Shantae | Maronda Homes

In this interview, we speak with Shantae, the Community Sales Manager at Maronda Homes, about her career journey, the home-buying process, and what sets Maronda Homes apart. Shantae shares her passion for helping people achieve homeownership, explains the advantages of building new versus buying existing homes, and highlights Maronda Home’s personalized options, strong warranties, and community involvement.

The conversation also covers her daily routine, how virtual buyers can design homes remotely, and her advice for success in real estate—emphasizing integrity, persistence, and genuine care for clients.

Interviewer: Okay. I am here with Shantae. She is Maronda Homes’ Community Sales Manager.
Shantae: Thank you for having me.
Interviewer: How are you doing today?
Shantae: I’m doing pretty well. How are you?
Interviewer: Good—glad to be here. I have some questions for you. I understand you’ve been in this position for several years and have a lot of experience to share. Can you tell us a little about yourself and the organization you work with?

Shantae: Sure. I’ve been with Maronda for just over two years, and I’m the Community Sales Manager. I’ve been in real estate about six years. I started in general real estate. Maronda Homes has been in the Gulf Coast area for about three years. Although we’re new to the area, we’re not new to homebuilding—we’ve been building homes since 1972.

Interviewer: What originally inspired you to get into your field?

Shantae: I’ve always had an interest in real estate. When I decided to move back to Pensacola—after being away for about 20 years—I wanted to make a positive impact on the face of Pensacola and some of its infrastructure. I knew nothing about real estate at first, so I started in general real estate to learn the basics. I was recruited by one of our competitors and started looking into new-home construction, which led me here to Maronda Homes.

Interviewer: So you were a realtor before this?
Shantae: I was.

Interviewer: It’s probably a completely different ballgame, I imagine.
Shantae: It is. I was a general real estate agent for a brokerage here in Pensacola for some time. It’s different because you lose some flexibility when you go back into a corporate environment. In general real estate there’s more individual liability—you’re representing yourself even when you work as a team. You’re also pretty much done once you give the buyer the keys. There’s a relationship, but the transaction ends. In new-home construction, once they sign the contract, that’s only the beginning. You come in, make selections, and we build your home. We take you through the entire process, help you make decisions, and act as the expert guide. It’s not as cut-and-dry as general real estate; the process is much longer on the new construction side.

Interviewer: What does a typical day in your life at work look like?

Shantae: Every day is different. Today, I went by one of our other communities to check signage and cleanliness, took pictures for our backlog (buyers going through the process) to send weekly updates, then stopped in for our weekly construction meeting with our agents and head of construction for community progress. I came back here, opened this community, and had a virtual appointment with buyers moving from Indiana—walked them through the process, and they decided to move forward. I’ll type the contract after this. Then I have a 3:00 p.m. leadership Zoom call, a 4:00 p.m. call with someone in Denver, and hopefully I’m done by 5:00 or 5:30.

Interviewer: That sounds like a full day. I want to go off script. We bought an older home and remodeled it. You mentioned a virtual call with an out-of-state buyer interested in building. For anyone watching who has an older home but is considering a new build—can they do everything remotely now, including selections?

Shantae: We can do it all. If someone wants to move to Pensacola—see the Blue Angels, the beaches—they can reach out to us.

Interviewer: Great.
Shantae: The couple I mentioned is moving from Indiana. Yesterday, I had another couple moving from Virginia Beach. The husband was at port in Norway, and we did our design appointment via FaceTime—brick, front door, shutter color, flooring, carpet—in about 45 minutes.

Interviewer: Doesn’t get much easier than that.
Shantae: Technology has made things very easy and accessible.

Interviewer: What do you love most about your profession?

Shantae: Helping people. This is the largest purchase most people make—first home, investment, retirement—nothing’s larger than a home purchase. It can be unnerving; people are often nervous. Being able to help them navigate the process is fulfilling and rewarding. I don’t take it lightly when someone allows me to guide them. There are a lot of real estate agents in our city and state, so the fact that you trust us—Maronda, me, or any of our agents—means a lot.

Interviewer: If someone is looking to build with Maronda, what helps them feel comfortable—home warranty, guarantees? You said you’re with them from contract to move-in. What about after?

Shantae: We offer a 1-, 2-, and 10-year warranty. Some items are covered that other builders may not cover, and we review all of that when we do a home demonstration. One thing that makes Maronda stand out is personalization. We’re not a custom builder, but if you start early—in what we call a “dirt build”—you can have input on what you’re building and how your home will look. Many options are included in the base price. If you want to upgrade—say porcelain floors—we can do that at an additional cost. If you’re fine with engineered vinyl plank and carpet in the bedrooms, we can proceed that way as well. Many competitors don’t allow that level of choice, and many don’t have the same warranty structure. We have a dedicated warranty department. If something comes up, you submit a claim, and within 24–48 hours our warranty manager reaches out to assess and help.

