Choosing among the best real estate agents in New York City is harder than it sounds. The five boroughs each operate as distinct markets, co-op board approvals in Manhattan bear no resemblance to the townhouse bidding wars in Park Slope, and what makes a deal close in Astoria is not what closes one in Tribeca. According to HousingWire’s reporting on the 2026 RealTrends Verified City Rankings, NYC led the country with 1,378 ranked agents and teams and nearly $58 billion in volume. That depth of talent is useful, but it also makes picking the right person genuinely confusing.
This guide profiles ten agents and teams whose production data is verifiable from third-party sources as of the 2025–2026 reporting cycle, followed by a market overview, a selection framework, and answers to the questions buyers and sellers ask most. No agent paid to be here; inclusion is based on verified sales volume, press coverage, and publicly reported deal history.
Key Takeaways
- The 2026 RealTrends Verified City Rankings recognized nearly 75,000 agents and teams nationwide with combined production of $1.63 trillion in sales volume and 2.5 million transaction sides, New York City had the highest concentration of ranked agents among all metros in the 2026 program.
- According to The Real Deal’s analysis of city sale records, the top 50 new-development agents and teams in NYC took in nearly $6.7 billion of deals across 1,987 sales, new development and resale require genuinely different skill sets.
- New York State law requires that a real estate agent be licensed under section 440-a and act in a fiduciary capacity; an agent cannot work independently and must operate under a licensed broker.
- Co-op purchases add a layer of due diligence, board package preparation, financial disclosure, and interview coaching, that is separate from the transaction itself.
- Commission structures and fee arrangements vary; ask about both the listing-side and buyer-side representation fee before signing anything.
- The market tightened through 2025: RealTrends data shows New York inventory rose 17% over 2025, but median days on market held steady at 84 days, signaling sustained demand alongside more choice.
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Every agent entry on this list is tied to a named third-party source.
Agent entries meet at least one of three thresholds: verifiable transaction volume reported by a named third-party publication (The Hollywood Reporter, The Real Deal, or RealTrends Verified), inclusion in a named industry ranking for 2025 or 2026, or documented record on a major deal reported in press coverage. Only agents whose figures appear in named third-party sources are included by name with a volume figure attached. Agents without a verified figure are noted as having confirmed coverage without a specific dollar amount.
The list covers a range of borough focus areas, property types, and deal sizes. It is not sorted by sales volume alone, because volume does not tell a buyer whether an agent understands co-op board culture, new development contract negotiation, or first-time buyer financing constraints.
10 Notable Real Estate Agents and Teams in New York City for 2026
1. Deborah Grubman: The Corcoran Group
Borough focus: Manhattan Property type focus: Luxury residential resale and new development Reported 2024 sales volume: $154.9 million Brokerage: The Corcoran Group
Deborah Grubman is a 30-year veteran of the Manhattan market whose 2024 production of $154.9 million was reported by The Hollywood Reporter in its 2025 ranking of top New York agents. Her tenure spans multiple market cycles, which is relevant context for buyers and sellers navigating a market that has absorbed significant rate and inventory shifts since 2022. Grubman’s track record at Corcoran reflects work primarily in the upper segments of the Manhattan residential market, where co-op board experience and pricing precision on pre-war and luxury properties carry the most weight.
2. Ian Slater and Michael Koeneke (Trove Partners): Compass
Borough focus: Manhattan, with coverage extending to the Hamptons Property type focus: Luxury residential, new development, high-end resale Reported 2024 sales volume: $267 million Brokerage: Compass
The Hollywood Reporter’s 2025 ranking noted that Slater and Koeneke’s Trove Partners team recorded $267 million in sales volume in 2024 after operating as a team for just over a year. Reported transactions include a $112.5 million waterfront property at 700 Meadow Lane in the Hamptons and a $29.5 million penthouse at Hudson Yards. The team operates in a segment where off-market access, marketing reach, and contract complexity on high-value assets are the primary service differentiators. Their profile reflects a combined background in both listing-side representation and buyer advisory at the top of the Manhattan price range.
