Portland Maine Living Testimonials

I can’t say enough about what Colleen has to offer as a realtor. She knows the business inside and out and has impressive knowledge of the greater Portland area. As first time buyers, she guided us through every step and took the time to explain everything that was new to us. From looking at homes and navigating the inspection process all the way to the closing table, Colleen was always available and kept us moving in the right direction. We are a busy working household, but Colleen didn’t bat an eye at Saturday morning meetings or after-hours showings. She responded to every email and call – while that seems like a small part of the process, it was invaluable to us as nervous first time buyers. We were at ease in Colleen's capable hands and are thankful to have had her on our side!

She really listened to our needs and was able to provide both knowledge and insight that helped us navigate this new terrain. She was patient and very responsive to our many questions and requests. We loved working with Mary, she's a delightful, responsive, and dedicated professional!

Colleen's patience, perserverance and exptertise were nothing short of remarkable! I'm sure we were challenging clients - we were 'all over the place' in terms of a location, old vs. new home, etc. Colleen took the time to help us figure out what we really wanted and needed in a home, and she worked tirelessly (and always cheerfully) to help us find the perfect one! She wasn't just trying to sell us a house. She was absolutely committed to helping us find the best house for us. Her expert advice and guidance were invaluable to us, through both the home search and the purchase of our home. I can't list all the ways she went above and beyond for us. You will not find a more dedicated, skilled realtor anywhere.

Colleen is incredibly hard-working, knowledgable, patient and honest. Though we were not sure where we wanted to live, or what we could afford, Colleen was always there for us and always gave us the sense that it was more important that she help us find the 'right fit' for us than it was for her to make a sale. Finally, with her help, we were able to find the right condo and, when we did, it really seemed that Colleen was almost as excited as we were! We cannot emphasize enough how honest and hardworking Colleen is. Every time she promised something she was true to her word. She never offered advice unless we asked and again that advice always had more to do with whether she thought a place would be a good fit for us rather than a sale for herself. When the closing process took a bit longer than we anticipated, Colleen encouraged us to stick with it and reassured us that securing a mortgage often coud take a bit longer in these times of tighter money. And, again, when we did close on the property, Colleen seemed almost as happy for us as we were. In sum, it was truly a pleasure to work with Colleen and we honestly feel lucky to have found her. We cannot recommend her highly enough and would give her a 'six star' rating if we could!

I began the search more to learn about possibilities than to buy a place because I had time before moving to Portland. Colleen took me seriously even though I wasn't ready to buy a place. She took me to several places to learn my tastes and inclinations and then let me know when something came on the market that might fit my wants and needs. Always ready to answer my many questions, but reticent to give advice, Colleen was a great realtor for me. I did not want to work with an aggressive, hard-selling realtor. I also appreciated her knowledge and acquaintance with Portland's neighborhoods. She always had her ear to the ground for properties about to come on the market, and that's how I was able to buy my home in the neighborhood I wanted. I couldn't recommend Colleen more highly.

There were some challenging issues which arose, and as first-time condo buyers, we needed her patience and dedicated diligence to help us get to a successful closing. I would recommend Mary to other buyers without hesitation.

Mary is extremely knowledgeable about the local market, and worked hard to protect our best interests through a complicated condo purchase. We always looked forward to seeing and speaking with her, she was an amazing source of positivity, and our journey would have been much more stressful without her by our side.

She is dedicated, goes above and beyond, and really takes care of her clients. She scoured the listings for just the right house for me and my family. Although we were disappointed a few times and it took several months, she was persistent and found me my dream home! Colleen was efficient in communicating and gathering information from the selller's agent. She was able to explain to me each part of the process as we progressed. I also recall other agents saying that they like to work with her because she is excellent when it comes to organization and getting all the documents done correctly. This made me feel even more sure that I was in the best hands with her. I highly recommend Colleen as a realtor if you are looking to buy or sell a house.

My experience with her was outstanding. She did a fantastic job of marketing my house and generating interest, she was extremely responsive, and she gave me solid and much-needed advice throughout the process. I felt like I was in good hands from start to finish, and in the end I did much better with the sale than I had expected. Top notch service! Highly recommend.

