Testimonials

Kind Words from Happy Clients

We've helped countless customers buy, sell, and invest in homes across Tampa Bay. Read what they have to say about us.

"Michelle is precious. She's kind, prompt and very helpful. She had many extra hoops to jump through when we purchased our home and she did so with no complaints, a smile on her face, all while being very encouraging to us and keeping us up to date. If you are looking to buy your dream home she's your girl!"

Bought in Harris Park, St. Petersburg, FL

Tue Oct 29 2024

"It was a pleasure to work with Michelle. She made my buyer’s experience so smooth: all questions answered, all options discussed, all my doubts resolved. Smart suggestions even in areas I had no idea ... "

Bought in Tampa, FL

Thu Jun 26 2025

"Working with Michelle Menke Fife was an absolute joy. Michelle was a breath of fresh air after some less-than-great experiences with other realtors. She is professional, kind, and truly dedicated. She... "

Bought in Historic Kenwood, St. Petersburg, FL

Sun Apr 20 2025

"Michelle is an outstanding Realtor, and I wholeheartedly give her my highest recommendation. As a commercial real estate agent, I work out of a Keller Williams office alongside over 200 residential Re... "

Sold in Tampa, FL

Sun Nov 17 2024

"Michelle is precious. She’s kind, prompt and very helpful. She had many extra hoops to jump through when we purchased our home and she did so with no complaints, a smile on her face, all while being v... "

Bought in Harris Park, St. Petersburg, FL

Wed Oct 30 2024

"It was an absolute delight to work with Michelle. She was friendly, exceeded expectations, responded quickly, eager to assist us in accomplishing our goals, and professional. We are very happy to have... "

Bought in

Sun May 12 2024

"Michelle was absolutely perfect. She listened carefully to my specs and honored them in every way, even when they changed as we viewed a variety of listings. Michelle was as enthusiastic as I was at s... "

Bought in Crescent Lake, St. Petersburg, FL

Fri Apr 05 2024

"I highly recommend Michelle Menke for any of your realtor needs. She made the sale of my house stress-free and easy, even when things didn’t go as planned. Professional, punctual, and flexible, she ha... "

Sold in Palmetto Park, St. Petersburg, FL

Sun Dec 17 2023

"I needed to purchase a home while out of town and could not have been more blessed choosing this Realtor. Michelle was absolutely amazing! Don’t let her youth fool you—she is a go-getter who went far ... "

Bought in Winsor Park, Clearwater, FL

Mon Dec 11 2023

"Michelle is amazing to work with! As a St. Petersburg native, she has deep neighborhood and city knowledge and helped us purchase our first home—well under asking price! Organized and detail-oriented,... "

Bought in North East Park, St. Petersburg, FL

Wed Jul 19 2023

"Michelle is an amazing realtor! I highly recommend her!! She is smart, kind, professional, and goes above and beyond. She’s really thorough and helpful with contracts, always able to answer our questi... "

Bought in St. Petersburg, FL

Fri Jun 09 2023

"My husband and I were connected with Michelle through a mutual friend, and we are so thankful that we were! This was our first time buying a house, and Michelle walked us through every step. She was r... "

Bought in Quail Hollow Village, Lutz, FL

Sun Nov 20 2022

"We cannot say enough good things about Michelle—she is in a class of her own. Over 25 years we’ve worked with many good agents, but Michelle stands out for her honesty, hard work, business savvy, and ... "

Bought in Englewood, FL

Fri Oct 28 2022

"Michelle helped me secure a home in a very tough market. She went the extra mile by introducing an escalation clause that many agents avoid, which ultimately won me the house of my dreams. As a commer... "

Bought in North East Park, St. Petersburg, FL

Wed Feb 23 2022

"Relocating from Florida’s east coast, my husband and I had only one weekend to find a home in the Tampa/St. Pete area. Michelle was a true gift—she pre-screened neighborhoods, lined up a large variety... "

Bought in Palm Harbor, FL

Sun Jan 23 2022

"Moving from Atlanta with only 24 hours to view homes, we relied on Michelle to narrow neighborhoods and schedule showings. She even met us at midnight for a second look. Throughout negotiations she ba... "

Bought in Historic Kenwood, St. Petersburg, FL

Sun Aug 29 2021

"Michelle Menke Fife helped me purchase a new home and sell the one I was living in, giving exceptional personal attention throughout. She was knowledgeable, caring, and always acted in my best interes... "

Bought and Sold in Pinellas Park, FL

Mon Sep 14 2020

"Michelle made an incredibly stressful process easy. Approachable, proactive, and hardworking, she rearranged her schedule in a tight COVID-era market so I wouldn’t miss out. She truly cares, supplied ... "

Bought in Disston Heights, St. Petersburg, FL

Sun Sep 13 2020

"Michelle is proactive, thorough, and communicative—an amazing agent who had our back the entire time. Even when she didn’t know an answer, she connected us to trusted experts. Beyond her professionali... "

Bought in Bayway Isles, St. Petersburg, FL

Fri Sep 04 2020

"Michelle was extremely caring and punctual, showing only homes that met my criteria. She replied quickly to calls and emails, found answers she didn’t have on hand, and explained everything clearly. O... "

