54 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 montereycountynow.com/bestof Shopping & Services Best Real Estate Office Carmel Realty Company Dolores between 7th and 8th, Carmel (831) 624-7338, carmelrealtycompany.com Say you were a greenhorn looking to stake a claim. You would need Carmel Realty Company’s professionals to walk you through the relative advantages of sod, frame or adobe housing. Maybe tent space in the retreat town of Pacific Grove had appeal. The notorious Matt Tarpy was known to sell a piece of pasture land at a low, low price. Carmel Realty listens to clients and finds the perfect fit. From office buildings to luxury real estate to longterm rentals, Carmel Realty Company has been voted best by you to help you strike gold. Best Realtor Jen Jacobs Bolger and Joy Jacobs The Jacobs Team - KW Coastal Estates 26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Suite F200, Carmel (831) 236-7976, jacobsteamhomes.com One of the dark legacies of American settlement in the West was the land grant acquisition of “unoccupied” land. That was the old way. Lucky for real estate customers of today, there’s a clear chain of title, lots of information—and someone who can help you define your dream home and then confidently go out and help you get it. That someone is the mother-daughter team of Joy Jacobs and Jen Jacobs Bolger, who have been working together for 20 years. They are always looking for a “win-win,” Jacobs says, getting creative with offers that will work for both buyer and seller— because winning in these modern times requires creativity, persistence and passion in closing deals that make everyone feel happy. Best Bank Monterey Credit Union 501 E. Franklin St., Monterey. 1566 N. Main St., Salinas 26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Suite B-3, Carmel (831) 647-1000, montereycu.com Local financial institutions bankrolled the growth of the West. At Monterey Credit Union, they not only protect people’s money—no way Bill Doolin and his Oklahombres can rob the place—but their loans also help people make more of it. And with community in mind, the most important thing to know about Monterey Credit Union is that it’s a nonprofit, community-based bank, focusing its efforts on serving its members, not shareholders. Whether a customer opening a checking or savings account, trying to get a loan or refinance their mortgage, it’s a institution that strives to do its members right. Best Banker Clarissa Rowe - Monterey County Bank Four locations throughout Monterey County (831) 649-4600, montereycountybank.com The banking industry in the Old West was based largely on trust and relationships. Even during this era of crypto and digital-only banks, it’s still relationships that matter. For the third consecutive year, readers have voted Clarissa Rowe, Community Relations Officer of Monterey County Bank, as the best banker. As Community Relations Officer—don’t you wish every business had someone with that job?—she serves as a liaison of sorts. She is now chair of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce, serves on the P.G. Chamber board and just wrapped up serving on the Monterey Peninsula Chamber. She puts a human face to a numbers business, and she’s humble about it—ask her what makes her great, and she gives the credit to her colleagues. Best CPA Scholl & Arensdorf LLP 18275 Meadow Song Way, Corral de Tierra (831) 758-5966, schollcompany.com In September of 1877, outlaw Sam Bass and his gang robbed the express car of a Union Pacific train of $60,000 in gold coins. A CPA firm such as Scholl & Arensdorf LLP can instantly tell you that Bass’ haul amounts to $1.8 million in today’s dollars. Bret Scholl, Michael Arensdorf and their team have more than 40 years of experience in public accounting and business consulting. Whether it’s tax prep, bookkeeping, payroll processing or other services vital to a business’ operation, the crew has you covered to keep things running smoothly. Best PR Firm The Buzz PR 1320 S. Main St., Suite B, Salinas (831) 747-7455, thebuzzpr.net The great showman Buffalo Bill and his Wild West Shows did pretty well attracting audiences through posters and newspaper advertising, but we bet he could have used the services of the readers’ choice for Best PR Firm in Monterey County the last four years, The Buzz PR, led by Marci Bracco. Bracco and her team help clients strategize effective marketing campaigns and create memorable brand identities. That’s “brand” as in corporate name recognition, not a cattle brand, by the way. They go beyond posters and ads of yore to get the word out through punched-up copy and clear communications to area news agencies. Best Computer Repair | What’d You Break?
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