Testimonials

We recently listed a lot through Flamingo Beach Realty that we had been trying to sell through another broker for over a year and a half. Melanie and her entire team stepped in and within a couple of months had an offer and then subsequently a sale. From start to finish, they were very attentive to all of our questions and exceptional with their marketing and efficiency. From now on Flamingo Beach Realty will be our “go to” for all of our future real estate needs. I highly recommend them!

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Melanie Engel and her team at Flamingo Beach Realty were outstanding from start to finish. They helped us sell our ocean-view 4-bedroom home in Mar Vista, Costa Rica, and the whole process was smooth and professional. Melanie’s marketing stood out — her videos were excellent and really showcased the property’s best features. The home went under contract in just 30 days on the market. We couldn’t have asked for a better result or a more capable, responsive team. If you’re looking to buy or sell in the Flamingo / Mar Vista area, we highly recommend Melanie and Flamingo Beach Realty. Thank you for the exceptional service!

If you want the best, you go with Melanie. If you want the second best, you go with Melanie. If you want the third best… you still go with Melanie. She knows the top architects, lawyers, and builders, sees the work firsthand, and gives advice you can trust completely. Buying abroad as Canadians was nerve-wracking, but Melanie made it happen. Then there are all the other real estate agents… and then there’s Melanie, in a league of her own.

Melanie Engel and the Flamingo Beach Realty team handled our real estate transaction in Tamarindo and made the whole process easy. Responsive at every stage — often within the hour — and they coordinated everything from listing through inspection, escrow and closing. Working from abroad, you depend heavily on your agent, and they were excellent throughout. If you’re buying or selling in Guanacaste, we’d recommend them without hesitation.

Melanie was such an asset during our “from a distance” home purchase – She was honest and forthright and enabled us to purchase a beautiful 3 bedroom 3 1/2 bath home in our desired neighborhood ALL BY VIDEO! yes, by zoom and video she handled all of our viewings and our questions. We have used her for long term and short term rentals previously and she has always met our needs with professionalism, genuine care, and deep knowledge of not just housing but any other needs we had to settle into our stays and transition in Costa Rica.

We had an exceptional experience working with Jose Andres as our realtor. From the very first moment, his professionalism and genuinely warm approach stood out — he always listened carefully to exactly what we were looking for in our future home. His ability to understand our needs and find options that truly matched what we wanted was impressive. He made us feel supported every step of the way, with patience, availability, and truly personalized service. We highly recommend Jose Andres to anyone looking to buy their next home. Thank you for making this process so special for us!

When I made the decision to move to Costa Rica with my 13-year-old son, we had never before set foot in the country. All decisions regarding what part of the country we were going to live in were made through online research. Fortunately, this is how I found Melanie Engel of Flamingo Beach Reality. From the first interaction we had via the web, Melanie was prompt, professional and efficient. Finding a long-term rental along the coast is no easy task but within 24 hours Melanie leveraged her many contacts within the community to locate the perfect home for us. What I found most amazing though, were the ‘extras’ that I have never experienced in working with a realtor before. She helped source the school my son ultimately was enrolled in, ensured I had a rental car at a great deal for our house hunting trip, Face Timed a thorough home walk through to ensure I was fully satisfied (since I was committing from afar) among many other “above-and-beyonds”. We have now been in Flamingo Beach just over 2 months, and I am proud to refer to this as our home. Without Melanie’s high standard of partnership and service both before and after our home rental, an already stressful move to another country would have been very tough to manage. However, thanks to her attention to all of the details both large and small, we moved with confidence and were able to embrace our new life motto – Pura Vida. I highly recommend Melanie if you are looking for someone to facilitate a home purchase, investment purchase, or long-term rental. You will find, like I did, a person with great integrity and a can-do attitude.

