Melissa DeSantis Real Estate

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Freehold, NJ
Melissa DeSantis Real Estate

Mom of twins 💙🩷‼️ Broker Associate/Managing Broker - REAL Broker, LLC Freehold. Ranked Top 1% Monmouth County Realtors. Featured in Inman News. NJ Homes For Sale.

Monmouth County Elite Top Agent recipient. I’d love the opportunity to earn your business 💕 "Top Realtor Freehold. Best real estate agent Monmouth County Freehold New Jersey.. Selling homes in Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro & surrounding areas for top dollar. Top Real Estate Agent."

06/19/2026

Have you checked out ParkStage yet? Let me know what show you’re most excited to see! The new ParkStage concert series is bringing live music, major acts, and a brand-new outdoor entertainment experience right here to Freehold. From family-friendly shows to nationally recognized performers, this is another exciting addition that makes our community such a great place to live. 🩷

06/18/2026

If you’re thinking about moving to Holmdel, these are the 5 neighborhoods you need to know, because not all areas here feel the same.

1. Beau Ridge

Why buyers love it:

* Gated community (big draw in Holmdel)
* Townhome + single-family options
* Resort-style amenities (pool, tennis, clubhouse)

2. The Grande at Holmdel

Why buyers love it:

* Larger homes (4,000+ sq ft common)
* Beautiful curb appeal + newer construction feel
* Strong “move-up” neighborhood

3. Orchard Hill

Why buyers love it:

* Established neighborhood with mature trees
* Larger lots + privacy
* Close to top-rated schools

4. Woods at Holmdel

Why buyers love it:

* Private, wooded setting
* Custom-style homes
* Quiet, tucked-away feel

5. Holmdel Chase

Why buyers love it:

* Well-kept, consistent neighborhood feel
* Great commuter location
* More approachable price point vs. top luxury areas

Thinking about making a move to Holmdel? Send me a message and I’d be happy to help you figure out which neighborhood might be the best fit for your lifestyle. 🏡

06/17/2026

🚨 The 3 Rooms That Make or Break Your Downsizing Sale Price

Thinking about downsizing?
Here’s the mistake I see over and over again…

Sellers try to update everything.
A little paint here. A new light fixture there. Maybe refinish a floor. And in the end?

They’ve spent the budget… but nothing feels upgraded.

💡 Strategic focus beats scattered effort. Every single time.

If you’re downsizing, buyers are laser-focused on three rooms and these rooms alone can dramatically influence your final sale price:

1️⃣ The Kitchen
This is the emotional command center of the home. Buyers equate kitchen condition with overall home condition.
Outdated cabinets and tired countertops scream “future expense.”
Modern, clean, move-in ready? That screams “strong offer.”

2️⃣ The Primary Bathroom
Buyers downsizing still want comfort.
An updated vanity, fresh tile, good lighting, and clean grout go a long way.
This space signals lifestyle, not just function.

3️⃣ The Living Room (First Impression Space)
This is where buyers decide how the home feels.
Fresh paint, updated lighting, and decluttering can completely transform perception.
It sets the tone for everything else.

Here’s the truth:
You don’t need to renovate the entire house. You need to win in the rooms buyers care about most.

When you concentrate your prep budget in high-impact areas, you don’t just make the home look better, you protect (and often increase) your sale price.

If you’re thinking about downsizing in Monmouth County and want to know exactly where to spend and where to skip, I’ll map it out for you.

📩 Send me a message that says “DOWNSIZE” and I’ll share my strategic prep checklist.

06/16/2026

✨ UNDER CONTRACT ✨
📍 21 Forge Ct. Freehold, NJ

There was something special about 21 Forge Ct. that buyers felt the moment they walked through the front door.

This wasn’t a home filled with the latest renovations or designer finishes. Instead, buyers fell in love with something far more meaningful. The warmth, character, and undeniable feeling that this home had been loved, cared for, and cherished by the same family for many years.

The layout, the lot, and the potential certainly stood out, but it was the feeling of home that truly captured buyers’ hearts.❤️

I’m happy to share that 21 Forge Court is now under contract. While there are certainly bittersweet emotions that come with selling a home filled with so many memories, the sellers are incredibly happy knowing it will soon belong to another family who will love, appreciate, and cherish it just as much as they have over the years.

This sale is proof that buyers aren’t always looking for perfection… they’re looking for a place that feels like home. 🩷🩷🩷🏡

06/15/2026

The house isn’t too big. 🏡
The life you want just got bigger.

And there’s a difference…one worth paying attention to.

Because what I see with my clients isn’t people giving something up. It’s people finally making room for what’s next.

Here’s what they’re leaving behind:

The mortgage that outlasted the need for the space. ✓ Gone.
The weekends swallowed by maintenance and yard work. ✓ Gone.
The rooms full of things kept out of obligation, not love. ✓ Gone.

