"Where we love is home-Home that our feet may leave but not our hearts."-Oliver Wendell Holmes
Michelle Gelston is a Raleigh native that has been passionate about homes since she was a young girl. She earned her degree in Interior Design with a minor in Construction Management from East Carolina University. After entering the real estate profession in 2009, one of the most difficult markets in history, she quickly learned the value of patience and working diligently for the benefit of her clients. Her dedication to helping others has only increased with experience—she considers it her goal to achieve 100% satisfaction with her clients and continues to strive for excellence in communication and building trusting relationships.
Now a twenty-year resident of Apex, with over ten years of real estate expertise, Michelle has witnessed first-hand the tremendous growth that has taken place in Wake County. She can personally attest to the wonderful quality of life that this area has to offer and knows that a home is not simply a piece of property—it is an emotional and long-lasting personal investment.
In her own words, “A home and the community in which it is located can bring so much worth and happiness to a person's life. It is a place where memories are made, friendships are built, and projects are limitless. So many life lessons all occur under the roof of a home. Because a home holds so much value and a special place in a person's heart, I make it my priority to walk alongside my buyers and sellers, working as their advocate in one of the most important transactions of their lives. It would be a great privilege to work with you as your realtor.”
What my clients are saying (55)
My Service Ratings
03/12/2025 - Rachel Carlson
Michelle was amazing. She helped us navigate the process and was able to explain things to us regarding the contracts, etc. She’s nice to work with and super friendly. We are so thankful for all her help.
My Service Ratings
11/09/2024 - Anthony Galmarini
Very professional, responsive and patient. Helped me learn a lot and talked me through the entire process. Wouldn’t recommend anyone else if you are moving in the area.
My Service Ratings
10/11/2024 - Catherine M Kilburn
Michelle was delightful to work with. She took me "under her wing" and helped find the right professionals to do all the cosmetic touches to make the home highly marketable. She did a great job of virtually staging the photographs of the empty rooms. She put in a lot of extra time and effort to make sure the sale happened smoothly. We received several good offers in the first 2 days, so her efforts paid off! She is energetic, enthusiastic, and friendly with all parties involved in the process of selling a home. I highly recommend her!
My Service Ratings
09/13/2024 - Jennifer Hajnos
We had the pleasure of working with Michelle as our buyers agent, and we couldn’t be more thrilled with the experience. From the very beginning, Michelle’s dedication, expertise, and genuine care for our needs were evident. She went above and beyond to ensure we found the perfect home, guiding us through every step of the process with patience and professionalism. Michele’s deep knowledge of the market and keen eye for detail were invaluable. She took the time to understand our preferences and priorities, and her insightful advice helped us make informed decisions. Her negotiation skills are top-notch, and she always had our interests at heart. We are incredibly grateful to have had Michelle by our side through the buying process. We wholeheartedly recommend Michelle to anyone looking for a dedicated, knowledgeable, and caring buyers agent. Thank you, Michelle, for making our home-buying experience truly exceptional.
My Service Ratings
08/13/2024 - Alexander D Dalessandro
Michelle was great to work with and we will definitely be using her in the future and refer her to everyone! This was our first time buying a home and Michelle was there to answer any questions we had and explained each step of the home buying process to us. It was great having a real estate agent that really cared and made this whole process so easy!
My Service Ratings
05/21/2024 - Stephen Clark
Michele helped us extensively getting our home staged for the sale. Her assistance with a deed problem was exemplary. We could not have asked for a more caring and resourceful realtor.
My Service Ratings
05/07/2024 - Pamela Jane Downs
Michelle is very conscientious about what the buyer is looking for and needs, she goes out of her way to find that dream house. She goes beyond what is required of a real estate agent, always making sure everything goes smoothly and according to schedule, also has a keen eye for builder mistakes, and is diligent in making sure the repairs are done to a high standard. She truly wants her clients to feel satisfied and happy for the long run.
My Service Ratings
05/02/2024 - Patricia A Dalbo by Paul Dalbo
Michelle was outstanding throughout the entire process. Her recommendations for every stage: house preparation for sale, market pricing, staging, negotiation of multiple offers, and closing were spot on and we were very fortunate to have her leadership and guidance every step of the way. She went above and beyond meeting with vendors who were coming to assist repairs and/or quoting. Pleasant, supportive and encouraging throughout. It was a blessing going through an emotional sale of my parents house after 40+ years due to their health declines required us having to move them into assisted living and memory care services. We believe we realized a much better sales outcome as a result of her superior services and we are truly grateful to Michelle and Coldwell Banker.
My Service Ratings
04/25/2024 - William E Grantmyre
Michelle was outstanding assisting us prepare the house for sale. She provided excellent guidance on the sales process and the marketing materials she prepared.WE recommend that every seller retain Michelle as she is beyond wonderful!