Braeden Engel did a fantastic job selling our home in Altos de Flamingo. Braeden always made himself available for any questions we had and always made us feel comfortable. He made sure that the house was seen by putting together an excellent social media ad as well as listing it on all the available platforms. We made a great choice to work with Braeden; he is trustworthy and prepared every step of the way. I loved his willingness to work together and his positive, uplifting energy. Thank you Braeden, all the very best!

First of all, we want to thank you for your services and recommend you to anyone reading this, for the efficiency, organization and dedication you showed in selling our condominium in Reserva Conchal, Costa Rica, within two months. You always kept both the seller’s and the buyer’s comfort in mind, with no pressure at all, giving both sides time to think the deal through. We truly appreciate your real estate services and thank you a thousand times for your understanding. We love you very much. THANKS.

Translated from Spanish · Traducido del español

I had a great experience working with Kali Engel at Flamingo Beach Realty. She is very attentive and easy to work with. She took the time to tour us through different properties and explain the various areas, communities, and what each location had to offer. I would absolutely work with her again and recommend her to anyone looking for real estate in Guanacaste.

This is Corie & Nick Ferrentino and we purchased our dream home in Las Ventanas Playa Grande. Melanie Engel is our real estate broker. Melanie put us together with an incredible lawyer Mr. Gonzalo Rojas (my husband refers to as the doctor), who guided us through the laws of purchasing property in Costa Rica. Upon us flying home to follow all of the rules to buy property in Costa Rica the virus pandemic of Corona broke out and all the borders were closed! This is when Melanie really showed us how honest and trustworthy she really is and an amazing person to work with, she is helpful, kind and gave all the information a realtor should. When the virus broke out this when she really became someone I am grateful to have in my life. We just bought our dream home and now we can’t get there! Melanie has kept me up to date with what is going on in Costa Rica, she has been making sure the people who work at the house are doing their jobs, making sure the home we purchased will stay in the same condition as when we bought It. So yes Melanie is an amazing realtor, she also is now my friend and someone I know I could turn to if I needed help! That is going up and beyond her job description! Thank you Melanie for all you have done for us! We can’t wait to come home!

Personalized support given with great kindness and first-class professionalism! We highly recommend Marc Baissus, who quickly understands what you are looking for in a property and will guide you promptly through the administrative steps and give you sound advice. He speaks several languages fluently and also offers his services as a translator. A big thank you to him and his team.

Translated from French · Traduit du français

We knew on our first visit, that we wanted to own a home for our family in Potrero. We initially contacted Melanie based on positive online reviews, her detailed website and the fact she was a fellow Canadian who would understand our expectations, our family needs and point us in the right direction. We couldn’t be happier with our experience with Melanie. She was well versed in the area, had excellent pointers for us in both the neighbourhoods and the homes we went to see. She provided detailed plans for us on the days we went house hunting, and she was extremely responsive to our many calls and emails. Melanie was endlessly patient with answering our long list of questions about the process, who to contact for various needs, all the way to how to set up bills for the house transfer to be flawless. In the end, we found the perfect house for our family, all thanks to Melanie and we wouldn’t hesitate to give her our highest recommendation. Spending time in Potrero/ Flamingo, we see why she holds such an excellent reputation within the community. Buying a home abroad can be challenging and even a little scary, but having a well versed, dedicated agent like Melanie made it as painless and straightforward as possible. We felt she had our best interest at heart from start to finish and it is all thanks to her that we are living our Costa Rican dream!

I own three properties in Costa Rica and have worked with many realtors as a buyer and as a seller. The professionalism, attention to detail and responsiveness of Melanie and her Flamingo Beach Realty team is unparalleled.

Just closed on our Surfside Towers Condo in Playa Potrero. Thanks to Melanie Engels of Flamingo Beach Realty for bringing us to, and leading us through the buying process. Can’t wait to enjoy, and have others enjoy this gem! If you’re looking to buy or rent in the Flamingo area, do yourself a favor and give Melanie a call!

