What a waterfront specialist
actually does differently.
Any agent can show you a waterfront house. The photographs do most of that work anyway. What you're hiring a specialist for is everything the photographs are hiding: the seawall whose tieback system is quietly failing behind the cap, the dock permit that never got closed out, the canal that carries three feet at low tide when your boat draws four, the elevation certificate that swings your insurance by thousands a year. Those aren't exotic edge cases. On the water, that's every transaction.
My clients don't pay for that knowledge — it's the same commission either way. They just get an agent who walks a property looking at the things that cost money after closing, not just the things that look good before it.
Where this comes from.
I got into real estate the way I do most things — all in, no backup plan. But the water came first: my first job and first apartment were on Tierra Verde at 18, bartending at the old Sandbar before it was torn down, learning boat people one shift at a time. I've been on this water ever since, and I own and run my own boat today. So when a listing says "deep water" or "no fixed bridges," I don't take its word for it — I know which canals that's true on, because I've idled down most of them.
Five years and $30M+ in closed waterfront and luxury sales later, the practice is still deliberately small. Fewer clients, deeper involvement, and the kind of attention a high-volume team structurally can't give. When you call, you get me.
- Seawall age, material, and tieback condition — before you fall in love
- Actual depth at the dock at mean low water, against your boat's draft
- Bridge clearances between the dock and open water
- Dock and lift permits — issued, closed out, transferable
- Elevation certificate and a real insurance quote, pre-offer
- Flood zone, storm history, and the 50%-rule status on older homes
- Pricing built on waterfront comps — dock, depth, and access priced correctly
- Pre-listing prep that surfaces issues before buyers' inspectors do
- Marketing that speaks boat — because your buyer probably owns one
- A real valuation, not an algorithm's guess about your seawall
- Negotiation from someone who knows what the repairs actually cost
Where I work.
St. Petersburg, St. Pete Beach, Treasure Island, and Tierra Verde are home turf, with the full Pinellas waterfront map in range — Pass-a-Grille and Vina del Mar, Gulfport, the northeast St. Pete islands, Madeira Beach, and the condo markets in between. Every one of those has its own guide on this site, written the same way I work: the honest version. Start with the neighborhoods page if you're still choosing your water.
How it starts.
A conversation, not a pitch. Tell me what you're trying to do — the boat you own or want, the timeline, the honest budget. If I can help, I'll tell you exactly how. If what you need isn't my lane, I'll point you at someone whose lane it is. I respond to every inquiry personally, usually same day, because a boutique practice means the person answering is the person doing the work.
Frequently Asked Questions
Carly Majorana · NextHome Gulf Coast · CLHMS Guild Member
Let's talk about your water.
Buying, selling, or still deciding — tell me what you're working with and I'll give you the honest read. I respond personally, usually same day.
Get in Touch →Waterfront & Luxury Real Estate · $30M+ Sold · St. Petersburg · St. Pete Beach · Treasure Island · Tierra Verde · Pinellas County, Florida