My Service Ratings
04/23/2024 - Erica J Grantmyre
This is the second home Michelle has sold for our family. She is extremely professional and very protective of her clients best interest! We felt so comfortable with her knowledge and vigilance at every step of the process of selling our home. We are extremely appreciative of her dedication and diligence in taking care of our home. Thank you, Michelle Gelston!!!
My Service Ratings
03/20/2024 - William H Long
Michelle was selected to be our realtor not only for being our neighbor, but for her reputation as a realtor in the community…She went beyond our expectations during the sale of our house…We will highly recommend her to our friends and anyone looking for a concerned and caring realtor, that will get the job done in your best interest…Thank you Michelle for a job well done…..Bill and Judy Long
My Service Ratings
02/05/2024 - Erica M Tillman
Michelle was with us every step of the way as we sold our home. She got us top dollar with her recommendations to update some paint colors, carpet, etc. She managed the multiple offers we received extremely well and helped us make the best decision. Michelle is personable and professional and we would not hesitate recommending Michelle!
My Service Ratings
01/20/2024 - Craig S Hilliard
The best I have ever seen!!!!!
My Service Ratings
01/07/2024 - Jeanne G Edwards
Michelle was wonderful to work with. She is extremely knowledgeable and was very persistent until she found the right home for us.
My Service Ratings
12/18/2023 - Connie P Steigerwald
Michelle was wonderful to work with. She helped us through all the steps up until closing.
My Service Ratings
12/05/2023 - Kelli Doby
Friendly, professional and incredibly easy to work with! Michelle will go above and beyond to get your house sold. Great customer care and attention to detail. Michelle's years of experience in the business are evident from the moment you interact with her. She is a rare treasure in this market, as she puts your needs at the highest consideration, with a kindness that surpasses the best customer service you have ever had. Don't hesitate to hire Michelle!
Michelle knows this area like the palm of her hand. She is honest and her advice is sincere. She helped us find our home and understood exactly what we were looking for. She is so easy to work with, we never felt pressured. I highly recommend Michelle!
My Service Ratings
12/01/2023 - Dennis Allen Heidenfeldt
Michelle was incredible throughout the process of searching for our new home and completing the purchase. She was extremely responsive to all communication and many times when anticipating questions we may have preemptively provided timely information. It was like having a trusted friend walking us through the whole process.
My Service Ratings
11/01/2023 - Michael J Foulkes
We couldn’t imagine working with a better realtor — Michelle’s professionalism, market savvy, and grace under pressure truly set her apart from others. From setting the right price point to helping stage our home to working with other agents, Michelle was outstanding. It was an absolute pleasure working with her.
My Service Ratings
10/31/2023 - Leigh B Pittman
Michelle was everything we were looking for in an agent.
My Service Ratings
07/16/2023 - Jennifer C. S. Bridgers
Michelle is such a genuine person. She is an expert on everything reality, home, and interior design. But more importantly, she is a pleasure to spend time with. Those are the two things we needed in a realtor as first time home buyers: expertise and enjoyable to be with and talk to. She made us feel like a priority and was always reachable. We are incredibly grateful we met Michelle!
My Service Ratings
07/06/2023 - Caroline R Godwin
We have loved working with Michelle for over a year! She’s the best and we will absolutely be recommending her to friends!
My Service Ratings
07/06/2023 - James P Wall
Michelle did a great job, she stayed on top of every detail and strategized the timing of our offer to work to our advantage. It was impressive and not anything that I have ever had an agent do in the past. She also used her connections to delve deeper and get information for us. We are very happy with the outcome and she made it fun along the way.
My Service Ratings
06/25/2023 - James P Wall
Michelle did an incredible job, she stayed on top of EVERY detail, she went above and beyond her duties. Michelle kept us updated everyday. Michelle used her knowledge and strategized the timing of our contracts for optimum results. These were my eleventh and twelfth real estate transactions and she exceeded every agent I have used in the past.
My Service Ratings
06/14/2023 - Douglas G Matthews
Always on top of things. Does a great job helping to navigate the process. Used her many relationships to find contractors to do fix-up work in a very timely fashion. Overall she made the process of selling our house easy and stress-free.
My Service Ratings
06/14/2023 - Jessica H Matthews
We could not have asked for a better experience in selling our home. Michelle is an excellent communicator and so knowledgeable about the housing market. She timed the listing of our home and helped us get more than our asking price in less than ten days! I would not hesitate to recommend her to anyone needing to sell or purchase a home in Wake County!
My Service Ratings
06/05/2023 - Cherith Roberson
Working with Michelle has been such a pleasure. She goes above and beyond to explain processes and also gave us space to figure out how we wanted to proceed. I would very highly recommend her yo anyone who is interested in buying a home.