She works closely with her clients; she listens; she communicates well; she has strong networking skills and excellent relationships with colleagues; she's smart; she's savvy and she has her finger on the pulse of the real estate market. We're genuinely grateful for her professionalism and the results she has produced!

She was easy to communicate with, proactive and helped us negotiate an excellent offer to purchase our home. Mary also connected us with many local businesses and services to assess the home and provide quotes for any required work. If you're looking to buy in Portland or greater Portland we certainly recommend Mary!

Love my house and really appreciate the patience and effort Colleen put in to help me find the right place. She is the best!

She did many virtual walk throughs with us and helped us to understand the local dynamics of the Portland real estate market. She's always been super helpful in sharing her personal knowledge of the area be it a neighborhood or a restaurant recommendation. I highly recommend Mary if you need a real estate professional.

Colleen is calm, dependable, confident and extremely knowledgeable about the buying and selling process. She is respectful and really listens to your concerns and finds creative ways to deal with obstacles. Colleen has made it so easy for us to reach our real estate goals. She is a true professional and such a pleasure to work with!

We had Emily helping us. Our experience with her was outstanding. She helped us make the transition very smooth.

These were in 2009, 2013, 2015, and 2021. Colleen was a thorough and helpful guide. She researched and answered questions we hadn’t even thought to ask, so that there were no surprises at closing. We were impressed by how smoothly the exchange of properties could be accomplished, certainly due to Colleen’s expertise.

I have honestly missed the constant communication since our sale, she made the entire process stress free and fun!

We did a long-distance purchase near the height of the 21-22 market, without her help there's no way it would have worked, everything was very complex and fast moving but Mary did a great job communicating at every opportunity. She was efficient and thorough but not pushy, I appreciated her honest yet friendly attitude. Of the four real estate agents we dealt with during our move, Mary was by far the most intelligent, helpful, and the realtor I would be most likely to give repeat business.

What we have appreciated most is that we always feel that she is working for us, and helping us to find what really suits us; we never have felt pressured or deceived. What is most important to us has been her honesty. Also, without our asking, she has done research on our behalf and has alerted us to potential problems we might encounter with a particular property. Colleen has kept us informed as our purchases progressed and her demeanor is always calm and encouraging. We always recommend Colleen Bedard whenever we meet someone looking for a home in the Portland area

Colleen is knowledgeable, professional, and has really gone the extra mile to help me find the right properties and to make sure we structure our deals well. Her decades of experience in the area are a real asset.

Colleen is an ever consummate professional in her field. She has expert knowledge of the area and market, provides a warm and clear communication style, and an unsurpassed eye for home staging and marketing and the ultimately important razor-sharp business and negotiation skills. I have recommended Colleen to friends and family over the years, and everyone has been grateful for her services!

She really listens and takes your needs into consideration. Not to mention she is brilliant, and well-connected in her community. And, I love my new house. It’s perfect!

She is always a pleasure to work with: professional, responsive, meticulous, and makes a stressful time as easy as it can possibly be. I have recommended her highly to a number of people.

Unfortunately, our plans were delayed until 2023 due to the pandemic and the need to care for an aging relative. During that time Mary routinely checked in with us, sent information about the Maine real estate market and Maine home financing, and met with us during periodic trips to Maine. In the spring of 2023, we informed Mary that we were finally ready to relocate to Maine. Mary found us a beautifully furnished rental apartment in Portland. We sold our New Jersey home and moved into the Portland apartment in late summer. Mary began showing us condominium units for sale and providing guidance on making offers in the Maine real estate market. In mid-October we made our first offer, on a condominium unit in Brunswick. The offer was accepted, and we moved into our new home in late December 2023. Mary continues to check in with us and provide guidance as we settle into the new home. Mary Cuellar is a caring and competent real estate professional who provided years of effective support. We highly recommend her to anyone needing the services of a Maine realtor.