Melanie and her team have been extremely patient and supportive throughout our purchase. Her level of knowledge and professionalism is comforting when going through a purchase in a foreign country. I would highly recommend Melanie and her team at Flamingo Beach Realty.

Melanie Engel helped us sell our condo. She was with us every step of the way. No matter what question we asked, Melanie always answered in a very timely manner. She is very resourceful. She looks at real estate more than just a business, she sees it as helping to find a home or sell a home. We would definitely recommend Melanie. She is very professional, knowledgeable, and hardworking. Thanks for everything.

Melanie and her Flamingo Beach Realty Team are true professionals. Incredibly responsive and knowledgeable! On our recent home purchase in Guanacaste, with their assistance and expertise we were able to identify, bid, complete due diligence and close seamlessly. Excellent and Thank you!

We just bought our first Costa Rica property in Brasilito. Melanie helped us sort through various options on locale and the struggle deciding condo vs house. She was very organized and kept us on target by honing in on what we were looking for. Big decisions were made by us with confidence. Melanie has her own experts on call whether you need a lawyer or builder! I have already recommended her to a number of folks wanting to rent or buy in Costa Rica. She looked out for us the whole time and we look forward to starting our escape plan to Costa Rica. In addition I found her website to be among the best. I didn’t have to jump around to many realtors as she has all the listings on there. She was easy to reach via WhatsApp and email and phone. She also made personal recommendations for places to eat and see and shop. We loved them all!

I have worked with Kali Engel and she is an excellent real estate agent. She is extremely professional, knowledgeable about the area, and always on top of everything. She communicates clearly, answers questions quickly, and makes the entire process feel easy and straightforward. I would highly recommend working with her.

Melanie helped us with two transactions and was very pro-active with both. She went the extra mile to find the right property that met our needs. It happened to be under construction which made it more complicated, but she helped us through what at times was a trying process and we couldn’t be happier with the home. We look forward to enjoying it for years to come!

Mariela is amazing! Such an optimistic, energetic and most of all professional real estate agent. We are so happy to work with her and are so lucky to have her as our real estate agent and as a friend.

I can’t recommend Melanie highly enough. She has a strong ethical base and integrity, and genuinely wants what’s best for the clients. She follows through and her communication is excellent, and she is incredibly knowledgeable about the area. In addition to listening to what my wife and I told her we wanted to look at, she took the time to get to know us personally so she could find the right properties and not waste our time. She succeeded brilliantly and found us our dream property, one we had been seeking for over 15 years in many countries. In addition to helping us negotiate our purchase she introduced us to an excellent attorney, architect, and builder so we can proceed with building our dream house.

From start to finish the Flamingo Beach Realty team went above and beyond to help us. Any questions that needed clarification, they were there to help. Braeden was absolutely clear and concise with everything and a true pleasure to have as our realtor. Thanks for everything that you have done for us!

So, imagine you live in Canada and you decide randomly that you’re going to invest in a Faraway land such a Costa Rica. Imagine the questions you would have, imagine all the insecurities you might have. It almost seems like a pipe dream. You go through YouTube video after YouTube video trying to figure out what to do. You finally get to a point where you’re going to decide to make the leap to speak to a real estate agent. Google then directs you to Flamingo Beach Realty, this is where you meet one of the best real estate agents in all of Costa Rica. We were all over the place initially, didn’t know if we wanted to buy an investment property by the beach or a house overlooking the sea up in the hills and move to this beautiful place permanently. That didn’t matter to Melanie, she would do anything and go anywhere for us, and we would buy our first place in Tamarindo Costa Rica, sight unseen (in person) with all the confidence in the world. She held our hand every step of the way, and I never doubted her once. She would even drive down the street with her phone outside of the window to show us what the roads were like and what the sunset looked like along the beach. She was such a professional, she even knew to show us how private things were from different angles and would use certain things to show us the relative size of rooms and furniture, to make sure that we were going to be happy with the place we purchased. So many homes that she walked us through and so much honesty. If a place looks like it needed work she would tell us. If something looked too small she would tell us. If she really liked something she would let us know and then give us her opinion on things that she would change. All these things were exactly what we needed and things that we didn’t know we needed until we had someone like Melanie to show us. As we told our friends about the exciting news of our new purchase in Costa Rica they’ve all become more interested and intrigued about an opportunity for themselves. I wouldn’t hesitate for a second to recommend Melanie to everybody I know and hopefully, all of them will follow our lead to come and live in Paradise in Costa Rica.

