TESTIMONIALS

Carole Smith and Cristina Formosa are absolutely phenomenal! After an extensive one+ year search, it was only through their outstanding service and help that we were able to secure our dream home. Their experience, knowledge of the market, and understanding of their clients' needs are unparalleled. I highly recommend working with Carole and her group. We had the best experience!

From start to finish Carole and Cristina were FANTASTIC to work with. They handled the sale of the home we lived in for 31 years and the purchase of our new one, demonstrating their expertise on both sides of the transactions. Carole and Cristina were exceedingly professional and helped us stay focused on what needed to get done and by when. Regarding selling our home... both were very upfront with us about the need for a professional staging company to get our home ready to photograph well so we would have an enticing online presence. Cristina suggested All About the Wow. The transformation was unbelievable. Carole helped us set a realistic price and our home sold in a month!!! We could not be more pleased.

Cristina and Carole helped our family find and buy the perfect home in one of the hottest and most competitive markets. They both came highly recommended and they definitely turned out to be extremely knowledgeable, dependable, and great advisors all around. Carole and Cristina have always been very responsive, professional, and insightful since our first phone call. They are true local experts and provide very valuable thoughts and considerations. Carole continues to act as a very trusted advisor in all things related to our home, always sharing resources and referrals. We highly recommend Carole and Cristina if you are looking for true real estate experts who have the skills and expertise to get the job done.

My husband and I were introduced to Carole Smith, Cristina Formosa, and their wonderful team by my father and mother-in-law. They knew we needed the absolute best in the business to sell our home and to find us the perfect home just in time for the arrival of our second baby. Even though the time frame to sell and buy our new home was limited, due to my impending due date, Carole and her team made real estate magic and just within one week of listing our home, we were under contract! Their invaluable real estate experience made for the smoothest transaction and within 30 days our home officially closed! But what about our new home? With their guidance, we found a beautiful house that fits our growing family perfectly! In such a competitive market, Carole and Cristina made sure that our offer and personalized letter to the Sellers and Agent not only conveyed our qualifications to purchase the home, but also our story as young parents. I’m not sure if selling and buying a house during the third trimester of pregnancy is a decision made by most reasonable parents, but I can confidently say that Carole and Cristina can take on any situation. In what could be a stressful time during our lives, Carole and Cristina have been amazingly attentive as both are respected professionals ready to provide unmatched real estate experience. Ladies, thank you for working with us!

Cristina and Carole were outstanding throughout the entire selling process. First, they presented a thorough market analysis supporting both their marketing strategy and the listing price for our home. They followed up with professional photos of our house showcasing every architectural detail and functional aspect of the house. Cristina or Carole were present for every first showing and often when people came back a second time. Their negotiating skills proved to be excellent at the time of reviewing multiple offers and selecting the best buyer for our home. Both were prompt to respond to calls or emails from us and gave feedback after every showing. We wholeheartedly recommend Carole and Cristina as an outstanding real estate team. They got us top dollar for our home within a week of listing. Priceless!!!!!

We had a fantastic experience with Carole Smith. It took us more than a year to sell the house. Throughout that time she was tireless. She showed the house dozens of times with the same energy and enthusiasm. Without being pushy, she guided us through a difficult task in our lives, with a lot of patience and professionalism. She is classy and sophisticated, but hands-on when she needs to. We loved working with her and would not work with anyone else in real estate going forward if she would agree to work with us again.

Carole is very responsive, attentive and full of great advice. Once we were ready to relocate Carole spent two days with me touring properties that fit our criteria while being introduced to many local Realtors®. Carole explained the history and differences between Coral Gables, Pinecrest, Coconut Grove, and South Miami. We recently closed on our home in Coral Gables. Carole was on top of it throughout the entire process. I didn’t hesitate on recently recommending Carole to a family member. We consider her a great resource.

I can't recommend Carole Smith and her team more highly. Carole assisted my husband and me in the purchase of a new home and sale of our old home. Throughout the process, Carole was always responsive and we found her knowledge of the Miami real estate market quite impressive. She guided us step-by-step and helped us achieve great results. If you're looking for a Realtor® to add real value to your transactions, look no further. Highly recommend!

What does perfection look like—Carole Smith, of course! Her professionalism, her knowledge of the Miami real estate market, her marketing abilities, her understanding of what makes a house marketable, her “Rolodex” of recommended painters, plumbers, attorneys, and tradesmen, her negotiating skills, her empathy for her clients all combine to make Carole Smith the consummate real estate agent. More than a year before we ultimately sold our home, we contacted Carole for a consultation. In our first interview, Carole spent a great amount of time giving us a candid but fair estimation of our house—its overall condition, its flaws, and virtues. We then embarked on what could be described as a partnership as we readied our house for sale. As we made certain changes and purchases, we consulted with Carole. She was there for us on an almost 24/7 basis. We listened carefully to Carole’s advice, to her recommendations on pricing strategies, and ultimately to evaluating buyer proposals Carole Smith was with us all the way. In our opinion, you could not find a better agent!

