"Steve and Katrina were God sent. I am a disabled Army Veteran and a first time homebuyer, so to say buying a new home was scary would be an understatement. Steve and Katrina both walked me through the entire home buying process and made me and my wife feel as though we truly had a friend looking out for our best interests. They put our fears at ease. In the end we got the home we have always dreamed of and a new friendship with Steve and Katrina that will last a lifetime."
-Jonathan Schellhorn, Client
"Nicole Smith and her team are the extreme in service and knowledge of the listing and buying process. I am forever grateful with the service they provided to me as a homeowner.They spent a year educating me on my downsizing options, and helped me through the entire process of having my new home built. The VIP full-service home preparation I received to get my 30 yr old home ready to market was superb; from detailing, styling, curb appeal and the secret to making an old tile floor look amazing. This team knows how to attract buyers. When it sold, I was ready to move into my new home with ease. They do more than just hang a sign and host open houses. They care about their customers. They are easy to work with, accommodating and fun. That is why they will always be my real estate team!"
-Carmen, Client
"Our house is 7000+ sq. ft., and the thought of getting it ready for market was overwhelming. Katrina has a well proven system for handling everything – decluttering, deep cleaning and decorating. She took a formidable task and made it manageable. Years of experience allow her to see things from the home buyer’s perspective and make the changes that make the home very appealing to buyers. She has a gift for using color and form to make a home look beautiful. The quality of her furnishings and accessories beautifully enhanced our own, and made the house look current and attractive. She even designed our landscape and directed the landscaper on changes that vastly improved our curb appeal. Nobody, I mean nobody, works harder than Katrina and she is an absolute pleasure to work with. Her staging is top notch. Anyone wishing to maximize profits on the sale of a home would be wise to hire Katrina and Little Black Dress. We give her five stars, two thumbs up and a standing ovation!"
-Susan Connors, Client
"I was hoping to move to Florida from out-of-state, and while I ultimately did not make that move, it was certainly not because Steve and Katrina didn't go above and beyond on my behalf! They were very consistently responsive, attentive, ready, willing and enthusiastically able to explore the various homes in which I became interested via online viewing. My unique wants and needs were respected and their portal for viewing available homes was a huge time-saver. Steve and Katrina treated me like a friend whilst providing excellent professional and courteous services at every step. I would highly recommend them to anyone interested in buying or selling a Sarasota County home."
-Sharon, Client
""Steve and his team are amazing. We live in Massachusetts and knew little about "nice" places to live in Florida but from what we read and heard, Venice was the ideal location for us. Our friend and neighbor became snowbirds in Venice over a year ago. We asked who they used as a realtor and they spoke very highly of Steve and his team and suggested we give him a call. Steve worked his butt off showing us both preowned and new construction. A word of advice.... If you're looking at new construction talk to Steve. He knows all the communities and builders. I know many of you may think you will get a better deal going directly to the builder, Wrong!! He actually saves you money with his vast knowledge of how buying new construction works. Everything we wrote is our honest opinion and experience with him. You won't find a harder working and honest REALTOR anywhere. We ended up purchasing new construction at Grand Palm in Venice. Thanks Steve!! Sincerely, Karl and Donna ""
-Karl Meincke, Client
"Nicole sold my condo for the highest price the complex has seen in 10 years, in only 8 days! She guided us on small changes we could make to the home, and staged it so beautifully. She really knows what buyers are looking for."
-Oksana Shur, Client
"We noticed Steve due to the professionalism we saw in his posting of a property we liked. When we arrived to view houses, Steve was beyond prepared, specifically for us. During the home visits, we learned he was personable and knowledgeable. Then, during negotiation, he proved to be the right teammate for us! Katrina joined him in working with us in the closing stage and she too exceeded expectations in her performance with us. We feel blessed we found the Smith Martin team! They will do the same for you!"
-Terry & Shelly Dykes, Client
"They were able to sell my grandmother’s house quickly even during the Coronavirus pandemic. They were able to clean up the house, make repairs, coordinate sub contractors and even did several small jobs personally to get everything ready to go on the market. They staged the house beautifully and got results quickly. Being over 4 hours away and not able to manage the day to day projects necessary to get the house ready was a little concerning for us but Steve and his wife know the area well and did a great job taking care of everything and were able to sell the house faster than we expected during a very unpredictable time in history. They were very receptive to our concerns during the process and delivered results very close to the expectations set forth at the beginning of our dealings with them. Kudos to this team and what they were able to accomplish during such an unprecedented time."