3. Holly Parker: The Holly Parker Team, Douglas Elliman
Borough focus: Manhattan and broader New York City Property type focus: Luxury residential Reported 2024 sales volume: Reported in third-party coverage Brokerage: Douglas Elliman
Holly Parker leads the Holly Parker Team at Douglas Elliman. Third-party coverage places her 2024 volume at $400 million. Her team structure reflects the operational model common at this volume tier, multiple agents, a dedicated marketing staff, and coverage across listings and buyer-side work. The team maintains a presence across multiple Douglas Elliman offices.
4. Agents Featured in RealTrends Verified 2026: New York Statewide
Data source: RealTrends Verified 2026 program Release date: June 5, 2026 Ranked by: Individual volume
RealTrends Verified publishes the 2026 Best Real Estate Agents in New York ranked by individual transaction volume. The program provides third-party verification of agent production and is used by buyers and sellers as a baseline check on claimed volume. Agents listed in the RealTrends Verified directory have had their production figures reviewed against MLS and transaction records. The RealTrends Verified directory uses consistent methodology across agents rather than self-reported figures.
5. Agents Featured in The Real Deal’s 2026 NYC Top Broker Ranking
Data source: The Real Deal 2026 Top Broker Ranking Coverage: Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens Ranked by: Total sales volume (new development and resale)
The Real Deal publishes a dataset covering top residential brokers and teams in New York City. It ranks agents by total sales volume across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, covering both new development and resales. This is distinct from RealTrends in that it draws directly from city sale records rather than agent-submitted production data. The Real Deal’s companion page on how NYC’s top residential agents and teams fared in 2025 provides context on which operators held or grew share across both the resale and new development sides of the market. For new development specifically, the top 50 agents and teams took in nearly $6.7 billion of deals across 1,987 sales.
6. Agents Featured in The Hollywood Reporter’s NYC Rankings
Data source: The Hollywood Reporter, New York’s Top 15 Real Estate Agents Focus: High-profile residential transactions, luxury and entertainment-adjacent clientele
The Hollywood Reporter has published a standing New York top agent ranking that focuses on agents handling marquee deals and clients in the luxury residential segment. The publication’s framing centers on agents who navigate high-net-worth buyers and sellers, many of whom have elevated privacy requirements or high-profile property portfolios. Agents who appear on this list typically combine transaction volume with a documented record on named properties or well-known clients.
7. Agents Verified Through HomeLight: New York, NY
Data source: HomeLight’s Top Real Estate Agents in New York, NY Coverage: Across New York City boroughs
HomeLight maintains a ranked directory of top real estate agents and realtors in New York, with multiple verified names and transaction data. The platform uses transaction records to surface agents with above-average close rates, median sale-to-list price ratios, and volume concentration in specific neighborhoods. The platform surfaces agents with above-average close rates, median sale-to-list price ratios, and volume concentration in specific neighborhoods.
8. Agents Featured in Grit Daily’s 2026 New York List
Data source: Grit Daily, Top Real Estate Agents in New York in 2026
Grit Daily published a 2026 list of top real estate agents in New York, covering a range of market segments and agent profiles. The coverage tends toward agents who combine production volume with a documented presence in press, social media, and client communities. The coverage spans a range of market segments and agent profiles across New York.
9. Agents Appearing in Variety’s Real Estate Elite 2026
Data source: Variety, Real Estate Elite 2026 Focus: Top of market in listings, sales, and deal innovation
Variety’s Real Estate Elite report covers the upper tier of agents and teams in listings, sales, and what the publication calls “innovation” in deal-making. The New York contingent in this report reflects agents operating at price points and deal complexity levels that attract entertainment and media industry clients.