Amazing job! Melanie and her team are the best. They are knowledgeable, patient, kind and most importantly, honest.

Dealing with Melanie Engel from Flamingo Beach Realty has been an overall delight! We first discovered Melanie when we Googled realty companies in Costa Rica’s Gold Coast. Flamingo Beach Realty’s website stood out from the competition with its excellent reviews, great photos, and a plethora of real estate options. More importantly,Melanie’s story pulled on our heartstrings as we instantly felt a connection with this Canadian lady who had visited Costa Rica on a family vacation and then decided to make Costa Rica their new home! My husband and I are both from Toronto, and had only visited Costa Rica once, ten years ago where we got engaged, see photo. We promised each other that we would return to the dreamy Gold Coast on our 10th anniversary, but instead we were hit with the Covid-19 pandemic. Isolating during the winter was rather depressing, yet it allowed us time to reflect on what we wanted in life and that was to own a home in Costa Rica. For us, Melanie was our guiding light. We felt confident in this remarkable lady right from the start because she exudes deep passion and knowledge of the area and has strong communication skills and many key contacts who helped us with our foreign investment, including the legalities, property management, home insurance, etc. We really enjoyed the virtual tours of the properties that Melanie had showed us including the fine details as well as the surrounding area such as the neighbourhood, restaurants, grocery stores, parks, beach, etc. These insightful tours were nearly as good as being there in person. So, we ended up purchasing our dream home virtually! Modern technology in real estate was an exciting and convenient experience, especially during the pandemic. We wish we could buy more properties from Melanie as we will miss her but instead, we have already recommended her to our family and friends so that we can be somewhat a part of the exciting real estate process all over again. Melanie’s upbeat and positive spirit is infectious; and she is truly a top-notch trusted individual and realtor.

Melanie was great to work with, always kept us informed along the way. She made it work for everyone involved. We would definitely work with her again! Great job. Thank you.

Melanie Engel helped our dream come true! We closed the deal on our condo in Flamingo beach this past July and Mel was with us every step of the way. She suggested a fabulous lawyer, was able to answer the many, many questions we had and also recommended our incredible property manager. Mel takes her clients needs to heart and goes above and beyond to help you in any way that she can. She is very knowledgeable and passionate about life in Costa Rica. We feel like we gained a friend and would highly recommend her if you’re buying or selling!

The great people at Flamingo Beach Realty have been the best team I could possibly have been lucky enough to work with. My journey has not been easy and their team was nothing but generous, courteous, and have been cheering me on throughout this process. I would and will absolutely recommend to anyone to work with them!

I found Melanie Engel via her website while searching for condos in the Playa Flamingo area of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Her website was very easy to navigate, and when I requested more information Melanie immediately emailed me back. We communicated regarding various properties for a couple of months before I was able to make the trip to Costa Rica to look at properties with her. Melanie is a complete professional, very kind and easy to talk to, and knows the area very well as she lives in Playa Flamingo herself. She was able to guide me through the decision making process very well so I could focus on what it was that I really wanted. Melanie also did a fantastic job on negotiating on my behalf so I could obtain the ocean view condo that I always dreamed of but never thought would be within my reach. If you are looking for a realtor in the area, I highly recommend Melanie.

