Top Real Estate Agents in New Jersey (2026)

FastExpert ranks its agents based on their number of successful sales, real customer reviews, and years active. We collect each real estate agent’s transaction history to provide the most accurate data in our directory of top agents. We like to use the data of the last three years of closed sales as a reference point, as it shows how well the agent is doing now - not 10 years ago.

We only show true and accurate data, and our agents cannot buy their way into a higher ranking. At FastExpert, you’ll always see the most accurate and up-to-date rankings with our top real estate agents.

According to the New Jersey Department of Real Estate as of May 2020, there are a total of 12,911 licensed real estate agents.

Total real estate agent fees (including seller and buyer’s agents) range from 4-6% of the total home sale price.

This is split between the seller’s agent and the buyer’s agent. So if a home sells for $500,000 and the commission is 5%, the total fee is $25,000 with $12,500 for each agent.

The home seller usually pays for this fee, but that can vary depending on what both sides agree on.

If you want to see if a real estate agent is licensed in New Jersey you can visit the New Jersey Department of Real Estate website and look them up by name. This will give you their license number, type, and the cities they are active.

The seller commonly pays the realtor fee.

You will usually see the fee included in the final closing costs for the property sale. On average, total commissions are about 4-6% of the total house sale price, with half going to the seller’s agent and half to the buyer’s agent. This is negotiable and is something you should discuss with your agent before you decide to work with them.

When looking to hire a real estate agent in New Jersey, it’s essential to interview a few agents and choose the one that fits your needs best.

When interviewing, there are some questions to ask to ensure you get information that will help you with your decisions.

Be sure to ask about where they have worked in the past, what their average price point is, how they like to communicate, and how much they charge for commission. For a full list of recommended questions, see our blog post, Essential Interview Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent.

New Jersey real estate agents do much more than just put a sign in front of your house. A good Realtor will work with you from the moment you decide to sell your home to after you hand over the key.

This includes things like working with appraisers to set the right listing price, staging, having pictures taken, preparing the listing, online marketing, open houses, working with individual showings, answering questions, negotiating, closing paperwork, and so much more!

If you don’t think hiring a real estate agent is worth the money, think about this - according to the National Association of Realtors, in 2021 the average home sold FSBO (for sale by owner) sold for 32% less than the average home sold with a Realtor.

Hiring a top real estate agent for selling or buying a home in New Jersey will save you time and money. Here are four reasons you should consider hiring a real estate agent

1. It’s their job and they have the time and resources you likely don’t have to do it well. 2. They know the market. The best real estate agents live and work in the same area for years, they know it well and can help address your questions and concerns. 3. They are good at negotiating. They work as the middleperson between you and the other party so you can stay behind the scenes. 4. They do the hard work for you. They market your home, make phone calls between interested parties, handle documents, and negotiate the best deal for you.

When browsing through the top New Jersey real estate agents, you’ll need to know what makes a great real estate agent before making a decision. Here we’ve listed out the qualities that make a great agent to help you narrow it down!

Professionalism: A top real estate agent takes themselves seriously, and handles every situation with professionalism. Responsiveness: A top real estate agent is your go-to for any questions or concerns you may have when it comes to the purchase or sale of your home. Listens to you: A real estate agent is always personable with their clients. Knowledgeable: A professional real estate agent doesn’t live in the dark ages.

Home Buyers and Home Sellers need not worry about finding an agent in New Jersey. At FastExpert, we take the time to separate the professionals from the agents you should avoid.

I don’t have children, but I’ve heard that school districts can significantly impact resale value. Should buyers still prioritize school zones even if they don’t plan to use them?

Angie Salem: You are smart to prioritize good school districts. They are certainly important if you have children and those communities with good school districts tend to hold their value better than areas and communities that are in less desirable school districts. In the end, it will all depend on what your budget it and where you feel comfortable living. There are other lifestyle criteria that may be more important to you than a school district - for instance, you may be more interested in accessibility to shops, restaurant or trails/bike path/water activities and easy commute to work, etc.

Nadia Colucci: Hello Sean,

Yes, it's worth prioritizing even without kids.

Good school districts tend to hold value better and often see stronger demand, since a large share of buyers are house hunting specifically for schools. That translates to a bigger resale pool and often faster sales down the road. It doesn't mean you need the top rated zone in town, but avoiding a poorly rated one can protect your investment either way.

Think of it less about the school itself and more about buying into what future buyers will want, since resale value depends mostly on their priorities.

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My spouse and I are debating between a spacious suburban home with a large yard and a much smaller condo that is within walking distance of our offices. We currently spend over an hour in traffic each way, and while we want more space for our hobbies, we are worried about the impact of a long commute on our quality of life. We are looking for advice on how to weigh the trade-off between square footage and time.

