the price tag we paid is absolutely unacceptable not to mention multiple safety issues as well. read more

They're very friendly and represent lots of really nice rental properties on the Outer Banks, but they don't miss a trick when it comes to getting your money. They charge fees for credit card and debit card rent payments and even a fee on payment by check. (I'd almost expect them to charge some sort of "visit fee" if you showed up at their office with bags of cash.) We had to cancel our reservation and they charge a $200 fee for that, which is somewhat understandable. We only get a refund once the house is re-rented and paid in full. They listed it for $1,000 cheaper than we'd agreed to pay and it rented, but we're having to pay that difference (not included in our refund). They didn't even attempt to re-list it at the original price. I'm not sure their friendliness outweighs their policies. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Surf or Sound was very easy to work with and was very attentive to ensure that all of our needs were met and that we were satisfied upon our arrival. Our property was truly great! Great location, very clean, very well appointed! I highly recommend not only our condo but the realty company as well! Hatteras as whole was so worth the drive to get to the end! It is Heaven! read more

Horrible ALL AROUND!!! I WOULD GIVE IT A ZERO. Filthy kitchen with food scattered around pool deck. Smears of food, hair in kitchen drawers, hot tub literally falling apart and oozing green substance. It was the worst experience I have encountered after years of going down to OBX. Shameful to charge what they did and not compensate appropriately for the condition of the kitchen upon arrival. Complete DISAPPOINTMENT. read more

My husband and I just back after a week at Inn at Rodanthe. Bug fan if the movie too! The place is so relaxing! And the realty company checked in to make sure things were good. Will definitely return! read more

Everything about the experience was great. The home was clean and well maintained. Staff was attentive and courteous.

Do not use Mike Bayley Photography. They will offer a free photo session. The portraits we received were HEAVILY and poorly edited. It looks like they just dumped them through AI and mailed them off. We paid for extra photos and they are all laughably bad. Total waste of money and valuable vacation time. My daughter had a Canon R50 that she used all week and her unedited shots are head and shoulders above what this "Professional" produced. read more