Why real estate?
I’ve been in real estate since 2012, and I never have the same day twice. Every day is a new challenge, on the go, negotiating deals and solving problems.

The market
It’s an exciting time to be in real estate. It’s fast-paced. There’s a lot of multiple offer situations, so I need to be a smart negotiator to make my offer stand out against four or five others. I need to impress upon my clients the crazy urgency while not stressing them out.
This deal could be their biggest investment of their lives, so I need to handle it delicately but also get the job done before they miss out on their dream home. It’s a balance and, for me, an all-the-time job.

Client specialties
Working with out-of-town buyers is so much fun, introducing them to all the great neighborhoods and places in Southern Maine. It’s also really rewarding working with older buyers and helping them move on to the next stage in their lives, whether they are upsizing or downsizing.

Favorite places
At Benchmark, we focus on Greater Portland. Over the past two years, the majority of my deals have been in Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth and Scarborough.
I own a home in South Portland, and my daughter and I love it because we can drive five minutes and be in downtown Portland, 10 minutes and be at the beach, or 40 minutes and be at the lake.

Tonya Collins can be contacted at 207-775-0248 (office); 207-590-6537 (cell); or tcollins@benchmarkmainecom.
Benchmark Residential & Investment Real Estate
72 Pine St., #16, Portland