-Gary M (North Florida), Client
"Can I give 10 Stars? What can I say, I feel BLESSED I had Steve and especially Nicole as my Realtor to help me buy my "Baller" home in Venice. John and I couldn't have asked for a better team and so thankful their expertise and sense of urgency to show us homes landed us in our forever home. Thank you all so much!!"
-Leandra Zemlansky, Client
"The Godfather of real estate! Had the greatest pleasure working with Steve and Katrina! Everything went so smooth and seamless! We are a forever client to this duo!"
-Cynthia Williams, Client
"Steve and Katrina truly understand the meaning of the concept of "exceptional customer service!""
-Cindi Rogers, Colleague
"This team treated my family like we were their family and not just another costumer. They clearly had our best interest at heart and earned our trust from the start. We had a rocky mortgage process and they gave us nothing but patience and understanding always providing any assistance possible to make the process flow. Their communication throughout the entire process was great and they were always available to answer any questions in more than a timely matter. I felt very confident in their knowledge and honesty. They made purchasing a home a truly enjoyable experience. "
-Jenn , Client
"We were thrilled to find the realtor, Steve Martin Smith & his wife Katrina. After interviewing several other well-known local realtors, we immediately noticed their strategy was different. Steve has incredible creativity & energy and Katrina is a decorator/stager. They have an amazing in-person AND online ‘out of the box’ presence. (Don’t just take my word for it, google Steve to see more details on him and his great team.....). The condo we were selling had potential, but it was dated. I’m a not a decorator, but Katrina is!
She recommended some minor improvements and staged the unit beautifully. Less than a week after it was listed, it sold at the price we wanted! In fact, there were two interested buyers, so they sold another unit in our building that had been on the market for months! In addition to being SO competent, they were also fun to work with! Our neighbors want to use them now, and we want to stay in touch!
"
-‘Christine , Client
"En vacances en Floride, nous avons rencontrés Katrina et Steve pour notre projet immobilier. Malgré la barrière de la langue, ils ont pris le temps de nous comprendre et après quelques visites bien ciblées, nous avons acheté une maison de village. Avec une totale confiance, nous avons laissé Katrina s'occuper des travaux et de l ameublement qui fut une réussite et une grande joie à notre retour en Floride. Ils travaillent en famille et sont géniaux. Très professionnels et humains, si vous avez des projets, maisons ou appartements avec ou sans travaux, je vous les recommande vivement. Une Belle Rencontre.
Françoise et Pascal"
-Françoise, Client
"I met Steve Martin Smith in April of 2017. Steve was very welcoming and kind to my Mom & I when we flew to florida in search of a home. Steve took us through all the Venice area homes & neighborhoods, he provided us with helpful information regarding the houses we looked at, & was able to provide us with suffiency & integrity. Although my mom & I did not find the home we were looking for, Steve told us we could come back sometime next year to look again; he told us he would be glad to help the second time around. 1 Year later in February of 2018, we flew back to Florida & once again Steve put the time & effort to work with us & guided us in finding our dream home. That same year we met his wife Katrina for the very first time & she was just as astounding as Steve. There was a house on the market right next to theirs which they both showed us they invited us over that house in the evening for a bonfire. It was an amazing night. Steve & Katrina are amazing i’m grateful for them."
-Angelina Russo, Client
"Finding our Florida home with Steve was such a pleasure. He took time to understand our wants and tailored our house hunting to them. Great experience all around. Our friends came down to visit the area, heard about our experience and contacted Steve and now we have neighbors!"
-Debra Bither, Client
"When we decided to sell our home we were given the option of home staging. We decided to go for it. Katrina did an amazing job. She made our home so beautiful and appealing. She went above and beyond to make everything perfect and do things on our check list to make selling our home easier for us. I would highly recommend Katrina and will most definitely use her services in the future if given the opportunity."
-Kelli Jo Swain, Client
"They both went over and above to ensure the quick sale of my house. Offer made within 3 days."
-Tom Kennedy, Client
"My husband and I had an amazing experience buying our home. Steve and Katrina really paid attention to what we were looking for and found great homes in nice neighborhoods for us. They really took the time with us to make sure we were able to get the home of our dreams. Once we decided on our house they made purchasing our home a breeze. We truly felt like family and had a blast during the process. We highly recommend them for buying or selling a house."
-Scott & Jackie (New Jersey), Client
"Steve and Katrina did a terrific job in selling our home in just three weeks in a highly competitive market. Great to work with, highly professional, willing to go the extra steps for you (and having sold 12 homes before this, we know!)."