Recommended by a neighbor after we had been represented by another well-known area Realtor® for a year with little activity or interest, Carole was a very welcome change. Working with us long-distance, Carole put together a very strong social media marketing campaign, fabulous home staging and photographs, attracted significant traffic of potential buyers to Open Houses, and helped with a myriad of tasks that normally we would have done if we still lived locally. What a difference!!! At all times Carole not only kept us apprised but offered solutions, not excuses, whenever we faced an issue and in negotiating the final sale. It was an absolute pleasure to be helped by such a nice, consummate professional who works hard to attract the right buyer and close the deal. Have purchased and sold numerous homes throughout the country. While many Real Estate Agents primarily serve as neutral entities to pass communications and paperwork back and forth between buyer and seller, Carole was an integral and invaluable aspect of the selling process who has her finger on the pulse of the current marketplace. She acted solely on our behalf and walked us through and demystified complicated and as is often the case.

Carole Smith has been my exclusive Realtor® of all of my Luxury Homes which I have purchased, remodeled and resold since 2008. Her expertise in the Real Estate market has always proven to be an invaluable tool when I have been looking to purchase or sell once we have completed the renovations. In the past 8 years, Carole and her team of professionals have participated as our Broker with me and my wife, Maria in successfully purchasing and then re-selling our Hi-end Residences and vacant residential properties in Coral Gables, Ponce Davis, Coconut Grove. Carole even helped us in Leasing a temporary home for us. All in all, Carole Smith has been our Realtor® in over $30,000,000 of sales between purchasing and selling our properties in South Florida. There is no better Realtor® that I know or worked with and I have been a developer since 1976! She is the one to have on your side whether you are buying or selling residential properties.

Carole Smith is an expert in Miami real estate and a true professional. My husband and I were referred to Carole Smith through a colleague who experienced similar results. We’ve lived downtown Miami for 5 years in a condo and were ready to buy our first home together in Coconut Grove. We were immediately impressed with her knowledge, experience, response, service, and attention to detail in delivering a successful buying experience. She carefully selected homes based on our specific criteria and reviewed properties we sourced to help us find a place that we both loved and had the most potential for return on investment. Carole is well connected and skilled at the art of negotiation. She not only helped us find the perfect property for us but also gave us guidance along the way for lending and home services experts to help us post-purchase. Carole is a pleasure to work with and delivered beyond expectations for our home buying experience.

Carole is a great Realtor®. The proof is in the results. We closed on our historic house in Coral Gables less than two months from the date we put it on the market. Carole was a pleasure to work with and proved to be the ultimate professional. As we considered selling our home of 25 years, Carole carefully walked us through all of the market dynamics and repairs we needed make to ensure a timely sale. She was able to find us all of the contractors, as well as staging company, to ensure that the house looked great and that the sale would proceed without any glitches. Throughout the process, we knew we were being well represented and taken care of. When it comes to closing the deal, she is an accomplished negotiator and exudes honesty and integrity. I have no hesitation in recommending Carole. She is top of the line in her profession.

My husband, I were first time buyers and were clueless as to how to go about buying a house, where we wanted to live or what type of house we wanted. Carole Smith was recommended to us by friends who had just bought a house. Carole walked us through the entire thing from finding a house in our price range that wasn’t a “dog” (her words), to inspections, qualifying, and even an excellent attorney to handle the closing. Carole was always available for our questions, no matter how ridiculous and treated us as if we were one of her customers buying a million-dollar home (far from it.) We can’t thank her enough. If we ever decide to buy a new house, we would definitely use her again.

When my husband and I relocated to South Florida in Summer 2006, we had serious reservations about our ability to navigate this area’s real estate market. However, we were completely supported by Carole and her associates who guided us through every step of the process to successfully buying a wonderful home within our budget. The home purchase involved several delicate moments with issues revealed in the course of the inspection process, and we are completely certain that without Carole’s expert skills, we would have walked away from what has turned out to be the ideal home for us!

Carole is an amazing Realtor®, dedicated, organized, knowledgeable, professional, and very easy to work with. She really listened to all our priorities and concerns. Our experience in selling our home in Pinecrest was very good, thanks to her. Carole was constantly assessing the market and we feel we got top dollars for our house. She was on top at each step of the sale process showing first class negotiations skills, responding promptly, providing accurate information, and helpful advice. We recommend Carole without hesitation. She is the best!!! Thank you Carole.