My Service Ratings
05/07/2023 - David Bennett Brown
Michelle did an excellent job advising us throughout all phases of selling our home. She had a good grasp on the real estate market in our area and helped us prepare our home to sell quickly at a great price. She was organized and implemented a strong marketing plan with great staging and pictures that highlighted the strengths of our house and generated strong interest that led to multiple offers in just a few days on the market.
My Service Ratings
05/07/2023 - Stephen Tracey
Michelle did a great job helping prepare the family to sell the home of my mother in law who recently passed. She worked closely with John and kept all of us updated each step of the way. We were confident in Michelle’s ability to balance the business needs of the sale with the emotional needs of the families and she executed very well. Great Job and Thank you. Steve Tracey
My Service Ratings
05/06/2023 - Alan Roos
Michelle did a wonderful job in selling our mom's house. She made several good suggestions of work that we could do before putting it up for sale. And after that she also was responsible for its staging to add some extra appeal. Obviously her input worked really well because the house sold immediately in the first week it was up for sale, and well above the appraisal price. Many thanks go out to her- Alan Roos
My Service Ratings
05/03/2023 - Kevin Maloney
Michelle was great during the entire process from the house hunt through the purchase. She came highly recommended and lived up to the hype. I'd definitely recommend to any family and friends looking in the Raleigh area. She is one of the best!
My Service Ratings
04/30/2023 - John T Roos
Michelle is the ultimate real estate professional from start to finish! From search, to buying, to listing, staging and all the steps in between, Michelle takes care of everything.
My Service Ratings
04/22/2023 - Frances J Sykes
Michelle is the sweetest, kindest, most helpful. gracious professional people I have ever known and worked with! Coldwell Banker Advantage is privileged to have her on their team!!! Frances J. Sykes
My Service Ratings
04/14/2023 - Erica D Grantmyre
Michelle Gelston sold my deceased Mother and Father’s home on Wednesday, April 12. She was incredibly accommodating, professional, kind and patient with us. She clearly knows what she is doing, answered all our questions, some I did not even know to ask. I really needed her guidance and she provided it as expertly as possible. How nice it is to have a real estate professional that you trust to the fullest. We will be selling our own home in Cary this fall/winter, and have already told Michelle that we are planning on her representing our best interest once again. I have no doubt that she will accomplish this completely. This is a home I have lived in since 1977 and it will be another emotional event for me. I know Michelle will be with me every step of the way and I am extremely grateful! Thank you for the support you provide to Michelle!
My Service Ratings
04/14/2023 - William E Grantmyre
Michelle was beyond wonderful guiding us in the sale preparation including necessary repairs, coaching on the listing price coaching on the listing time, and guiding us through the closing. Michelle provided expert and warm kind guidance at all times. I would give Michelle at least 10 stars, but your listing maximizes at 5 stars. Michelle will be the listing and selling agent early next year when we sell our residence at 1308 Bloomingdale Drive, Cary. Bill G.
My Service Ratings
02/15/2023 - Wanda F Rooks
Michelle went well above my expectations in selling my property. She kept me informed about everything that was happening and gave me feedback from every showing. I would recommend her to anyone needing a top notch real estate agent. Wanda Fussell Rooks
My Service Ratings
02/15/2023 - Teresa Fussell
Michelle was extremely kind, patient, knowledgeable and all around helpful with the sale of our home. I would recommend her to anyone needing her services.
My Service Ratings
10/15/2022 - Patricia M Hays
Michelle has been wonderful during the entire transaction. She handled everything beautifully.
My Service Ratings
09/07/2022 - Darian M Poliachik
Michelle was everything we needed in an agent, and more. She helped us stage our house beautifully, which I'm sure earned us a much higher offer. She was always prompt in her communications and followed through with everything she promised. She is an extremely hard worker with great talent for decorating, organization, and personal communication. She has become a dear friend to us and we are so grateful for all she's done for us during a move that was very diffucult for me. Thank you, Michelle!
My Service Ratings
09/05/2022 - Caroline Godwin
We loved working with Michelle so much to sell our home! She was extremely helpful and knowledgable throughout the entire process and always made us feel at ease that she had everything under control. We would absolutely recommend her to friends and family!
My Service Ratings
08/19/2022 - John D Seitters
We have bought 5 houses and sold 4, and have had some experience with several realtors. But Michelle Gelston is by far the best!!! With this last house we interviewed 2 realtors and thought we would probably go with the one that was a friend of my son. But after the interview we didn’t really hear from the other realtor and Michelle hit the ground running before we even committed to her. At the start she picked up on all the extras that we had done to the house, whereas the other realtor was pointing out negatives, like not havIng a double sink in second bath. And she continued to stay on top of EVERYTHING all the way to close and beyond. There were plenty of other things that set her apart from the rest, but too many to list. She is phenomenal!!! I can see why she was voted best realtor in Apex, and she deserves it.
