History of Harbor Springs Realty

John Carr and Jill Van Alstyne, broker-owners of Harbor Springs Realty, are both self-styled professionals with a clear vision of what the business of real estate should be. John and Jill both have extensive experience in the Emmet County real estate market.

John began his career in 1986 honing his skills at Coldwell Banker in Petoskey. In 1990 he moved to the north side of the bay to work at Birchwood Realty where he became a colleague of Jill's.

Jill started her real estate career in 1985 at the original Harbor Springs Realty located where the Nick Adams Hotel is now. She moved to Birchwood Realty in 1986 where she sold real estate until 1994. In 1994 both Jill and John moved to Re/Max of Harbor Springs where they were two of the top agents for 10 years.

In 1997, John and Jill bought the building that is now home to Harbor Springs Realty thinking that it would be a great location for a real estate office. It took seven years, but they finally realized their dream! Not only have John and Jill formed their own company, they have remodeled their building to accommodate their new business. Both have indeed found their niche, deriving great personal satisfaction in working with clients who appreciate their business and professional acumen.

John and Jill attribute much of their success to their business oriented style, coupled with a real concern for their community. Service to the community through volunteer efforts is very important to both John and Jill. They bring a true knowledge of Harbor Springs and its people to the table when working with customers. John and Jill take a practical approach to the often complicated, detail driven business of real estate. Absolute professionalism is their approach, doing business the way it is supposed to be done. They emphasize the importance of a high level of communication, followup, professional expertise, and impeccable business ethics. "We want our clients to think of us as real estate professionals, much as they would view their attorney, physician or accountant."

To help them accomplish their goals, each partner has a licensed personal assistant with whom they work hand in hand to meet the needs of their customers. Their assistants, Carolyn Chase and Mary Buchanan, both fine Realtors® in their own right, are central to maintaining a high level of communication with customers and good relationships with fellow brokers and business and banking contacts.

This emphasis on service and communication contributes to Harbor Springs Realty's ability to offer full service, professional assistance from contact to closing and beyond.