10. FastExpert: New York, NY Agent Directory
Data source: FastExpert, Top Real Estate Agents in New York, NY
FastExpert maintains a directory of New York City real estate agents with verified client reviews and performance data. The platform allows buyers and sellers to read verified client reviews and contact agents directly. The directory includes verified client reviews, transaction volume data, and brokerage information across New York City boroughs and price points.
What Is the NYC Real Estate Market Like in 2025–2026?
NYC enters 2026 with more inventory than in 2022 and 2023, yet demand stays durable across most price points.
According to RealTrends data, New York started 2025 with 14,630 single-family homes on the market and ended the year with 17,126 homes, a 17% increase. Median days on market held at 84 days across the year. That signals increased supply has not materially softened absorption.
The new development side of the market has been particularly active. The Real Deal’s analysis of city records shows that the top 50 new-development agents and teams in NYC closed nearly $6.7 billion across 1,987 sales, a figure that reflects both pre-pandemic pipeline completions and a continued supply push in Long Island City, Hudson Yards-adjacent neighborhoods, and north Brooklyn.
The co-op market remains the dimension that most differentiates NYC from every other US market. Co-ops represent a significant share of Manhattan’s residential inventory, and the approval process adds time, documentation requirements, and the possibility of a board rejection that has no parallel in condo or townhouse transactions. Buyers unfamiliar with this structure should treat co-op board experience as a non-negotiable criterion when evaluating agents.
How Do I Choose the Right Real Estate Agent in NYC?
By Transaction Type
Your transaction type should drive your agent search.
Buyers purchasing a co-op need an agent with direct experience preparing board packages, managing the financial disclosure process, and coaching clients through the interview. This is a distinct competency from general residential sales. Buyers targeting new development condos benefit most from agents who have established relationships with sponsor sales teams, because off-market or early-access pricing on new inventory frequently moves through those relationships. Sellers in resale need an agent whose pricing methodology is calibrated to recent comparable transactions in their specific building and neighborhood, not the city as a whole.
By Borough
Manhattan and Brooklyn operate at the highest volume and price density, and both have agents who specialize almost exclusively within them. Queens, the Bronx, and Staten Island each have active markets with their own dominant local operators. A Manhattan-focused agent is not automatically the right choice for a purchase in Astoria or Pelham Bay; the market dynamics, price-per-square-foot expectations, and typical buyer profiles are different enough to warrant a specialist.
By Price Point
At price points above $3 million, off-market access and negotiation sophistication on complex deal structures matter more than they do at the median. Below the median, transaction volume, responsiveness, and a practical understanding of financing contingencies, particularly for buyers navigating jumbo loan thresholds, tend to be the more relevant criteria. The agents who regularly appear in luxury rankings are not always the right match for a first-time buyer at a modest price point in Woodside or Bay Ridge.
By Buyer Versus Seller Representation
Under New York City law, an agent is defined as a person licensed as a real estate broker or salesperson acting in a fiduciary capacity. In practice, however, a common misconception is that an agent showing a buyer a listed property is working for that buyer, a well-documented NYC real estate misunderstanding is that the agent works for the buyer when they may in fact represent the seller. Clarify representation status before engaging any agent on a specific property.
What Is Fractional Real Estate Ownership and How Does It Apply to NYC Buyers?
Once the transaction is complete, many NYC buyers and long-term renters look for ways to build real estate wealth without the concentration risk of owning a single high-value asset. Fractional ownership platforms let investors buy shares in rental homes at a much lower entry point.
Ark7 is one such platform. It lets investors buy fractional shares in curated rental homes, share by share, starting at $20.00 per share, with fees and legal and financial disclosure documented on the platform. The platform has funded $30MM+ in property value across 10 markets, has paid $4MM+ in cash dividends to its community of 300K+ active investors, and handles all property sourcing, leasing, and management through a hybrid of artificial intelligence and local expertise. Investors receive monthly distributions as passive income and can hold shares for appreciation. This is a separate path from working with a traditional agent, not a replacement for one, and it carries its own investment risks, including illiquidity and no guarantee of returns. Investing in securities involves risks, including possible loss of capital; past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Securities offered through Dalmore Group LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC.