Bought in Seminole, FL

Wed Aug 05 2020

"Referred by a friend, we relied on Michelle to buy our first home. She provided lender and insurance recommendations, answered questions we hadn’t even considered, and guided us to a competitive offer... "

Bought in Disston Heights, St. Petersburg, FL

Wed May 20 2020

"Buying your first house can be overwhelming—especially during a pandemic—but Michelle’s warm approach, consistent communication, and daily email updates made everything seamless. Her experience and at... "

Bought in Holiday Park, St. Petersburg, FL

Tue May 19 2020

"As first-time buyers we were nervous, but Michelle educated us, stayed proactive, and was always available. She handled scheduling, inspections, walk-throughs, and even insurance suggestions, keeping ... "

Bought in Disston Heights, St. Petersburg, FL

Tue Apr 28 2020

"Michelle quickly earned our trust—answering candidly when we asked, “Would you buy this home?” She met us at an open house on short notice, negotiated strongly, and handled every concern. She went abo... "

Bought in Tanglewood, St. Petersburg, FL

Sun Mar 15 2020

"Our experience with Michelle was amazing. Kind, hardworking, and exceptionally professional, she patiently explained every step and arrived early with everything prepared. Her unmatched professionalis... "

Showed in Palm Harbor, FL

Mon Sep 09 2019

Our Success Stories

Saint Petersburg, FL

From Nearly Lost to Major Win: $30K+ in Repairs Secured

Overview

When Michelle's client fell in love with a charming 1920s home in St. Petersburg—complete with a pink front door and family-friendly vibe—it looked like the perfect fit. But the property came with serious issues: extensive termite damage to the foundation, and a long list of mandatory repairs. The deal was already rocky from the start and was being financed through a VA loan, which comes with its own set of strict requirements. The situation reached a breaking point when the buyer decided to cancel the contract.

Strategy

Michelle stayed calm and solution-focused, working closely with all parties to renegotiate the terms. She strategically prioritized the most critical repairs and maintained open communication with the listing side while advocating fiercely for her client.

Result

Thanks to Michelle's persistence, negotiation skills, and steady guidance, she secured over $30,000 in foundation repairs, negotiated additional critical fixes, and kept the deal alive—even after a near cancellation. The VA loan successfully closed, and her client ended up with their dream home in St. Pete, ready to raise their family in the house with the pink door.

Lutz, FL

Winning in a 24-Offer Bidding War—During a Hurricane

Overview

In the peak of the ultra-competitive COVID real estate market, Michelle's client set their sights on a well-priced home that quickly gained attention. With 24 offers on the table, winning this property would require strategy, precision, and strong relationships.

Strategy

Michelle knew the home was intentionally underpriced to spark a bidding war, so she used her deep market knowledge and real-time data to recommend a strong—but realistic—offer. She went the extra mile by meeting with the listing agent to build rapport and following up consistently and professionally throughout the process. She also assembled the right team—including a responsive lender who directly advocated for the buyer’s financial strength. Michelle structured the offer to be competitive, while avoiding overbidding and potential appraisal issues.

Result

Michelle's client's offer was selected—beating out 23 others—and the home appraised exactly at purchase price, confirming their offer was strategic and sound. To top it off, the transaction closed the day after a hurricane, the only property in the area to do so!

Saint Petersburg, FL

Driving 3 Closings in 1 Day—Across 4 Linked Transactions

Overview

Michelle was hired to list a luxury home for sale—but that listing quickly evolved into a chain of four dependent real estate transactions that all had to close for the first deal to succeed. She represented two of the sellers in the sequence, including the buyers of her original listing, who hired her to list their home as well. On top of that, their buyers also needed to sell in order to purchase, creating a high-stakes, interconnected transaction chain.

Strategy

With three closings set to happen on the same day, Michelle knew timing, communication, and trust were critical. She took a proactive, hands-on approach by aligning timelines across all parties and maintained constant communication with agents, lenders, and title companies to keep things on track. By representing multiple sides ethically and keeping everyone focused on the shared goal, she minimized friction and ensured a smooth path to closing. Michelle's ability to juggle complex timelines and maintain clarity in a layered transaction set the tone for a smooth closing day.

Result

All three closings were completed successfully in a single day, with four homes changing hands seamlessly. This chain of trust—and transactions—is a testament to Michelle’s reputation, organization, and ability to bring even the most complex deals across the finish line.

Clearwater, FL

Acting Fast and Standing Out in a Competitive Market

Overview

This buyer's journey wasn't straightforward—her work kept shifting her search to different cities, so we refined her criteria multiple times. But once she landed on the location, she found the home—and she had to have it.

Strategy

Michelle scheduled a showing as fast as she could for that evening for 8pm. The sellers were actually the ones to show their home and, instead of rushing through, Michelle took the time to connect with them. She made sure they understood her client's steady financial position and strong desire to have the house. Michelle talked for over an hour and a half with the sellers—about their home, the details, and each other. By the time she left, two other offers were already on the table, but she stayed up past midnight crafting and submitting the most competitive and compelling offer for the sellers.

Result

It worked. The offer was accepted, and her client got the home she fell in love with!

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Michelle Menke Fife - Real Estate Professional