Interviewer: That sounds nice. And that’s a difference from buying a pre-existing home—you don’t always know what you’re getting behind the walls, even with inspections.
Shantae: Right. We add another layer of assurance with what’s called a pre-drywall inspection. As far as I know, we’re the only builder in the area that does this. Once we reach that stage, the superintendent lets me know, I reach out to the buyer, and we schedule the “pre-drywall walk.” You’ll see everything before sheetrock goes up—wiring, plumbing, pipes, HVAC. After drywall, you can’t see any of that.

Interviewer: Great info. When you’re not working, what do you enjoy in your free time?

Shantae: I love to travel—anywhere with a beach. After moving away from Pensacola and living inland, I realized how spoiled I was. Even now, I prefer warm, sunny, tropical places—anywhere with a beach.

Interviewer: What might surprise people about you or Maronda Homes?

Shantae: People are often surprised that purchasing a home isn’t as difficult as they think. Even if you’re not quite ready, you have to start somewhere. Come in, let us evaluate, connect you with a preferred lender, and see where you are. I’ve had many buyers come in and learn they’re approved—often saying, “I could have done this years ago.” Instead of throwing money away on rent, you could be building equity.

Interviewer: So you can help with the whole thing—even if they don’t have pre-approval yet?
Shantae: Absolutely. Let us help you navigate. It’s easier than people think to purchase and own a home. You come in, review homes and floor plans, figure out what fits your situation. We get your pre-approval—our lender can often do it in a couple of hours. Once we have that letter and your budget, we figure out how to best serve you. Then we go to contract. In this Florida community, there’s an earnest money deposit; right now it’s $1,500. That holds your lot and homesite, and we’re off to the races.

Interviewer: What’s the fastest someone has gone from walking in to having a home selected and under contract?
Shantae: Same day. Some clients walk in, fall in love with the product, and decide right then. Typically, we go to contract and then hold a separate selections appointment—anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours depending on how decisive buyers are. Once we have everything, we finalize the contract. It goes to our Division President; once he signs, we have an executed contract. It can all be done in a few hours if the buyer is ready.

Interviewer: What’s the average build time?
Shantae: In this community—[“Simol/Siminal Bend” per audio; community name unclear]—it’s about five to six months. If a buyer goes to contract today, we anticipate handing over keys in five to six months.

Interviewer: Any faster might raise quality concerns.
Shantae: The first two months are permitting—six to eight weeks with the county. Everything you’ve selected goes in for approval and signatures. Once it comes back, we have a pre-construction meeting with the head of construction to confirm every detail—rooms, colors, the exact house under contract—so we dot our i’s and cross our t’s. Then the build timeline proceeds from there.

Interviewer: How does Miranda make an impact on people or the local community?

Shantae: Each quarter we do a “generosity event,” giving back to a nonprofit in some way as a division. We’re not just in Pensacola—our divisional office is in the Daphne/Fairhope area—so activities span from there to here. We’ve done beach cleanups, pet events, and most recently supported a Juneteenth event downtown with attorney Aaron Watson. We also support local schools and various offices with snacks, water, and donations—making a positive impact and imprint locally.

Interviewer: That shows solid company values and leadership.
Shantae: Absolutely.

Interviewer: What advice would you give to someone starting out in your profession or launching a business in this field?

Shantae: This profession takes grit and tenacity. It’s not an immediate-gratification industry. You plant seeds. If you think you’ll come in and sell 15 houses your first month—that’s typically not how it works. You have to cultivate relationships, use your network and sphere, become an expert, and educate yourself so you can truly help people. Be honest—if you don’t know something, say so and bring in someone who does. People appreciate honesty and integrity, especially with large transactions. Keep integrity at the forefront and maintain a level of tenacity that isn’t always standard. There’s a lot of turnover—people hang their licenses and then go inactive because they’re not making money. It takes time. You need the spirit of continuation: have grit, don’t give up, live with integrity, be honest. People can tell when it’s just about a check. Don’t treat people like dollar signs. Connect, be yourself, build rapport.

Interviewer: Fantastic advice. If people want to learn more about you or your business, where should they go?

Shantae: mor.com will take you to our general website. From there, go to the Florida Panhandle to choose a community. [Community name unclear in audio—transcribed as “Siminal/Simol Bend”] is our newest community; we opened August 2nd. You can view all the floor plans and info there. To reach me personally, my cell is (321) 558-0926. I can answer questions or guide you to next steps.

Interviewer: Any final thoughts about you or Maronda Homes?
Shantae: Maronda Homes is newer to the area, but feedback has been that we’re a breath of fresh air. We offer personalization options and maintain a standard of quality for our clients and buyers. If you haven’t checked us out, stop by one of our model homes to see what you might be missing and what we’ve brought to the area.

Interviewer: Shantae, thank you so much for your time.
Shantae: Thank you.
Interviewer: If you’re interested in purchasing a new home, I highly recommend checking out the quality, the options, and speaking with Shantae.
Shantae: Thank you. I appreciate it.