This was our first time renting with Southern Shores, after renting with another company for 18…read moreyears. I wasn't sure what to expect regarding cleanliness and the rental property being in good condition. What a pleasant surprise, all exceeded our expectations. Staff was friendly, knowledgeable and quick to answer my questions after checking in. We will definitely be renting with them again! Linda & Gary Woodruff Stokesdale, NC

I wanted to share our recent experience in hopes that it helps other families, especially those…read moretraveling with pets, make informed decisions when booking an Outer Banks vacation rental. My family has vacationed in Duck for many years, and we truly love the Outer Banks. This year we wanted to stay closer to town, so we booked Absolute Relaxation (131 Cook Dr., Bayberry Bluff) through Southern Shores Realty. We specifically chose a pet-friendly home because we were bringing our 7-month-old puppy. The listing states that the pet fee helps cover deep cleaning and flea/tick treatment because the home is also rented to guests without pets. When we arrived on June 14, we immediately noticed several cleanliness issues, including excessive white pet hair throughout the home, clumps of hair on the floors and carpeting, sandspurs embedded in the carpet, dirty dishes left in the dishwasher, coffee grounds still in the coffee maker, and even dog hair stuck to a fork in the utensil drawer. We also discovered that the dishwasher was not functioning properly, the grill was out of propane, and there were additional maintenance concerns throughout the property. We didn't immediately report these issues because, like many families on vacation, we just wanted to make the best of our trip. We cleaned up the pet hair ourselves, removed the sandspurs we found, wiped down dirty surfaces, and adapted to the maintenance issues rather than spending our vacation waiting on repairs. Two days into our stay, our dog went under a bed in one of the downstairs bedrooms and came out chewing on an unknown substance. Within minutes, he became extremely lethargic, unsteady on his feet, and began exhibiting concerning neurological symptoms. We immediately drove approximately 40 minutes to an emergency veterinary hospital, where he was evaluated and treated for suspected THC intoxication based on his clinical presentation. Thankfully, he recovered, but it was one of the most frightening experiences we've had as pet owners. We incurred an emergency veterinary bill of approximately $380 and spent the next two days providing around-the-clock care instead of enjoying our vacation. After returning home, we submitted a detailed Guest Resolution Request with photographs, veterinary records, invoices, and a complete timeline of events. Southern Shores Realty ultimately offered a $230 credit for cleaning and inconvenience but declined to reimburse the emergency veterinary expenses. We understand that others may have had positive experiences, and we recognize that unexpected issues can happen in any rental property. What has been most disappointing to us has been the handling of our concerns afterward. We never expected perfection, but we did hope for greater acknowledgment of the seriousness of our dog's medical emergency and the impact it had on our family's vacation. We are sharing our experience so that other travelers, particularly those bringing pets, can make informed decisions and thoroughly inspect their rental upon arrival. We also encourage guests to document any concerns immediately, even if you hope to simply move past them and enjoy your vacation, as we did. The Outer Banks remains one of our favorite places to vacation, and we look forward to returning. We simply hope that by sharing our experience, it may help both future guests and property managers alike.

Working with Stephen as our Buyer's agent was a pleasure. His knowledge or real estate that would…read morefit our needs was very helpful, and he was very accommodating with schedule and questions. Would recommend!

We wanted to give a huge shout-out to Stephen Smith, our Buyer's Agent while looking for a 2nd home…read morein the Outer Banks, NC area. This guy did a fantastic job of working with us, helping us articulate what we wanted, as well as what we didn't. His vast knowledge of the OBX area overall, as well as his extensive knowledge of the diverse neighborhoods in both the north and south ends of OBX was invaluable to us. He was always willing to check a property out, prepare a video, and provide detailed information on something we had an interest in pursuing. He provided objective observations about quality details, as well as things that needed work or might have hidden defects. Our house-hunting journey was lengthy (over a year!) and Steve stuck with us the entire time - we were happy to have gotten to know him and would recommend him to anyone looking for a new home.

Cameron Griggs is excellent in all areas. Unfortunately, we did not do our research when we…read moreinitially listed the property. After that listing expired, we researched other real estate companies in the area as we were determined to make a better choice. We began by calling Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty, and luckily Cameron answered our call that day. She had all the right answers as she displayed a wealth of knowledge coupled with warmth, energy, and professionalism. As the phone call was concluding, I knew that it was not necessary to call any of the other companies. We had found the perfect realtor in Cameron! Beginning with that first phone call, Cameron exceeded our expectations in all areas. We live several hours from the property and actually, we never met Cameron in person, but with her warm personality, she made us feel like we had known her for years. She took care of everything down to the smallest detail. We never had to worry or wonder about anything, and she actually visited the property to check on things for us. She handled all aspects from listing to closing and all variables in between. Cameron's communication is definitely a strength as she kept us informed through emails, text messages, and phone calls. We highly recommend Cameron, and she certainly exemplifies all qualities of a first-class realtor who gets results!

Catherine was our buying agent and was wonderful. Responsive and prepared. Knew the area and helped…read moreus find a great home.

We highly recommend Catherine Strachan-Brown if you are looking for your "forever" home in the…read moreNorthern Outer Banks in North Carolina. We had first met Catherine over two years ago. She worked with us throughout that time to find is exactly the right home to meet our current and future needs. Catherine actively listened to our wants, needs and concerns and then came up with a realistic plan to make our dream a reality.! Kind regards, Craig & Pamela Elliott Carolla, NC

We have dealt with several realtors in OBX. From Corolla to Frisco. Jeff Scott and his team have BY…read moreFAR been the best. Jeff is hands on, super knowledgeable and a man of great integrity. You never feel like you are being sold, just informed. Simply put, Jeff is a superb realtor and we highly recommend him to anyone serious about buying or selling a property in OBX.

From the owner: Our specialty is helping people with their real estate transactions on the Outer Banks We measure…read moreour success by your level of satisfaction.

Buying a house can be a very difficult, and trying experience, especially if you live over 300…read moremiles away, and in another state. Fortunately we had Stephanie Doshier as our agent. She is very knowledgeable in her profession, and of the in's and out's of the Outer Banks. She was able to find the right people quickly to get estimates,do inspections, and provide the other services necessary to complete a home purchase. And in helping to negotiate money for repairs. We have had our beach house for 7 weeks now, and there has not been any unforeseen problems. Also a special Thank You to Penny B. at McCown and McCown,for going out of her way to get the loan closed with a difficult lender. We highly recommend Stephanie, and the Doshier team, she has earned our trust, and we hope to use her again.

From the owner: Real Estate Sales for the past 30 years on The Outer Banks - with great customer serviceread more