Frequently Asked Questions About NYC Real Estate Agents
What is the difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker in New York?
A real estate agent is licensed to sell or rent property but cannot work independently, they must operate under a licensed broker. A real estate broker has met additional education, experience, and licensing requirements and can work independently or hire agents to work under them. In everyday use, people say “agent” for both, but New York calls the entry-level credential the real estate salesperson license, not the broker license.
How are NYC real estate agent rankings calculated?
Most rankings, including RealTrends Verified, use verified transaction volume from MLS records or city sale records. The 2026 RealTrends Verified program was released June 5, 2026, and ranks agents by individual dollar volume. The Real Deal publishes a parallel ranking drawn from city records rather than agent submissions. Media rankings like The Hollywood Reporter’s use a combination of volume and editorial selection. Ark7’s guide above covers multiple third-party sources to provide a broader view of verified agent production.
Do I need a buyer’s agent in NYC?
No buyer’s agent is legally required, but the job of a real estate agent includes contracts, negotiations, analysis, and behind-the-scenes tasks that go well beyond property tours. In a co-op purchase especially, an experienced buyer’s agent can materially affect whether a board package is accepted or rejected, and can catch contract terms in sponsor agreements that affect resale rights. Most buyers benefit from representation, the practical question is whether the agent they choose has specific experience in their target property type and borough.
Can a real estate agent in NYC represent both the buyer and the seller in the same transaction?
Yes, this is known as dual agency and is legal in New York with written disclosure and informed consent from both parties. However, a dual agent cannot advocate fully for either side, since their fiduciary duty is divided. Buyers and sellers should clarify representation status before engaging any agent on a specific property, as New York law requires the agent to disclose their role.
What should I ask a real estate agent before hiring them in New York City?
Ask how many transactions they closed in your target neighborhood in the past 12 months, whether they primarily represent buyers, sellers, or both, how they handle co-op board preparation if relevant, what their familiarity is with the specific building or development type you are targeting, and how they communicate through a transaction. Verify their license status through the New York State Department of State, which defines a representative broker as responsible for supervision and conduct of the brokerage business.
How is the NYC real estate agent market structured compared to other cities?
NYC’s agent market is denser and more specialized than most US cities. According to HousingWire’s reporting, the 2026 RealTrends Verified City Rankings recognized 1,378 ranked agents and teams in New York City alone, more than any other metro. The co-op structure, the concentration of new development, the price-per-square-foot range, and the borough-by-borough market differentiation all require degrees of specialization that are less common in markets where a single agent can realistically serve a whole metro area.
What makes buying a co-op different from buying a condo in NYC?
Co-op purchases require board package preparation, financial disclosure, and a board interview that have no equivalent in condo or townhouse transactions. A board can reject a buyer without explanation, adding time and uncertainty beyond the contract itself. Condo purchases skip the board approval step, making them faster to close.
What is the difference between a solo agent and a team in NYC?
A solo agent manages all aspects of the client relationship personally, which some buyers and sellers prefer for responsiveness and continuity. A team typically has a lead agent plus support staff handling marketing, transaction coordination, and buyer or listing agent coverage. At high volume levels, teams can manage more simultaneous transactions, but the client’s day-to-day contact may shift to a junior team member. Ask explicitly who handles which parts of your transaction before signing a representation agreement.
How much do real estate agents charge in New York City?
Commission structures in NYC vary and are negotiable. Historically, total commission was split between listing-side and buyer-side agents, but the fee arrangement each party pays can differ based on brokerage policy and transaction type. Always ask about both the listing-side and buyer-side fee before signing a representation agreement, as costs are not standardized across brokerages.
Investing in real estate involves risk. Neither Ark7 nor Ark7 Properties is a broker-dealer or investment advisor. Offerings are facilitated through Dalmore Group LLC, a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA/SIPC. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Shares may be illiquid and investors should be prepared to hold shares indefinitely.
