For Michelle Benoit, real estate begins with understanding people. Before talking about properties, she wants to know what matters to her clients, how they want to live, and what they are ultimately trying to accomplish.

That approach has shaped Michelle's work in real estate for more than 15 years. She began her career in Tepoztlán, Mexico, where she founded Casas Tepoztlán in 2011 and built a successful real estate practice serving both Mexican and international clients. After returning to San Diego, she brought that experience to Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties, where she represents buyers and sellers throughout Coastal San Diego.

Michelle's background in economics and education influences the way she works today. She believes clients make better decisions when they understand what they are buying, what they are giving up, and how the different options compare. Rather than simply opening doors or marketing a property, she helps clients evaluate neighborhoods, homes, pricing, market conditions, and the tradeoffs that can be easy to miss.

For buyers, that means looking beyond a checklist of bedrooms, square footage, and finishes to identify the property that genuinely fits the life they want to live. For sellers, it means thoughtful preparation, positioning, and negotiation designed around the property and the realities of its particular market.

Having lived in San Diego for nearly three decades, Michelle brings both professional knowledge and a longtime resident's perspective to the communities she serves, including La Jolla, Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas and Cardiff, Carmel Valley, and Rancho Santa Fe.

Her business is built around relationships rather than transactions. Clients can expect candid advice, careful attention, strong advocacy, and a Realtor who is willing to say what she actually thinks, even when the easiest answer would be something else.

Michelle is a member of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties and was recognized with the company's Honor Society award in 2023. She holds a B.A. in Economics from San Diego State University.

Outside of real estate, Michelle is the mother of two sons and is happiest spending time with them, walking San Diego's trails and beaches, traveling, discovering a great restaurant, or returning to Tepoztlán, a place that remains an important part of her life.