Zoltan Peresztegi: Hi Luis,

Lots of good "it depends" advice above, so let me try to make it concrete, because I have watched this exact trade-off play out with many buyers.

Run the math on what the commute actually costs you. Two hours a day, roughly 240 working days a year, is about 480 hours. That is twelve full 40-hour work weeks, every year, spent in traffic. Ask yourselves honestly: would you trade a big yard for three extra months of life per year? For some people the answer is still no, and that is legitimate, but you should decide with that number on the table.

Two practical suggestions:

- Test-drive both lives before you buy. Spend a week doing the walk-to-work routine from a friend's place or a short-term rental near the offices, and drive the full suburban commute at rush hour on a Tuesday. Your gut will tell you things a spreadsheet cannot.
- List what the space is actually FOR. If the hobbies need a garage or a yard, that is real. But if it is mostly storage and a guest room used four times a year, a storage unit and a sofa bed are far cheaper than 480 hours.

Also think about resale. A walkable condo near employment centers tends to have a deep, steady buyer pool. Just budget for the HOA fee, and remember you may be able to drop a car entirely, which often offsets most of it.

I am a real estate professional in Los Angeles, working the South Bay and Palos Verdes Peninsula, where commute trade-offs shape half the buying decisions I see. If you would like an introduction to a sharp agent on the Jersey City side, I am happy to connect you from my network.

Zoltan

Juan Picos: This is one of the most important lifestyle decisions you'll make when buying a home, and there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer. I always encourage my clients to think beyond the purchase price and consider how they'll actually live in the home day to day.

A shorter commute can have a huge impact on quality of life. Saving two hours a day could mean more time with family, exercising, pursuing hobbies, or simply reducing the stress that comes with sitting in traffic. Over the course of a year, those hours really add up.

On the other hand, if you work from home several days a week or expect your family to grow, having additional living space and a yard may provide greater long-term value and comfort.

A good exercise is to ask yourselves:

1)How many days per week will you realistically commute?
2)How often will you actually use the extra space?
3)Which scenario aligns better with the lifestyle you want five to ten years from now?

I've had clients choose both options, and the happiest ones are usually those who prioritized the lifestyle that mattered most to them rather than simply buying the biggest home they could afford. Sometimes a smaller home in the right location delivers a much better overall quality of life than a larger home with a long daily commute.

Juan Picos, Realtor

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I'm not sure what my timing should be because I don't want to not have a house to live in if i sell before finding a new one. But I also don't want to find the house I want and not have my home sold and get stuck with two mortages. What is the order of things I should do?

Barrett Henry: There's no single right order. The best approach depends on your financial situation, your market, and your risk tolerance.

Selling first gives you the most financial certainty. You know exactly how much you netted, your buyer pool for the next home isn't limited by carrying two mortgages, and your offer on the new home is stronger because it's not contingent on your current home selling. The downside is that you might need temporary housing between homes if the timing doesn't line up.

Buying first means you can take your time finding the right home without pressure, and you only move once. The risk is carrying two mortgages if your current home doesn't sell quickly. This approach works best if you have the financial reserves to handle both payments for a few months.

The most common middle ground is listing your current home and going under contract before making an offer on the new one. Once your home is under contract with contingencies cleared, you shop with confidence knowing your equity is on the way. A bridge loan or HELOC can also cover the gap between buying and selling if you need the funds from your sale to close on the new purchase.

Talk to your lender first. They'll tell you whether you can qualify for a new mortgage while still carrying your current one, which determines whether buying first is even an option.

Leilani Serrao-Baker: This is a very common concern, and there isn’t a single answer that works for everyone. The right order depends on your financial flexibility, risk tolerance, and what the current market looks like.

In general, there are three common approaches homeowners consider when selling and buying at the same time.

1. Sell first, then buy

This is the most conservative option financially. By selling first, you know exactly how much equity you have available for your next purchase and you avoid the risk of carrying two mortgages.

The trade-off is timing. You may need a short-term housing plan if your home sells before you secure the next one. Some sellers negotiate a rent-back agreement, which allows them to remain in the home for a period of time after closing while they finalize their purchase.

2. Buy first, then sell

Some homeowners choose to purchase their next home before selling their current one. This can make the move less stressful because you already have a place to go.

However, this approach requires the financial ability to carry two homes temporarily, or access to financing options that allow you to use equity from your current home. Lenders sometimes offer bridge-type solutions or programs designed for this situation, but they need to be evaluated carefully with a qualified lender.

3. Coordinate both transactions together

In some cases, the two transactions can be structured so that the sale and purchase occur around the same time. This may involve contingent offers, careful timing of escrow periods, or negotiated closing dates.