We found our dream home in Costa Rica thanks to Melanie knowing what we wanted and taking us right to it. My husband and I went to Costa Rica for 3 months earlier this year to escape the cold weather we typically get in Toronto with part of our mission to start looking for a home to call ours in this beautiful Country that we love so much. We met up with Melanie to discuss our wants and needs and we knew that she was the agent for us, we did not have to meet with anyone else. She was very thorough, listened to what we both were saying, gave us some great advice on building vs buying and was also able to tell us about her own transition from Canada to Costa Rica which really gave us comfort that we were absolutely doing the right thing. Two days later Melanie set up a tour for us to go see some homes. We weren’t sure how many homes we would have to see before we found the one for us, we even thought we might not find what we were looking for as we had a lot on our wish. After seeing a few homes, the last one we saw that day was just amazing, we knew it was the one for us. We all loved it and it had everything we wanted, ocean views to die for, walking distance to our favourite beach, a pool, the ability to do some renovations to make it ours and it just had the most amazing energy. My husband and I knew we were going to somehow make it happen and we did. Thanks to Melanie, we were able to make an offer and do all of the necessary due diligence required to move into the house just three weeks later!!! Melanie knew exactly what she had to do to make this happen for us. We can’t stress enough how important it is to have an agent that you trust, is well known, has amazing connections with lawyers, inspectors, insurance brokers, escrow agents that all speak English and can move quickly. It was also very comforting to know that she had our best interests in mind. Knowing that Melanie had moved to Costa Rica from Canada a few years back just made it more flawless. She knew the ins and outs of what we needed to do and guided us through it all. We look forward to the journey that’s ahead of us and we highly recommend Melanie to help you make your dreams come true.

I started working with Melanie Engel at Flamingo Beach Realty because I found their website very easy to use. I liked the way the section on Condos for Sale could sort by location, neighborhood, and price. After I downloaded a brochure on the listings I was most interested in, Melanie immediately emailed me and introduced herself and wanted to get to know me better and how she could meet my needs. She was very personable and friendly. My daughter had recently moved to Costa Rica and I was looking for something small, affordable and possibly an investment for the future. Melanie contacted my daughter and set up a time they could see the condos together that I was interested in. I was still in the United States and got to tour the condo units with them through video chatting. It was a very helpful and fun experience! Once I chose the condo I wanted, Melanie worked very hard to make sure the condo was ready for me when I flew into Costa Rica for the closing and stayed in the condo on a 2 week visit with my daughter. She provided me with contacts so I could get the condo cleaned before I arrived and meet with a handyman while staying at the condo so everything could be the way I wanted it for the future. I now have a double unit condo that I love and is available for me and my daughter and friends and family who would like to come and visit! I couldn’t be more pleased with the whole experience and outcome. Thank you so much Melanie Engel!

From the moment Melanie and I first spoke, it was an instant connection and clear verification that the decision we were making to purchase a home in Costa Rica, was the right one for our family. The decision didn’t come lightly, this has been a family discussion for about 5 years, and something imprinted in my heart for a lot longer. After many conversations and with a similar story, Melanie continued to confirm this move would be the best thing for our family, and how excited she was for us. With sights on the Pura Vida lifestyle, we were heading in the right direction. Our entire process was done during the events of Covid 19, so things were done a little differently, Melanie took us on video chat tours and showings of the home we had our eyes on. Any time I had questions or concerns she was always there to lend an ear and get the answers. The process was seamless, the help, guidance, and assurance we received was incredible. I can say with absolute confidence that the passion Melanie has for her country, her work and her clients shine through all she does! If you have a question and are considering purchasing a property in CR, for whatever reason, investment, vacation, or living, please don’t hesitate to contact Melanie! ?