Here’s what’s not gone:

The equity, now liquid and working for them.
The time, now spent on actual living.
The energy, now directed at things that actually matter.

I work with empty nesters and longtime homeowners all across Monmouth County. And I’ll tell you what I see again and again:

The clients who were most afraid to make this move are the ones who call me afterward the most grateful.

They thought smaller meant lesser.

What they found was lighter. Freer. More.

Your home was built to serve your life, not the other way around. If you’ve outgrown the season that house was built for, that’s not a loss. That’s a signal.

Less house can mean more life. And in Monmouth County right now, it can also mean more money in your pocket than you ever expected.

Curious what that could look like for you?
Let’s talk, no pressure, just clarity. 💫

06/12/2026

They were ready to spend $75,000:
New kitchen —❌
Refinished floors — ❌
Full bathroom remodel — ❌

What we did instead:
→ Decluttered and depersonalized every room
→ Fresh neutral paint in two key spaces
→ Styled the living areas to photograph beautifully
→ Let the home’s bones and its story do the heavy lifting

The result: multiple offers, above asking, faster than they expected.

They came to me convinced their home wasn’t ready to sell.

The buyers who fell in love with it disagreed.

Here’s what most sellers don’t hear until it’s too late:

Buyers aren’t looking for perfect. They’re looking for potential and the feeling that this could be theirs.

No renovation creates that feeling. The right preparation does.

Thinking your home needs a major overhaul before listing?

It might need a lot less than you think, and cost you a lot less too.

Drop “READY” in the comments or send me a DM. I’ll show you exactly what buyers actually care about, and what’s just expensive noise.

06/11/2026

After almost 20 years in real estate, here’s what I want you to know about me before we work together. 👇

I’m Melissa DeSantis: Monmouth County real estate agent, wife, mom to twins (and two very important dogs), and your go-to resource for everything Freehold, Manalapan, Marlboro, Colts Neck, Holmdel and surrounding Monmouth County towns. 🩷

I moved to Manalapan in 2011, so I’m not just selling in this area, I’m living in it, raising my family in it, and genuinely passionate about it.

When you work with me, you get nearly 20 years of experience, deep local connections, and someone who truly cares about getting you the best outcome, whether you’re buying, selling, or just starting to think about your next move.

Slide through to learn more, and DM me anytime. 🏡

06/10/2026

JUST SOLD | 📍33 Great Bridge Rd., Freehold Pointe

This sale is a great example of why pricing a home isn’t always as straightforward as looking at recent comparable sales.

When I met with the sellers, the spring market was just beginning and there were very few recent sales in the neighborhood to use as a benchmark. Several agents had recommended pricing the home at or below $1.3 million based on the available data.

After evaluating the home, the neighborhood, current inventory, and buyer demand, we decided on a different approach. Together, we positioned the property at $1,535,000 and agreed that if the market didn’t respond, we would adjust accordingly.

The response was immediate.

Within one week, the home generated multiple offers and ultimately sold for $1,635,000… $100,000 above asking price.

Every home and every market is different. While comparable sales are an important part of the pricing process, they don’t always tell the whole story.
Understanding the Freehold Township market, buyer behavior, market conditions, competition, and a home’s unique strengths can play a significant role in determining value.

I’m grateful to my sellers for trusting the process and allowing me to guide them through such an important decision. Congratulations on a fantastic result and thank you for the opportunity to represent you.💕

06/09/2026

I’m incredibly honored to be recognized by REAL Trends among the top 1.5% of real estate professionals nationwide.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s that social media often shows the result, not the journey.

What you don’t see are the appointments that never turn into business, the listings you don’t win, the offers that aren’t accepted, the deals that fall apart, the sleepless nights, or the moments when you question yourself and wonder if you’re doing enough.

And if I’m being honest, those moments affect me more than most people probably realize. I care deeply about my clients, my business, and doing the best job possible, so the disappointments can feel just as real as the successes.

What I’m learning is that every successful person has experienced setbacks, rejection, disappointments, and moments of doubt. The difference is they keep showing up anyway.

That’s why this recognition means so much to me. Not because of the ranking itself, but because of everything it represent. Years of hard work, perseverance, growth, and just always trying to do the right thing for my clients.

The award is wonderful, but the trust behind it means everything.

To every buyer, seller, family member, friend, referral partner, and supporter who has been part of this journey, thank you. Thank you for your trust, your referrals, your encouragement, and for allowing me to be part of some of life’s biggest moments.

I never take any of it for granted, and I’m truly grateful. 🩷

06/05/2026

📍 86 Harvest Ridge Rd. Howell - UNDER CONTRACT🏡

Listed on Monday, accepted offer on Tuesday morning, out of review on Thursday 💕

Congratulations to my sellers and the lucky new buyer 💫

Address

218 Schanck Road
Freehold, NJ
07728

Telephone

(732) 757-2522

Website

https://melissadesantis.com/

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