Gull’s Rock, Sunset Beach, Quarry Point: just a few of the evocative names of properties recently listed by Realtor Story Litchfield at the Northeast Harbor office of LandVest. Located from Deer Isle and Mount Desert Island (MDI) to further down east, these are one-of-a-kind homes with bold ocean frontage and features such as deep-water docks and guesthouses, situated so that their owners can take every advantage of this spectacular region. “Our buyers are looking for something special,” says Story. “Whether it’s a family compound, parcel of land, vacation home, or a private island, we focus on quality.”

Story’s connection to the ocean started early. Born and raised on Martha’s Vineyard, she became a commercial photographer who traveled the world before moving to Maine, where she captured images for Hinckley Yachts, Sugarloaf, and Old Town Canoe, to name just a few. “Commercial architectural photography was actually my introduction to LandVest,” says Story. “I got to know one of their head brokers out of Portland because I was doing the photography for their brochures.” LandVest wanted to open an office in Northeast Harbor, and she was a natural choice to lead it, having raised her two sons in the community. Her experience putting people at ease in front of the camera translated well to working with buyers, and as a bonus, she is a longtime sailor, giving her an intimate familiarity with the MDI coastline and the offshore islands. “Twenty-two years later, I recognize what a wonderful opportunity it was,” says Story, who has logged several of the highest sales in the state of Maine. “Very often our listings are on the waterfront, and I can photograph them using my own boat; it’s always a great experience to be on the water. Being a sailor is also helpful because I understand ocean dynamics such as wind and tide for siting moorings or docks.”

With the trails of Acadia National Park near her own back door, Story is keenly aware of the region’s increasing appeal. “Outdoor recreational activities and the access to nature are important to more and more people, and with the presence of Acadia, properties on MDI are just going to increase in value and in demand,” she says. “High speed internet makes it possible for people to do their work from anywhere, and we have an airport with commercial flights.” She also cites the offshore archipelago as a feature not found anywhere else. “Exploring the many islands is so fabulous; you don’t have anything like that on Martha’s Vineyard or Nantucket.”

Story was recently joined by Scott McFarland, who previously worked as a school principal on MDI. “I’m thrilled to have him in this office as a broker,” she says. “He has the perfect personality for this work and is very well respected; he knows just about everyone on the island.” According to Story, much of brokering real estate can be considered creative problem solving, along with continuously absorbing new information. “A lot of what we do is listening and assimilating what the client wants with what’s available. Someone will say, ‘I’m looking for this kind of house,’ and we’ll go look at all the houses that they’ve just described. But I might ask them to just go take a look at something else, and they can end up being very happy with a house they hadn’t considered at all. That always makes me feel that we’ve gone the extra mile.”