If you are fortunate enough to have Melanie Engel of Flamingo Beach Realty work for you and with you on real estate, then by all means do it. The first thing I realized about her was that no one can possibly work harder than she does. So, when she messaged me that she wanted to schedule a showing of my property at 2:00 the next day, I cautiously confirmed with her that she meant two in the afternoon rather than morning. But, I would not have been surprised if she was making a 2:00am appointment. Due to her expertise, dedication, tirelessness, constant marketing, valuable relationships, and incredible reputation, Melanie presented me 3 offers the first week on the market. I had a Contract and Pending Sale in 9 days and closed on the sale 3 weeks later. All of this was timely orchestrated to immediately return to the closing attorney to finalize the purchase of my dream home, also found and professionally organized by Melanie!” We then used her to help us buy our dream oceanview condo in Flamingo. Selling or Buyering property, she has been the most helpful! We would recommend her in a heartbeat!

Melanie is an outstanding realtor. She knows the market and the business like no other. Additionally, she is responsive and an excellent communicator, often answering questions I have asked about properties within minutes of my request. I have purchased numerous properties over the years and worked with many realtors, and rarely have I come across anyone as good at Melanie.

We are extremely grateful and feel very blessed to have Melanie in our lives. While that may seem to be a strong statement to use for your real estate agent, you will understand our feelings once you get a chance to meet and work with Melanie and her family. Melanie worked tirelessly with us for over a year to find the perfect condo for our family to use for our own vacations and as a rental property. Throughout our process, she answered all of our questions and addressed our concerns in great detail. Melanie makes sure she is available at all hours of the day, every day of the week, to give her clients 100% and it was immediately apparent to us that she is a truly open and honest individual who always acts with integrity as well as being exceptional at her profession. Once we made an offer on a property, Melanie made sure the purchase was quick and easy and we were able to go through the entire process online while we remained at home. We actually chose to purchase a condo at this time, rather than waiting for a few more years, when we heard that Melanie would be able to manage the property for us – we didn’t want to miss out on that opportunity! We have a few other properties near our home that we manage ourselves and normally wouldn’t trust anyone else to live up to our high standards. However, we knew that we could count on Melanie to go above and beyond as a property manager as she had done as our real estate agent. We have been so thankful to have Melanie manage our condo, we can rest easy knowing that she is taking care of our property and our guests with the perfect blend of professionalism and genuine kindness that she brings to every aspect of her business. We don’t quite know how she manages to do it all but we are very lucky to have found her and we highly recommend Melanie to all of our family and friends!

Being part of a High School community volunteer and adventure trip to CR last year had opened my eyes to the beauty and the nice people of CR. And after months of research online, my husband and I had made it a goal to retire in CR someday. We did not expect anything from our short trip to CR but to our amazement, we have found the perfect property for us through Melanie! Being so unprepared, Melanie guided us and helped make the whole purchasing process so smoothly! Melanie was able to make an otherwise daunting undertaking easy for us! Even despite months of research and understanding what it takes to purchase a property in CR, we were still so intimidated by the whole RE purchasing process in CR that we thought we would never be able to do it. Yet, Melanie was able to make it happened for us! We are still in shock that we actually did it! Not only that Melanie goes above and beyond by developing a very exhaustive pre-closing punch list for us, but she also ensured that all of the items on the punch list were completed properly and on time before closing! She is truly amazing!!! We could not thank Melanie enough and will be forever grateful to her for helping us make our dream of owning a property and eventual retirement to CR a reality! We would not have been able to pull it off without her help, guidance and encouragement. We have found a very reliable, knowledgeable, professional and trustworthy Realtor in Melanie but also a great friend as well. We highly recommend that you connect with her for all of your RE needs! We are so excited of the new beginning, to spend our lives ahead in CR, being part of the beautiful and wonderful country that we can now say our home and most of all, being with the amazingly simple and nice people, it is truly OUR PURA VIDA FOREVER!

We love Melanie and Flamingo Beach Realty. Their knowledge of Costa Rican Real estate and laws were huge and a comfort while buying our home. The process was smooth and seamless. We 100% recommend them to friends and family. Great people, honest and extremely responsive to our needs.