By Tina Smithers Peckham

A Quarter Century of Living Her Passion

With nearly 25 years of experience behind her, Michelle Mousin is a key player in Northeast Florida real estate

Real estate has been in Michelle Mousin’s blood for generations. Growing up in the industry and watching her grandparents manage properties, she found herself fascinated by the ins and outs of buying and selling homes.

Now with nearly 25 years of experience under her belt in residential real estate, Michelle is a top performer in Northeast Florida, specializing in luxury condominiums, golf communities, waterfront properties and more throughout the Beaches and surrounding areas.

Michelle Mousin enjoys a brief moment of rest at one of her penthouse condo listings at Marina San Pablo, Jacksonville. Photo by Alex Quijano.

Powered by the global realty network of Engel & Völkers, Michelle was featured in the Top 100 Residential Real Estate Agents for 2021 by the Jacksonville Business Journal — ranking no. 38 out of a whopping 11,000 licensed agents throughout the First Coast! Her other accolades for 2021 include #2 in top production for all Engel & Völkers offices in Jacksonville and St. Johns County as a single agent; plus, the Engel & Völkers Diamond Elite designation. Adding to these accolades, is the June 2022 announcement that Michelle has been recognized as one of “America’s Best Real Estate Professionals” by RealTrends + Tom Ferry’s annual ranking of agents across the country. These pros represent the top 1.5% of 1.6 million Realtors nationwide.

From the Farmlands to Northeast Florida

Out of college, Michelle first worked for the Florida Thoroughbred Breeders Association plus several prestigious farms in Ocala, but always dreamed of a career in real estate. As fate would have it, her very first transaction would be that of selling the farm where she last worked!

From there, the award-winning agent trained with a prominent development company in Ocala, specializing in large acreage and equine properties. Michelle learned the business from the ground up, acting as Project Manager on an 80-lot residential development. Upon moving to Jacksonville in 2000, she was instantly struck by how special and “undervalued” the area was, considering its beautiful climate, gentile community and exquisite waterfront homes.

“Northeast Florida makes for a wonderful quality of life,” Michelle says. “We have a temperate climate with the best opportunity to experience all four seasons in Florida; not to mention world-class health care at the Mayo Clinic, beautiful beaches, the St. Johns River and Intracoastal Waterway, nature at its finest, an NFL team, great restaurants and shopping, top-rated schools, and a thriving music and arts scene. Can you tell I love it here?”

Luxury amenities abound at this exquisite Marina San Pablo property, now under contract. Photo by Alex Quijano.

A True Passion for Real Estate

The Sunshine State was hit particularly hard following the 2008 recession and has been steadily recovering since 2014. Michelle notes that following the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown, local agents had no idea of the influx of buyers that would come to our area: “We saw many from the Northeast, followed by folks from California, Texas, and the Midwest, along with migration from other parts of Florida. Rents are at an all-time high, and prices in some areas of the beaches have increased by 30–40% in one year!”

One of Michelle’s most treasured developments is Marina San Pablo, where she formerly served as Sales Director. Located alongside the Intracoastal Waterway, this gated luxury community is just minutes from the Jacksonville Beaches and was the first condominium in the area to offer a private marina. “Marina San Pablo was a fun one to see go from a wooded area on the Intracoastal to a beautiful Mediterranean tower,” she says. “It is so well-maintained and looks just as beautiful as it did in 2006 when first completed. Having been there from its inception, giving input on floorplans and amenities, and then serving as Sales Director, well, it is just something that I am very proud of.”

Just over the Intracoastal Waterway from Jacksonville Beach sits Marina San Pablo, where Michelle served as Sales Director and now lists and sells many of its condos.
Another groundbreaking marina community represented by the Realtor are the luxury Villa Calissa townhomes, located in historic St. Augustine on the banks of the San Sebastian River and developed by Urban Partners Construction. A second phase of Villa Calissa is coming in late Summer 2022, that being Calissa Cay, boasting 70 townhomes and options for wet or dry slips.

Enthusiasm is high for Calissa Cay, a 70-townhomes waterfront community breaking ground Summer 2022, and fashioned after the sold-out
Villa Calissa development in historic St. Augustine. Photos courtesy of Urban Partners Construction.

As for what makes Michelle tick? “Finding that perfect property for the buyer, the one that makes their eyes light up,” she shares, while adding, “For the seller, maximizing their investment, pricing it right the first time and knowing everything about the home to effectively market it. It’s a complex process that takes listening very carefully to the buyer and seller, as well as thoroughly understanding the entire market that you are operating in.” When the real estate agent isn’t working around the clock, she enjoys tennis, horseback riding, cooking, gardening, good restaurants, travel, wine, and live music — in addition to raising her three fur children (kitties) alongside her husband, Marc, also a Realtor. Learn more at mmousin.com.
Thank you to Michelle Mousin for sponsoring this post and providing unparalleled real estate expertise to both new and existing residents throughout Jacksonville.