This approach requires thoughtful planning because the success of one transaction may depend on the other.

The first step is preparation

Before deciding on timing, it helps to understand:

What your current home may realistically sell for

How quickly homes in your neighborhood are selling

What inventory looks like in the price range you plan to buy

How much equity you would have available for the next purchase

Once those pieces are clear, it becomes much easier to determine the safest and most practical order for your situation.

A conversation with both a real estate professional and a lender can help you map out a strategy so you can move from one home to the next without unnecessary financial pressure.

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I live in an area where home prices have been rising steadily, and houses are selling quickly. I'm thinking about selling my home to take advantage of the current market conditions, but how can I know if it's truly the right time to list? Are there specific indicators or trends I should look out for?

Mary Wassef: A strong market is certainly worth paying attention to, but the best time to sell depends on more than rising prices or how quickly homes are selling. I always tell sellers to look at both the market and their personal goals.

Some of the key indicators I review with clients include:

Inventory levels: Fewer homes on the market generally means less competition and more negotiating power for sellers.
Days on Market: If well-priced homes are selling quickly, buyer demand is still healthy.
Recent comparable sales: Focus on what similar homes have actually sold for in the last 30–90 days, not just asking prices.
New competition: If several comparable homes are about to hit the market, listing sooner may give you an advantage.
Interest rates: Even in a strong market, higher mortgage rates can reduce buyer demand and affect pricing.
Seasonality: While spring is traditionally busy, well-prepared homes can sell successfully year-round if they're priced correctly.

Just as important is whether selling aligns with your own plans. Do you know where you'll move next? Can you comfortably afford your next home? Sometimes waiting makes sense, and other times capturing today's market is the better financial decision.

After more than 23 years as a Realtor, I've found that the most successful sellers don't try to "time the market" perfectly—they make decisions based on current market data, a realistic pricing strategy, and their personal goals. A professional market analysis from an experienced local Realtor can help you understand your home's value, the competition, and whether current conditions favor listing now or waiting.

Mary Wassef
Founder | Broker Associate
Circa Real Estate
Top Producing Houston Realtor | Luxury & Historic Home Specialist
Five Star Professional Award Recipient (15+ Years) | Luxury Home Marketing Guild Member | PRNEWS Award Winner
Serving Houston Heights, Woodland Heights, Sunset Heights, Norhill, Garden Oaks, Oak Forest & Spring Branch

Zoltan Peresztegi: Hi Martin, the market signals have been covered thoroughly here (low inventory, fast sales, rising comps), so let me add the half of the answer that usually gets skipped: the market can be perfect and it can still be the wrong time for you to sell.

Three personal signals matter as much as the market ones:

- The rate swap. If you are carrying a low pandemic-era mortgage, remember you are not just selling a house, you are trading your loan too. With 30-year rates around six and a half percent right now, run the numbers on what your next payment looks like before you fall in love with your sale price.
- The destination. Sellers in hot markets sometimes win the sale and lose the move, because they become buyers in the same competitive conditions a week later. Know where you are going, and whether you will sell first or buy first, before you list.
- The equity math. Ask an agent for a net sheet: sale price minus your payoff, commissions, transfer taxes, and moving costs. "Prices are up" only matters if the net number funds your next step.

And one refinement on the market side: use your micro-market, not headlines. Pull days-on-market and sale-to-list ratios for your specific neighborhood and price band over the last 60 to 90 days. National and even citywide trends can be miles from what is happening on your street.

Nobody rings a bell at the top. When your equity, your next home, and your neighborhood data all line up, that is the signal.

I am a real estate professional working with sellers across Los Angeles and the South Bay. If you would like a strong Trenton area agent to run that net sheet for you, I am happy to connect you with someone from my network.

Zoltan

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House is aged, but in decent condition. We've kept up with maintenance. We want to be able to sell without the hassle of repairs and back and forth after an inspection. What's the best way to sell the house as-is?

Richard Keri: Hi Chad, that's a question I hear all the time. All transactions are as is, and at the same time buyers are entitled to a home inspection. If something comes up in the inspection, a legitimate issue, I would advise you to offer a credit. The agent you decide to work with will be able to advise you.

Grant Nulty: Hi Chad, I deal with properties like this in Atlantic City all the time. A lot of the homes here are a bit older but have been maintained well over the years, just like yours sounds. If your goal is to sell as-is and avoid the back and forth after inspections, the best approach is usually to price it appropriately from the start and clearly market it as an as-is sale. That tends to attract buyers who are prepared for that and reduces the chances of repair requests later. There are also investors and cash buyers in the AC market who specifically look for properties like this, which can make the process smoother. Clear communication between all parties is key!

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