1st Choice Properties - Ocean View, Delaware

Tammy W.

Our recent stay at a 1st Choice Property in Selbyville was completely ruined by a malfunctioning air conditioning unit that went unfixed for three days (half our stay). Despite multiple calls to 1st Choice Property, the problem persisted. and when issues arise after hours, you have to leave a message on their voicemail and you won’t get a call back for hours.
Initially, we were given dirty portable AC units that compromised the home's security and only cooled areas of the home. When the main unit was supposedly fixed, it broke down again. To keep the place somewhat cool, we had to rely on unreliable window units, creating uncomfortable temperature variations throughout the house. One window unit in particular needed to run the entire stay due to the heat that came through the window from the ac unit outside. The filters in the window units were also filled with dust, dirt and lots of hair.
While the home itself is nicely remodeled and the backyard is great for family gatherings, the AC situation is unacceptable. Clearly, the owners need to invest in a new, efficient unit. The current one is old, rusty, and clearly needs major repairs.
As for the person in charge of 1st Choice Property, Trevor Clark, who has not gotten back to me in over a week after multiple email attempts, and two 1st Choice Property staff members who both hung up on me, the lack of care for guest satisfaction was shocking! There was no attempt to compensate us for the unbearable heat and inconvenience. We even asked to move and they said there were no units available even though their website showed 6 units available. It's obvious that 1st Choice Property prioritizes profit over guest experience.
We strongly advise future guests to avoid this property and especially this company.

Abagail V.

First Choice Properties assisted me in buying my first home in 2019, and more recently assisted my husband and I in buying our newlywed home. Trevor and Abby know the market, are professional, kind, and super helpful. I don't have first hand experience with their rental team, but I hear that they are awesome too! My husband and I loved working with these folks, and look forward to using their services again with any future real estate needs!

Samita J.

Listen to the other reviews and stay away from this business. We've had terrible customer service from this group. I tried to be civil and contact the management before leaving the review, and instead, the manager, Trevor, decided to tell me about how everything I said was wrong, and everything his agent (Mario) did was correct and I basically don't know how the system worked. No accountability, no liability, no truth. Horrible business, very unprofessional and SO glad we went with another company that actually cares for their customers rather than the $$$. I'm happy to share the details of my story, but say no to 1st choice!

8/31 - I guess the business works this page so the the reviewer can't respond to their review. Classy! And it took 4 months for you even respond That sounds about right for the respond rate with 1st choice. Is there a reason you give the run around with your customers? Is it because you can't be up front from the moment you chat? Guess not. And before you go being bitter from my initial response and can't take constructive criticism, our house has been rented out all summer. The company we went with has been wonderful clearly. They told us what they needed right away not weeks later. I guess you forgot this is a review site where people leave reviews...

Jeff C.

I normally don't post reviews, but I saw 1st Choice's rating when looking for their address and had to make sure they were getting their due from a very satisfied customer. I'm a homeowner who has used several companies to rent their property. 1st Choice is far and away the best I've been in contact with, from their customer service to their attention to detail to their desire to make guests get the most of their vacations. Many family members have also rented for the week through 1st Choice and they have earned the five-star rating from them as well. Having an investment property can be scary and I wouldn't use a company unless I had total confidence in their work, which is what I have with 1st Choice.

Brandee C.

If I could give them ZERO stars I would!! Do not do business w/ this company!! My family & I have been vacationing in the Bethany Beach area for the last 45 years & have dealt w/ rental companies & private owners up & down the coast & this is by far the WORST experience EVER!! I started negotiations with Mario at 1st Choice Properties approximately two weeks ago about renting a vacation home for two weeks in July in Bethany Beach. I had several questions about the property & he kept telling me he would get back w/ me to answer my questions, but he never did, so I was the one who had to keep following up & calling him back. I had clearly expressed that I wanted to rent for two weeks and gave him the dates of the rental time period, I was under the impression that he was holding the property until all the details were hammered out, because I told we were definitely interested I just need more details before making the deposit, after 2 weeks of back & forth & my family members taking vacation days from work for specific dates, I called him AGAIN, because I had not heard from him in order to finalize the deal & when i finally reached him, I was told one of the weeks had been rented!!! WHAT!! I asked how it could be rented when he knew we wanted that property for those weeks, because I thought there was a hold on it since we’ve been talking for 2 weeks about it he said he dropped on ball on letting me know they could only hold it for 24 hours!! I was NEVER informed of that, & spent 2 weeks trying to work out the details for this particular home in this particular development!! He said he apologized for “dropping the ball” but we had multiple conversation over several days, at some point you think he would mention that they can’t hold the property People are paying $1000.00’s of hard earned money for vacations after such a very difficult year & we deserve better, & the people who hired 1st Choice to manage their property also deserve better!!
It was beyond frustrating & unprofessional!! I read all the poor reviews about this property management company, but thought I would give them a chance...well lesson learned, read the reviews & trust your gut!! Back to the drawing board & daunting task of trying to find a vacation home for extended family, for certain weeks out of the summer when most places are booked already..thanks for nothing Mario at 1st Choice Properties!!

Natalie B.

Our rental house was gorgeous, dealing with this office was a nightmare. When we checked in, they didn't have our pool passes. They dropped two off on Monday (Sunday arrival) an'd promised the remaining 6. I didn't get more until I called and complained because they wouldn't let us swim. I get those before us may have taken them home, but that is their job to work it out and not impact my vacation as it did. When we got home I called multiple times until I received my security deposit back. Not until I reached Mario did I see immediate results.

Barbara M.

I had a terrible experience with 1st Choice. I am planning a family reunion in Bethany Beach for June 2020. Getting everyone on board with dates, locations, details of the rental and so on has taken months, but I found the perfect house on VRBO. 1st Choice is the rental agent. They provided a detailed breakdown of costs in email back and forth over several days; they allowed me to sign a contract, which was accepted; and they confirmed that they had received my deposit. Three days later I got a call saying the owner would not accept the reservation because the rate was incorrect. When I asked for the correct rate, I was told there was no decision on that so I could not continue the reservation. There's a lot of blame to be shared here, but 1st Choice never should have accepted a signed contract and deposit without confirming cost with the owner. Our whole family is really disappointed. I'm sure we will eventually find another property that ticks all our boxes, but it certainly won't be a 1st Choice rental -- or through VRBO for that matter.

Ayanna L.

Poor management and poor customer service! The house was dirty and we had to clean before using the restrooms! They had the audacity to accuse us of staging pics when they couldn’t offer a simple apology! How can you stage mold in a toilet! This was the worst service ever experienced! The water was yellow and the shower was filthy!