Colleen is a consummate professional: knowledgeable in all aspects of real estate and every step of the home buying and selling process in Maine. She communicates her knowledge and information clearly and straightforwardly. She is service oriented with her clients rather than bottom-line driven, personally supportive, discreet when need be, always prompt and responsive to questions and requests, and always flexible with her time and patient with other people's. Moreover, Colleen goes above and beyond a realtor’s duties. As a newcomer to the Greater Portland area, she provided me with many referrals to other services and organizations I needed. I greatly enjoyed her company as I searched for a new home and felt far more confidant and “unstressed” than I imagined I would be.

She helped with a difficult situation (we were out of state and settling an estate) by always providing assistance with contractors, making suggestions, and handling local details. She was always available for communication and successfully moved the property at a price that met all our expectations. Cannot thank her enough for her professionalism and assistance!

Mary educated, supported, and prioritized us through what could have been a very stressful series of events. Instead, she managed the twists and turns in stride and with grace. Mary went out of her way numerous times to assist us through our process, including trips to the cottage, looking up permitting regulations, and managing challenging communications and misinformation. Perhaps most impressively, Mary listened thoughtfully and responded to our particular needs. We are thrilled to be stepping into our new beautiful Wee Cottage. We highly recommend Mary Levanti-Cuellar.

I was 40 years old at the time, a source of humiliation for me, a Type-A and proud personality to the hilt. My lack of experience in the real estate market left me feeling vulnerable and prone to bad decisions. Colleen never once made me feel that any of my questions were stupid, she gave me confidence to prioritize the things that were important to me in a home, and helped me open my eyes to additional possibilities that had never occurred to me or that I had prematurely ruled out. She made me feel very safe as I embarked upon a momentous decision, and had the exactly right information and advice to help me make the best one I could. I have been in my home for just over 2 years now, and I could not be happier. I credit Colleen for getting me here, and I will be forever grateful.

In each situation, Colleen was thorough, professional and always ready to go the extra mile to get things done right. The property Colleen sold for us was occupied by tenants who didn’t always leave the condo in “show” condition. Colleen admitted after the closing that, on more than one occasion, she made the bed and straightened things up before the potential buyer arrived. The tenants’ dog was often on the premises as well, and Colleen made a point of taking it for a walk during the times the property was being shown. These are just a couple of examples, but very indicative of the type of person Colleen is and of her commitment to her clients the and their respective goals. We have referred several people to Colleen and will continue to use her in the future.

I knew close to nothing about property search, inspection, and all the other stuff concerning the enormous amount of paperwork and stress it takes. Emily was an angel! She was professional, knowledgeable, proactive. She knew her stuff! If you’re trying to get a property whether or not you’re a first time home buyer, I would definitely recommend her.

Her communication was fantastic and very prompt. She was available whenever we needed her which was great because we had a lot of questions! She was on top of everything and I would absolutely recommend her!!! 5 stars!

” Like everyone else who left a review here, I deeply appreciated Colleen’s deep local knowledge, her smart eye for exactly what you want, her savvy in negotiations, her infinite patience and calm, and the way she is just really on your side. She’s gifted at what she does. I’m so grateful to her for finding me my perfect condo.

..buy a new home! Simply stated, Colleen went above and beyond through both processes, providing sound advise, expert knowledge, and professionalism! Her calm and informed demeanor not only gave me confidence in the decisions I was making, but also kept me calm (well...as calm as would be possible for me...buying a home)! Colleen was incredibly responsive to every question along the way...not to mention extremely organized and thorough! I could go on!! Bottom line, she is truly a wonderful person and real estate professional! I highly recommend her!

She was helpful and responsive during our home search, was patience and gave valuable advice when viewing homes, and was indispensable during negotiation on the home we found, bought, and love. As a busy family, we really appreciated her responsiveness and flexibility. Thanks Colleen!!

We found her to be professional and personable throughout the entire interaction. She has a high level knowledge of the area and was able to negotiate a deal that was satisfactory to both parties. Colleen also worked very hard on our behalf and was thorough with researching paperwork, referring builders/contractors/inspectors, and any other needs we had during the negotiations. I would highly recommend Colleen Bedard for any of your real estate needs.