My Service Ratings
07/29/2022 - Anne M Conners
It was a pleasure working with Michelle. She was extremely helpful providing guidance and assistance throughout the process. She is willing to do what it takes to make sure her clients get the best price for their home. I couldn’t be happier that I chose Michelle to sell my home.
My Service Ratings
07/29/2022 - Sydney F Burns
Michelle Gelston was extremely responsive and did a wonderful job finding my husband and I our dream house! Having a reliable and knowledgeable relator made this process stress free. Outside of her top notch professionalism, she was very personable which made each meeting enjoyable and fun! She is the best!
My Service Ratings
04/26/2022 - Kimberly Braswell Nichols
Michelle was indispensable in our journey as both a buyer and a seller. She was impressive at getting to the answers for her and our questions. (I mention ‘her questions’ b/c oftentimes they were her’s before they became our’s 😅.) She explained things well, made excellent suggestions, was helpful in our decision-making about a variety of topics, very clear in explaining and giving choices, prepared a lovely pamphlet about our home and we always trusted that she had our best interest at heart!! We would not be where where we are today with the options we have had it not been for Michelle. She did a wonderful job and to top it off, is as sweet as she can be!
My Service Ratings
04/19/2022 - Robert Louis Nichols
Amazing! Highly recommend Michelle. She was excellent in walking us through all facets of the sale of our home. From our first meeting , Michelle invested time in getting to know us, listened to our hopes/plans, and worked with us to determine a realistic timeline for the listing of our home. Her attention to details along the way and regular communication made the process relatively stress free. In addition to getting our house ready for sale, Michelle also worked with us in the purchase of our new home being built. Her experience in asking the right questions and helping us navigate the process was incredible. Michelle is great and we would certainly recommend her to our friends and colleagues!
My Service Ratings
01/30/2022 - Not Provided
If you're looking for the Best person to represent you in this crazy market, Michelle is one you want to be by your side. She is knowledgeable, has exceptional contacts to help you get needed repairs completed on your house in preparation for getting the house on the market, gives tasteful advice on staging, keeps you informed on "next steps" process, is only a phone call away in communication, and is very reliable in all aspects. In addition, she has that southern charm that is calming!! You just can't go wrong... She is wonderful person and does her best to give total satisfaction!
My Service Ratings
03/08/2021 - Not Provided
I cannot praise Michelle enough. She is the reason we got so much over asking for our listing. She hired a professional photographer, created a fancy brochure, helped us stage our house perfectly, and coordinated repairs. Southern charm is in her DNA! She also helped us with purchasing our new build and wow did she go above and beyond. She knows everything about anything and was an incredible advocate for us during the entire stressful process. Yes yes yes she is phenomenal!
My Service Ratings
02/03/2021 - Not Provided
Michelle was a fantastic help in selling our home. The situation we were faced with had us spending very little time on the house prior to the listing and sale. The house showed well and sold quickly. The resources she contacted to help us were professional, quick to respond, and reasonable. Michelle went beyond her responsibilities to help us with these resources, repairs, staging and communications. Paperwork was seamless, easy and without issue.Thank you Michelle
My Service Ratings
10/30/2020 - Not Provided
Michelle is the ultimate professional. She has an abundance of knowledge about the area, the inner workings of a home and if you need a professional to do some work on your new home, she’s got them too! She is very kind and responsive. Highly recommend!
My Service Ratings
10/27/2020 - Not Provided
Best Realtor in the area. Michelle is always very helpful and responsive! She has helped us with multiple listings over the past 5-10 years. Always an awesome experience working with Michelle!
My Service Ratings
09/15/2020 - Not Provided
We had an excellent experience in selling our home with Michelle. She was attentive and always quick to respond to our questions. I cant recommend her enough. Professional and always provided the best advice to ease the transition.
My Service Ratings
09/14/2020 - Not Provided
This was our first time buying a home and Michelle made the process simple and stress free from start to finish! She answered all of our questions and guided us the whole way. We will definitely be recommending her to our friends and family.
My Service Ratings
04/11/2020 - Stephanie Blair
It was such a pleasure to work with Michelle. Not only was she knowledgeable about the area and specific neighborhoods, but she helped with every aspect of the house hunting process from start to finish with integrity. She was a joy to work with. Michelle started as my realtor, but now I consider her a friend.
My Service Ratings
02/23/2020 - Not Provided
Michelle was the best! First time buying a home and she took care of everything to make sure the whole process was as smooth as can be....she’s a pro. If you’re looking for an agent, call Michelle.
My Service Ratings
08/22/2019 - Not Provided
Michelle is a fantastic realtor! I used her to buy my first home in 2011, to sell that home in 2019 and to purchase a new home in 2019. She is a local Apex native so she has a deep understanding of the area and gives incredible guidance. She is so easy to work with and very responsive. I highly recommend working with Michelle!
