Cates Real Estate

Martin and Elaine went above and beyond our expectations as they helped us navigate the world of home buying. Since were relatively young, we were lucky enough to have Martin respond to a general request we sent through Zillow, and it was seamless from there onward! Something that made a huge impact on us was their consistent, clear communication with us at all hours of the day when we had questions or tight timelines. And perhaps most importantly, their guidance, recommendations, and decades of experience gave us a wealth of support in making a huge decision much more approachable. Were almost sad we found our ideal home, since we wont talk to them as often now!
Dec 24th, 2023

Cates Real Estate is a fantastic agency!!! I worked with three agents and all three agents are professional and extremely knowledgeable. Melissa is a fantastic agent and covered all the details to sell my house in Rockland ME. My house was on the market live 11 August and under contract three days later. I live in Georgia and could not come to Maine but Melissa took care of everything from working with a moving company to get rid of leftover items and hired a cleaning agency to deep clean the house before the sale. The photographer they used did an amazing job with the pictures displayed during the sale of the house. I am forever grateful to the agency and staff for an excellent job.
Aug 15th, 2023

I have worked with Cates Real Estate a couple of times - one for a residential property and one for a commercial property. In both experiences, I found Cates' agents to be knowledgeable, super accessible, friendly, and right on top of things. I especially like their team approach; although I had an assigned agent for each property, there were others on the team helping out and making themselves available to make sure all our needs were met. If you are looking for an agency that will take the time to get to know you and then works hard to make sure you get what you're looking for, then I think you would also enjoy working with them.
Jul 27th, 2023

If your optimal realtor would not only be a market expert, but efficient, responsive, smart, affable and act as a trusted advisor, call Ginnie Hess. I called Ginnie based on a former clients unsolicited rave review (a seller). I was a buyer and was acting as my own agent. I had done so since beginning my property search nine months earlier, and I was not in the market for an agent. The former client said, Well, if you decide you want to work with someone, call Ginnie. She knows the market in and out, shes savvy and shes great to work with. When I needed relevant, local resources (e.g., an inspector and a lawyer), I called Ginnie. I thought she might be willing to help with some names. I was not looking to hire her and was transparent about that right off. Nonetheless, Ginnie provided me with recommendations. She also offered some insights into the local market and called out some potential buyer pitfalls and hazards I was not, and would not have been, aware of. Without a doubt she was knowledgeable, and she indeed appeared to be savvy. She was also articulate and concise and, importantly, she clearly simply desired to help. By the calls end, I had changed my mind, and I told her Id like to work with her. Thereafter, Ginnie made the prior clients rave review a reality for me. For example, she provided insider background on the Islesboro market, knowledgably compared and contrasted it with the mainland market and made me a smarter buyer. She consistently responded quickly and, when responding, often had already dug up relevant information and was prepared with creative ideas and practical advice. Just as often, she was out in front, contacting me with information, ideas and counsel. She even provided help and counsel that was contrary to her own immediate pecuniary interests. And when negotiations with the other side got difficult, she was tough without losing her cool or decorum. In the end, with and due to Ginnies help, I bought a property I love and struck a favorable deal. Yes, I think Ginnie will be (or be close to) your optimal realtor.
Jul 19th, 2023

Lynne Doble and the team at Cates were stellar all the way through the process of selling my father's estate. I knew the first time I spoke with Lynne that she was the right person for this job and even though I did my diligence and interviewed some other agents I ended up back where my gut told me to go. She was honest, professional, a great communicator, and kept me informed through every step of a process I haven't had to navigate in over 30 years! I live hours away from the area and she was very patient and kind in facilitating the sale of a home that had meant so much to my parents as we were unable to keep it in the family due to distance. She helped price it right and that got us to the buyers who appreciate the history of the house and will love it as much as my family did over the years. She was absolutely fabulous to work with and I will be forever grateful for all her hard work and expertise. You just can't go wrong working with Lynne.
Jun 17th, 2023