Philippa is AMAZING. As a first time homebuyer looking for a house during one of the craziest…read moretimes, Philippa was extremely helpful and more importantly brutally honest in the best way possible. She took the time to get to know me, what I was looking for and didn't waste time helping me find the place I can call home. She could tell within minutes of walking up to a property if it was worth a walk through or if we should move onto the next one. Philippa took the time to make sure I understood what to look for in a house as well as every part of the home buying process. When my initial offer didn't get accepted, she quickly negotiated details of my offer with the listing agent on a deal that worked out perfectly for everyone involved. If you want a realtor who knows what she's doing and can make anything in the home buying/selling process a breeze, Philippa is the best.

Selling my home after two years of living here in FL. I was disappointed with my experience…read more Communication was inconsistent (since she is located in VA) and I often had to follow up multiple times to get updates or answers to my questions. the overall process was more stressful than I expected. Based on my experience, I would not choose to work with this company again. Haven't had the best of luck working with realtors here. Glad I'm headed back home.

It's unfortunate that this review is at a 1-star level, but it honestly reflects my experience…read more First, if I had to do this over again, I would NEVER sign a 6 month contract w/ any agency not just Berkshire, (but that's just my personal opinion) and with any contract make sure you understand all the add-on fees (administrative bs etc) that are tacked on prior to signing, because ultimately it comes out of your $$$. Negotiate these away if you can. The Despota Team consists of 3 individuals (Team Manager, husband & wife)--1 of which I had previously worked w/ who was very proactive 5 years ago when we purchased our home, and the sole reason I reached out to her when we were interested in selling our home. Upon signing our 6-month contract (mistake #1) & not negotiating the add-on fees (mistake #2), that is when everything stopped becoming effortless and quickly became a colossal headache. Team Depsota required micromanaging and cattle prodding (not something I expected from Berkshire) and in my opinion once the contract was signed (6 months) & the listing went live their work/effort ceased. See detail below: 1. There were numerous errors on the primary listing that required correction. 2. We had many phone calls/texts over whether the property was in a flood zone or no flood zone (which makes a difference in the state of Florida). 3. I had to request that on open house be held at the property and the time the agents selected was between 3pm-5pm on a Saturday afternoon which certainly was not ideal in my eyes. Once again, NO suggestion from the "Team" that this could be beneficial in promoting the sale of our home. 4. Photos on the listing required management and initially looked awful and the flow of the photos made zero sense until I called to have the unnecessary pictures of Walmart signs, strip malls etc removed. Maybe the "Team" should be reviewing how their listings look---just a thought. Overall, our experience was unsatisfactory. Our house sold because of all the hard work outside agencies did in repeatedly showing our home to potential buyers. The Despota team of Berkshire Hathaway I feel stands on its name only and just expects that its name alone will move properties. The "team" provided little to no effort and at times their effort was sloppy. If I could have issued the buyer's agent 70% of the commission I would have done so because it was earned. The Despota team certainly didn't earn their cut in my eyes. Potential sellers beware & just do your research before signing a contract. If I had to do it over again, I would find an agent that is "hungry" and wanting to put in the work. Jennifer Hardy

From the owner: Kathy Despota has helped buyers and sellers throughout Tri-County Area of Tampa Bay, and the…read moresurrounding areas accomplish their goals for more than 30 years. During her successful career, she has become proficient in the marketing and sales of residential properties, income producing properties and new construction of residential homes. When you require a professional real estate agent, turn to a broker that ranks in the top .5 percent of the top 1 percent out of 88,000 Berkshire Hathaway agents in the country. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group is a full service real estate company with 18 Berkshire Hathaway offices in the Tampa Bay area. Kathy Despota and her two buyer specialists; Peter Gerlich and Muriel Gerlich have all worked together as a team since 1997, making Kathy Despota one of the top agents in our area. Whether looking to buy or sell Kathy Despota the one to turn to for all your real estate needs. Trinity Florida

I would be careful with this reality they currently have a home listed at 13660 Se 80th ave in…read moreSummerfield Florida listed without disclosing the home has had flooding, mold, electrical damage and old pipes that need to be replaced under and throughout the home. Estimated repair is $150k you practically have to gut the entire house, repipe and rewire it. And the pool leaks badly and needs to be fixed as well. I put a $40k deposit on this home and I am currently in court proceedings with the owner and previous realtor. our case can be viewed with Marion courts public records. please view before buying!

Ashley Smith is great realtor helping us find the right house she has gone above beyond the call of…read moreduty!