Top Realtors 2022 – VirginiaLiving.com

Our list of the state’s top real estate professionals.

If you’re house hunting or preparing your own home for resale, the process can be daunting. Find a professional to help make the process as painless as possible with our list of more than 1,800 of the Commonwealth’s top real estate professionals (who sold at least 5 million dollars in sales).

Click here to browse Virginia Living’s Top Realtors 2022.

and

Click here to browse Virginia Living’s Top Realtor Teams 2022.

Interviews:

For more fantastic real estate and home ideas, check out Virginia Living magazine’s July/AugustHome and Garden Super Section. It’s loaded with inspiration for landscaping, renovating, and interior design from pros you’ll need to know around the state. We’ve asked top realtors from each region to share their best advice for buying in today’s market.

Here’s what they had to say…

Central:

Scott Shaheen (Shaheen, Ruth, Martin and Fonville Real estate)

1. What are the top real estate trends you’re seeing in your area?

• More outdoor living with pools/hardscapes and outdoor kitchens
• More neutral color schemes in tile colors/kitchen cabinets and minimal color splashes throughout the house
• More Luxury Vinyl planks (LVP) as a replacement for traditional wood floors and carpet
• Many buyers are looking for multiple offices in the home—with many people working from home as well as kids needing the option of multiple offices

2. When talking to a potential realtor (or sales agent), what is the most important question a client should ask?

• Basically, they should ask about the specific market area and make sure the agent knows and understands the market area for which they are interested in purchasing a home. This does not just mean understanding the area but also understanding how to write a competitive offer in the area as well.

Eastern:

Montaigne Cree (Blue Heron Realty)

1. What are the top trends you’re seeing in your area?

• We are seeing more people coming to Virginia’s Eastern Shore who are working remotely from home.  The Shore has invested heavily in high-speed broadband over the past few years which has made this new trend possible.
• We are seeing more people purchase second homes with the intention of doing summer weekly vacation rentals which enables them to defray a lot of their costs and use their home the rest of the year.
• With the limited supply of existing homes for sale, we are seeing more people buying land and building homes. The added benefit of building instead of buying an existing home is that people can find the perfect parcel of land that meets their needs and build the exact floor plan that works best for them.

2. When talking to a potential realtor (or sales agent), what is the most important question a client should ask?

• Since people are often considering multiple areas, I think it is important to ask their agent what makes their particular area so special that they should consider buying there.  

Northern:

Ann Wilson (KW Metro Center)

1. What are the top trends you’re seeing in your area?

• Real estate is an ever-evolving market with trends constantly changing. I have found a few things stay consistent over my 15+ year tenure as a realtor/buyers want to be in a great school district and they want move-in-ready homes leaving sellers to do everything they can to update, paint and make their homes shine to attract a wide audience of potential buyers, even in a strong seller’s market. This typically leads to a win-win home sale—happy buyers with their new dream home and happy sellers with multiple great offers to choose from.

2. When talking to a potential realtor (or sales agent), what is the most important question a client should ask?

• I think every buyer and seller should ask for client references, statistics, what’s your office structure, i.e., administrative assistance, a partner, how long you’ve been an agent and whether you have any designations, and how those designations will impact your ability to assist them in the transaction. While there are many real estate agents in this market and seller’s likely have a friend or cousin who is licensed, hiring a truly professional realtor who is in real estate as their full career can make all the difference. Buying or selling a home is one of the best and biggest investments we can make—having a trusted advisor on your side is of utmost importance!

Shenandoah:

Kemper Funkhouser (Funkhouser Real Estate Group)

1. What are the top real estate trends you’re seeing in your area?

• The Shenandoah Valley is continuing to see a strong real estate market as the diverse economy and diverse population grows. There continues to be a focus on affordable housing opportunities, investment into income-producing properties, and second-home purchases to enjoy the beautiful setting of the Valley. 

2. When talking to a potential realtor (or sales agent), what is the most important question a client should ask?

• When hiring a REALTOR® to represent your interests, you will want someone who listens to your needs, has local market knowledge, understands dynamic market conditions, and takes time to guide you through the buying or selling process.

Southwest:

Rayne Stenger (Long & Foster Blacksburg, VA-Realty)

1. What are the top real estate trends you’re seeing in your area?

The market has started to evolve quickly. Higher interest rates have definitely contributed to this change.

• The Seller’s market is calming and Buyers are gaining more power.
• Overpriced homes are sitting on the market and having to reduce their prices, some are having to do dramatic price reductions.
• Although interest rates have gone up, this change in the market is giving Buyers who have lost out due to multiple offers on homes during the past couple of years, an opportunity to finally get a home.

2. When talking to a potential realtor (or sales agent), what is the most important question a client should ask?

• The most important question I believe a Buyer can ask is, “What are the steps I need to take to be a strong Buyer and how can you help me get there”
• The most important question I believe a Seller can ask is, “What do I need to do to get my house ready to sell and how are you going to sell it?”

This article originally appeared in the August 2022 issue.