For over 37 years, Gaye has exemplified a professional focused on delivering the highest level of service to her clients by providing them everything they need to make smart decisions. A licensed Broker in Florida and Virginia, she brings the kind of experience that can only be derived from decades of working in multiple markets, through fluctuating economies and highly competitive situations. She was a pioneer in adopting and advancing the concept of Buyer Agency in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Area and continues to promote the principle that buyers and sellers deserve their own independent representation in a real estate transaction. Gaye grew up in Jacksonville, Florida where she met and married a sportscaster from a local TV station right about the time he was offered a job at the ABC affiliate in Washington, so she was off to make a home in Northern Virginia. After renting for a year, the couple started working with a real estate agent to find a home to purchase. She remembers spending a hot summer looking at houses with a woman who refused to run the air conditioner in her car, being shown old houses with red shag carpeting located on busy roads, and generally feeling that the agent wasn’t listening to her. Gaye located the house they eventually bought in an area the agent had told her they couldn’t afford, but she felt an obligation to the agent and called on her to write the offer. A few years later as she contemplated the kind of job that would allow her to be her own boss and accommodate her husband’s atypical work schedule, Gaye considered a career in real estate. Not only would she be able to set her own hours, she felt that she was well suited to the variety of hats a Realtor must wear – problem solver, negotiator, therapist, marketing manager, financial advisor, marriage counselor, juggler, research analyst, interior decorator, detective, and magician to name just a few. First and foremost, having been on the receiving end of a bad experience with a real estate agent who fell far short of what Gaye considered acceptable professional standards, she made it her mission to gain the trust, confidence, and loyalty of all her buyers and sellers by showing them the respect they deserved and providing them the most competent representation possible. Gaye loved the Northern Virginia area and the excitement of living so close to the Nations’ Capital! She had an expanding client base and relocation referral network of corporate and government transferees and new hires, but she and her husband had decided to go their separate ways. As fate would have it, when John Collins and his wife decided to get a divorce and sell their house, Gaye was one of three Realtors they interviewed. Gaye and John were married three years later, and when John retired from the Secret Service, he got his real estate license to help her out. Their business partnership is an incredible success and together they have been able to offer an even greater level of service to their buyers and sellers. The Collins returned to Florida in 2007, reside less than two miles from where John grew up on Clearwater Beach, and they continue to have fun helping others find their own piece of paradise in the Gulf Beaches area! Together they continue the mission of using their extensive knowledge and experience to benefit their clients and assist them in making informed decisions when buying or selling one of their largest single investments. Gaye and John are delighted to be part of the Coastal Properties Group International family of professionals, and they would greatly appreciate the opportunity to talk with you about your future real estate plans!