-Paul & Cecilia Amatangelo, Client
"After returning home to Canada, we contacted a few realtors by phone and internet. Steve immediately impressed us with his listening; we felt like he wanted to find us the community and home which would meet our needs. Steve & Katrina took us under their wing. Using their expertise, we were quickly able to get our focus narrowed to a few communities.
They kept their eye on the market for us, sending up pictures & videos. Within 6 weeks they were able to identify a good opportunity with NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION. We sealed the deal without even having to make the trip back down. Even more impressive; Katrina’s design expertise enabled us to decide on all our specifications, again without having to make the trip to Florida. We couldn`t be more pleased with the process, our community, our lot and our home. We highly recommend Steve & Katrina, their strengths are: listening, strong knowledge of the Venice area and communities, communication and service ethic.
"
-Jacqueline Reekie, Client
"As a probate attorney in Michigan, I recently had to locate a Realtor in Sarasota County to manage the sale of a client's property. After a quick google search, Steve Martin Homes Group was the third number I called and the first to answer the phone.
The video that Steve sent of his first visit showed an extreme amount of rodent droppings and other issues. He presented the options to sell the property as-is or fix it up and increase the salability and profit margin.
I chose the latter and was not disappointed.
Steve oversaw the rodent remediation and Katrina managed the entire rehab process which included, roofing, flooring, appliances, painting, electrical, plumbing and more. I also chose their standard staging package and never regretted my decisions.
The place looked amazing when they put it on the market and it sold for a great price in only 9 days.
My clients and I were very impressed with the results that SMHG and Little Black Dress Home Staging obtained for them."
-Michael Colton, Michigan, Client
"Steve is very knowledgeable in the Realestate market and more... he makes you feel comfortable asking any questions of concern and comes through with the facts. His humor and personality are Infectious and he is a true professional. I highly recommend him when you are ready to sell or purchase a home!"
-Marie, Client
"My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Steve & Katrina when looking for our winter home in Venice. They were extremely responsive and had great selection of homes to view. Throughout the negotiations and closing they were quickly handling any issues that may have come up. Before choosing a REALTOR, we conducted a lot of research online to see who would be the best choice. Steve & Katrina Smith stood out as the best Venice has to offer. Their rankings are excellent, their social media presence was strong, and I could tell they put a lot of work into their listings. After closing on the property Katrina was a huge help in design and color scheme of the interior. Yes Steve & Katrina aren't only amazing Real Estate Agents, but are a sincere, honest caring couple that go way above what you would expect. We feel as though Steve & Katrina aren't only our REALTORS, but dear friends. Needless to say, we would highly recommend their team for either selling or purchasing a new home. "
-Mike Orr, Client
"Our situation started out very complicated but due to Steve and Katrina's honesty and concern for our well being it ended up fantastic. They are the best!"
-Robert Weston, Client
"Nicole helped me purchase my Siesta Key beach condo sight unseen! Between the struggles of traveling during a pandemic and my busy work schedule, I decided to put my trust in Nicole to help me accomplish my goal of purchasing my first investment property in Sarasota. I was a little nervous at first, but was quickly put at ease with Nicole’s excellent communication and thorough notes on the properties. She toured at least 20 different condos for me, with FaceTime tours of the options that best matched what I was looking for. We found the perfect property within a few weeks of hiring her! Upon arriving in Sarasota and viewing my new condo in person, I was even more thrilled than I expected. She truly understood exactly what I was looking for, and guided me to my best purchase in the area. Her taste and style is impeccable and she truly has a talent for what she does. I trust her implicitly and would buy with her again in a heartbeat. Thank you Nicole and SMHG for the 5 star service!"
-Kimberly Dinsmore, Client
"How did I get a $245,000 cash offer in 8 days on a house that was maybe worth $200,000 two months earlier? As a retired Real Estate Agent, never have I seen this level of dedication to helping a customer prepare their home to put the most amount of profit in the seller’s pocket. Not only did they give me excellent advice on the improvements needed prior to listing, they invested over $5,000 of their own money to make my property shine. This was my first experience with a real estate team that has a home stylist concierge service. It was incredible! Katrina was the project manager for my tired home’s month-long make-over. She knew who to call for everything, inside and out. After all the improvements were completed and the property was cleaned spotless, Katrina staged it to perfection. SMHG put $20,000 in my pocket that I likely would have never seen without their personal investment in my dated home. Now I understand what other reviews mean that say “they go above and beyond”. "
-Clark, Client
"Steve and Katrina are a wonderful team. They are professional and hard working. The process for the sale of our house was painless and very easy. They cleaned and staged our house and made it look so refreshed and new. Katrina has an amazing eye for detail and each room looked wonderful and welcoming. I really didn't think that staging would make a difference in the sale of our home, but I was wrong. I am convinced that the only reason we received an offer after only 1 week on the market was due to the staging. We are grateful to Steve and Katrina for all they did to sell our home."