She was honest and upfront on all details. She was extremely thorough in educating us on the homes we were considering. She was our eyes and ears for most of the process and we can't thank her enough. I would highly recommend having Colleen as your realtor and in your corner.

Colleen was a joy to work with! She was patient, responsive, accommodating and helped us land the perfect home. We would, without hesitation, use Colleen again! She was the best!!

We had a great experience and I think you will too!

She is responsive, attentive to detail and a pleasure to work with. She thought of questions that we might have missed and made sure that by the time we closed , everything had been answered and dealt with. Mary is a great listener and communicator. She is able to translate the language of real estate transactions into clear, understandable terms. We would recommend her highly for anyone who wants a personable, thorough, and creative broker.

We met with her and just a few days later she found us the house of our dreams. We told her exactly what we wanted and she got it! She has extensive knowledge of the greater Portland area and was able to expertly guide us through a process we knew little about. She made us feel secure in our purchase and kept us informed throughout the process. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to purchase a home in the area.

She was very thorough and her experience was no doubt an asset. She organized our options in a very easy to understand way that made the whole process very smooth. Her recommendations for staging were great and with her help we were able to get the best possible amount for our home sale. I would definitely work with her again and hope others take the opportunity to work with such a lovely and experienced real estate agent.

She was very considerate of our budget and wishes, and offered expert advice and insight whenever we needed it. We were able to find a home that was perfect for our budget and had even more space than what we had expected to afford. Couldn't be happier to recommend her!

Colleen Bedard is by far the best real estate agent I have ever worked with. Her knowledge, professionalism and guidance were exemplary. She worked with us every step of the way during the search for our home and the buying process. She provided us with services which I know were above and beyond the scope of my experiences with other realtors in the past. I have referred others to her and they have had the same experience of Colleen's excellence as a realtor. She was a delight to work with and I would welcome the chance to work with her again in the future.

I was a first-time home buyer, and not particularly well-versed in the process. Colleen was extremely patient and carefully explained all of the steps and considerations (more than once, when I needed to process things over!), and I never felt that she was anything but enthusiastic in helping me through my questions. Colleen clearly has a great deal of experience in her field, and is very comfortable with approaching negotiations in a fair, logical, and measured manner. She made me feel confident, assured, and informed throughout every step of the process. She was always very organized, prepared, and punctual for every meeting we had. I would highly highly recommend Colleen to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. If I need to move at any point in the future, I will certainly be calling her. As an aside, Colleen also received a very glowing review from my sister-in-law, who is a realtor in Los Angeles, and holds her expectations of her colleagues at a very high standard (as an extremely thorough and talented member of the profession, herself). They spoke on the phone a couple of times, as I was working out my process.

She certainly has her finger on the pulse in the Portland area. She was responsive and very easy to deal with. We felt very confident and happy with Colleen.

She knew the property I was purchasing in detail and was extremely thorough in her explanation of the process. She kept me apprised of information the entire way and was always quick to respond to any questions. I have recommended Mary to others in the past and found it a real pleasure to have her assist me in my purchase of 147 ocean ridge.     

As I was living out of state at the time, she handled everything for me from checking the oil level in the furnance to overseeing the cleaning and painting projects. When her colleagues suggested she list my property $20K lower then what she thought, she stuck to her guns and sure enough the property sold for what she had for the asking price! I would highly recommend Colleen for anyone thinking of selling Real Estate.

She is honest, caring, responsive, and incredibly competent. I have purchased and sold several properties with Colleen over a 10 year period. I highly recommend her!

Mary scouted out promising properties and walked through several with us over FaceTime, including the condo that we just bought. Mary was tenacious in getting information from the builder and the seller’s agent. She really shone during the pre-closing period by keeping all the groups communicating, which was surprisingly difficult. She has been a great help following the closing as well by helping tradespeople get access before we have moved in. We highly recommend Mary for buying or selling a house in Maine.

Her knowledge of the local market, her understanding of and respect for what we were looking for, and her honesty made our home buying experience positive and successful. We would recommend her without hesitation.