Carole was the seller’s broker. Yet from my first very straightforward conversation with her, I felt certain she was thoroughly professional and had the best interests of a sound deal and this extraordinary house always in mind. I promptly came to have great trust in her wisdom and judgment. She was immensely helpful in the smoothest possible transition from offer to closing. I would surely use her for any future transaction I contemplate and would recommend her most highly to anyone, buyer or seller, looking in the Miami area. She is the greatest!

Carole helped “project manage” my purchase of a condo in Coral Gables from a family member. It was critical that her advice was seen as being market-related and impartial, especially as the transaction was being closely monitored by other family members. Carole’s knowledge of the area was impressive, as was her extraordinary responsiveness and hand-holding throughout the process right through till final handover of the keys. Based on my own experience, I would thus have no hesitation in recommending Carole to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, professional and pro-active Realtor®.

Robbie and I wanted to write you and express our deepest thanks for the fabulous job you did and the totally professional handling of the pricing, marketing and sale of our house in the middle of a horrible market! Your advice was “spot on” from start to finish, you never wasted a moment of our time and you delivered a sale above what others said was possible in less than twelve days. If we ever move back to Coral Gables or buy another home, we will be knocking on your door again!.en

When we moved from Virginia to Florida in a Corporate relocation, we had 4 weeks to turn an unknown city into a new hometown. Carole Smith was much more than a Realtor®. With her insider’s knowledge of everything from the best neighborhoods to the preferred schools, she helped give us peace of mind in an anxious time.

Carole is the ultimate professional and we were very pleased with the way she handled the sale of our home especially the exposure it received and the quality of the execution. We always felt well-informed so we could make good decisions. I would use her services again and recommend her to family, friends, and acquaintances.

Both Connie and I thank you so much for your help. We were commenting the other day that of the roughly 15 Realtors® that we have dealt with in the past, you are by far the best and most professional. We would be happy to be a reference for you. Thanks again Carole, you were a joy to work with.

Carole sifted through the listings and only showed us the houses that truly suited our needs. As first time home buyers, we relied on her knowledge and expertise. We found the perfect house, and we won’t hesitate to use her again in the future.

Carole Smith is a top-notch Realtor® with a terrific sales team. When she works for you, she delivers. You get top prices, quality, reliability, and fast results, along with an infectious optimism that can’t be beaten. Who can ask for more?

Carole did an outstanding job during the sale of my home in Pinecrest. She was professional, knowledgeable, communicative, fair and honest at all times during the process. My experience was great with Carole and I would highly recommend her!!

We highly recommend Carole Smith if you plan to buy or sell your property. She represented us in the sale of our apartment. Professionalism, knowledge, resources, and drive…..simply the best! She really gets the best results and experience for her clients.

Carole Smith is a consummate professional. I am in a highly competitive personal service business and the level of service Carole provided me was exactly what I strive to provide to my clients.

Carole is not interested in “making a fast buck”. She gives top priority to her clients’ interests and works to achieve lasting results with long-term benefits.

We were so fortunate to be introduced to Carole Smith through a friend, who had an amazing home buying experience with her. Purchasing a home these days is tough, especially in the Coral Gables area. Carole has extensive knowledge about the homes in the area, as well as general real estate, and was able to give us such useful advice. She never left any questions unanswered and always responded promptly. Carole truly understands the intricacies of selecting a good home. As first time home buyers, we were a little intimidated at first. We didn’t know about the obscure things to look out for - such as the septic tank, plumbing, impact windows, and so forth. We also didn’t know about the different kinds of inspections that are necessary to make sure a home is free of costly repairs. Carole had such specialized knowledge and was able to advocate on our behalf. She was able to guide us through every step of this journey and it is because of her that we found the perfect home for our growing family! We would undoubtedly recommend Carole Smith and her team to anyone looking to buy or sell their home. Thank you for the outstanding service!

I had always enjoyed reading Carole's columns in magazines and I met Carole in March 2022 to discuss the sale of my house in Coral Gables. But for some reason, I did not list it with Carole and the house did not get sold in a hot hot hot market in 2022. I was very despondent back then. When I met again with Carole's team for the rental listing in August 2023, I felt great energy from her team and I decided to put it back on the market "for sale". Smith Formosa team is small but very strong. And they work super smart. I am a single Asian woman with a full-time job who was selling remotely but they did ALL the work for me. We received an offer on Day 1 but during the inspection, we ran into unexpected issues. I thought the deal would not go through and was reaching out to contractors remotely. But Carole and Cristina came up with great solutions and we were able to close in less than 45 days from Day 1 on the market. I just trusted their pricing and marketing strategies along with their 30+ year experience, and the whole process went very smoothly. Carole and Cristina truly understand what the family, home and community mean to us, and they really "help" their clients. Carole, Cristina, and Lety (the great women's power in the real estate transactions), thank you so much and I hope all of you to be well and continue to prosper!