Who I Work With Best, and How I Work

Last updated October 2026

I do my best work for people buying or selling luxury and new construction homes in Sarasota and Lakewood Ranch, most often from about $1 million to $3 million. That includes custom builds, golf and gated communities such as The Founders Club, the villages of Lakewood Ranch, and families relocating from another state or on military orders. You work with me directly, from the first call to the closing table.

That focus is not a minimum price. As of October 19, 2026, 110 of my 168 closed MLS sales were under $1 million, so a first purchase in a master-planned community, a move up, or a smaller home for the next chapter is welcome here. This page explains whom I serve best, how I work, and where I may not be the right choice for you.

The clients I am best prepared to help

My strongest work is with clients whose purchase or sale is custom, complex, or happening from a distance. These are the clients I am best prepared to help:

• Buyers of new construction and custom homes who want an advocate who once worked on the builder’s side.
• Buyers and sellers in golf and gated communities, including The Founders Club, where I have closed 35 MLS sales.
• Families comparing the villages of Lakewood Ranch, from Lorraine Lakes and Mallory Park to Monterey at Lakewood Ranch.
• Buyers relocating from another state who need someone to see homes on their behalf, as my relocation guide describes.
• Military families on PCS orders or with Reserve and Guard assignments; mine is a military family too, and my military relocation page explains how I help.
• Move-up buyers, and downsizers moving into a smaller or lower-maintenance home.

One buyer who purchased from across the country described the remote part of the work this way:

I was buying from across the country and she went to view homes I was interested in and took pictures and videos to make sure I was able to see the homes myself as much as possible.

Terry Scholl on Zillow, December 26, 2022

Why my price range is wider than the word luxury suggests

My record runs from first homes to multimillion-dollar sales. As of October 19, 2026, 56 of my closed MLS sales were under $500,000, and another 54 were between $500,000 and $1 million. Every one of those clients received the same preparation and attention as a buyer at The Founders Club.

I have closed sales in Del Webb at Lakewood Ranch, a gated 55-plus community, in 2024, 2025, and 2026. In July 2026 I represented the buyer of a home in Esplanade at Azario, and in June 2026 I represented the buyer of a home in Monterey at Lakewood Ranch.

At the top of the market, my three highest MLS sales closed between $3.1 million and $3.7 million. I do not present myself as a specialist in $10 million bayfront estates, and if that is your search, I will say so in our first conversation.

How you work with me, from the first call to closing

You work with me directly, and I remain your point of contact for the whole transaction. I take your first call, plan the search or the sale with you, show you the homes or prepare yours for market, negotiate the contract, and stay with you through the inspection, the appraisal, and the closing.

For buyers, the work starts with what you need the home to do for you, followed by a short list of communities and homes worth your time. For sellers, it starts with a listing presentation: my price for your home, when to list, how it will be marketed, and what you could net. My selling page describes that meeting in detail.

You can reach me on my own cell phone at (813) 394-3313, and I work seven days a week by appointment, so a decision does not have to wait for Monday. Working directly with me also means hearing my honest opinion, as one buyer wrote:

She didn’t hesitate to tell me when a property wasn’t a good fit, and was very diligent in finding me the perfect house for me.

Bob Dorfman on Zillow, August 30, 2020

What my years on the builder side mean for your contract

Before I represented buyers and sellers, I sold new homes for a Fortune 500 builder and then oversaw sales and marketing for several of the region’s exclusive custom home builders. Since 2017 I have represented buyers and sellers directly, so I know how a builder’s contract, price list, and incentives look from both sides of the table.

When you buy new, I go through the builder’s purchase agreement with you before you sign: the deposits, the completion estimate, and what each incentive requires of you, such as using the builder’s lender. I also help you sort the upgrade list into the options worth paying the builder for, the ones you can add later, and the ones buyers tend to pay for again at resale.

Please call me before your first visit to a model, because most builders recognize a buyer’s agent only from the first visit or first contact, and the builder usually pays my fee. My new construction page lists the builders and communities I follow, and my guide to registering your agent before a builder visit explains the details.

Not only did she spend hours and hours showing us around (multiple days) but she spent months helping us build a new house step by step.