-Elizabeth A Rodela Smith , Client
"Trustworthy, knowledgeable, caring and professional are words that come to mind when I think of Steve Martin Homes Group. They truly have your best interest in mind when helping you find a home/condo. "
-Bonny, Client
"Steve, Katrina, and team are best in class! The FL real estate market is very dynamic and Steve helped us navigate the process from start to finish. Not only that, but we’re over 1,000 miles away, and Steve was quick to offer virtual showings until we found the right house! If we buy again in FL or sell, you better believe we will be utilizing Steve his team! 100% recommend Steve to any person pursuing real estate in FL!!!!"
-Sean Forney, Client
"Steve & Katrina did a great job selling our home. It was a pleasant experience and it was priced right to sell within a timely fashion. We were extremely pleased with the ease of working with them. They are great people and were totally honest with us regarding the pricing of our home, Great team!"
-Vic & Linda, Client
"Nicole helped my husband and I find our dream home a few months ago. She is very knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate and worked tirelessly finding and getting us our home for a great price. YOU want HER on your side during negotiations, she was a true advocate for us!"
-Catherine Elfers, Client
"This amazing team found the home we’ve been looking to find for years! Their tireless effort and unrelenting persuit to put this deal together made us both believers that Steve and Katrina truly care about their clients.
You can tell they have a true passion for Real Estate, but more than this, they have a passion for the people they work with.
I have recommended them to friends and family and will continue to do so.
"
-Kevin, Client
"I have to confess, I rarely take the time to write reviews. I am happy to make an exception for Steve. My husband & I just left spending the weekend with him. We all instantly hit it off. Steve and his supportive team/ wife were such an answer to our prayers. He could not have been more thoughtful and accommodating. We are over the moon excited about our new home. He made a very arduous process fun and hassle free. We felt like we had concierge service. For those who may not feel you need a realtor in our age of information would be sorely mistaken. It was Steve who made this transaction happen for a buyer in a seller’s market."
-Molly Merkert, Client
"My wife and I live in Michigan and were looking to purchase a second home in Florida. I found Steve, Katrina, & Nicole by researching to find top realtors in South Florida. I didn’t know I would be finding lifelong friends, as well. Everything we wanted and needed, they provided. We found our dream house in Grand Palm based on Steve’s recommendation and everyone we have shown, believes we made the right choice. You will not be disappointed with this team on your side. Best of luck finding your piece of paradise!"
-John & Cari (Michigan), Client
"Excellent service, extremely professional and knowledgable about current market conditions. Great team, highly Recommend. "
-TD, Client
"Steve and Katrina’s energy and enthusiasm level is second to none. They go above and beyond in all measures. You call, they pick up on the first ring. You have a problem they help you solve it quickly. They are simply a magnificent force in helping others like us making a flawless transition into a new home. Thank you both for being so very special!"
-Rick & Jackie Bontekoe, Client
"Wonderful dealing with Steve & Katrina. Katrina did a great job staging our home to sell. They made our move easy and sold it at a great price in a timely manner. They made great suggestions for movers, title companies, etc. etc. Thanks again, Steve and Katrina. Well done."
-Linda Privetera, Client
"The Steve Martin Smith Team went above and beyond what we are accustomed to with real estate agents. We had begun discussing with them the possibility of listing our home over a year before we actually did. They provided us with valuable information on improving our home for sale. They even helped us with some of the improvements! We would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a real estate team that cares about their clients."
-David, Client
"Thanks so much to my realtor, Steve Martin Smith and his wife Katrina, for helping me bring Dad’s home back to life. They have made the process as stress free as possible especially with me being in Maryland. If you are looking for a realtor in the Venice, Florida area, call him. He gets the job done."
-Jeannette (Maryland), Client
"They are very thorough, knowledgeable, helpful, honest, and extra patient. They really care about your need and will find the best for you. They will go literally over the moon just to be sure you are happy. Cause your happiness is their number one goal.
Even after closing no matter what you need they are gonna be there for you. Forever.
We appreciate Y'all Smith Family and huge thank you for helping us finding the perfect home. "
-Vanessa Botos , Client