Helene Zukas on Zillow, December 27, 2022

The Compass marketing and tools behind my work

I am licensed with Compass, with an office at 1575 Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Compass is the brokerage behind my work, and my listings reach the agents I work with at Compass and at other firms, as well as my own network of local and relocating clients.

For every listing, I provide professional photography, video, floor plans, and 3D tours, so a buyer in another state can walk through the home before booking a flight. I add print marketing such as magazine features and postcards, and I feature the home on this website, alongside the community guides and dated market snapshots that buyers read while they decide where to live.

Behind every price I suggest, I track the closed sales, the price changes, the days on market, and the active competition in your community. I show you those numbers, so that the price rests on facts rather than on my opinion.

The people who support my clients

You keep one point of contact, and I bring in trusted specialists where a transaction needs them.

When I list a home, I bring in a professional photographer and a stager, and I make the listing video myself. A seller in Bradenton wrote on RateMyAgent in July 2025 that I made sure the house was “sparkling clean and staged appropriately,” and added, “The video she created for our house was absolutely beautiful.”

For the rest of the transaction, I introduce you to trusted local professionals, such as home inspectors, lenders, and insurance agents, and you choose the ones you want to hire. A buyer who found a new home in Bradenton called me “well connected” on Google in February 2024. Those connections stay available to you after closing, too: a Sarasota buyer wrote on Zillow in February 2019 that I was still sending names of remodeling contractors almost a year after the purchase. Through all of it, I remain your one point of contact, and if you need a recommendation for anything along the way, I would be glad to help.

Who I may not be the right fit for

I would rather tell you early if another kind of agent would serve you better. Commissions are not set by law and are always negotiable, and I am glad to explain mine and what it covers before you decide.

If your first priority is the lowest possible commission, a discount brokerage may suit you better, because the preparation, marketing, and personal attention I describe on this page are simply how I work. An investor who needs many quick purchases at once may also be better served by an agent who specializes in that kind of volume. And if you are searching for a bayfront estate far above my highest MLS sale of $3.7 million, I would rather tell you so and suggest what to look for in an agent who works in that range every day.

When I was the builder’s agent on a new home, the buyer later wrote on Realtor.com that I genuinely wanted them to find and buy the best house for them, “whether it was from her or someone else.” I feel the same way about choosing an agent. If we talk and I believe someone else would serve you better, I will say so, and if you are not sure where you fit, call or text me and we can sort it out in one conversation.

How I launch a listing

For sellers, the launch is where a price is won or lost, because buyers pay the most attention in a home’s first weeks on the market. My sold homes page shows every MLS sale I have closed, and these are the steps I follow for each new listing.

1. I set a competitive price, based on the closed sales and the active competition in your community.
2. I give you specific recommendations on how to get the home ready for sale.
3. I make sure the home is sparkling clean before buyers see it.
4. I have the home staged so that it stands out from the others for sale nearby.
5. I bring in a professional photographer once the home is staged.
6. I create the listing video myself.
7. I launch the home with a detailed advertising plan, using the Compass and print marketing I describe above.
8. I hold open houses to bring buyers through the door.
9. I send you detailed, timely updates from the first showing to the closing.

This is the approach behind a recent sale. The seller wrote on Google in October 2026 that their home sold in one week at 1% over the asking price. They credited the professional photos and staging, together with pricing it competitively, and the sale closed in one month. If you are thinking of selling, I would be glad to walk you through how I would launch your home.

My about page tells the rest of my story, and my reviews page has every client review in full. If you would like to talk about your move, call or text me whenever it suits you.

Deciding whether I am the right agent for you

The simplest way to decide is a short conversation. Tell me which home you are selling or what you hope to buy, your timing, and the price range you have in mind, and I will tell you honestly whether I am the best fit for you.

If you are selling, I will bring my price for your home and the launch plan I would follow, so you can compare it with any other agent’s. If you are buying, I will suggest the communities and homes worth your time and explain how I would set up your search, even from out of state. Please call or text me at (813) 394-3313 or send me a note, whenever it is convenient for you.

Get new listings first

Tell me the area and price range you are watching, and I will send you new and coming-soon homes the day they appear.

Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Janelle Mertins is a licensed real estate agent with Compass.