Best in Hood
Menu

5 Best Real Estate Agents in New York (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Lorian Hartfield
By Lorian Hartfield, Real Estate and Financial Expert · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

Apartment hunting in New York moves fast enough that the wrong agent can cost you the unit you actually wanted. Some brokerages specialize in first-time renters and recent grads, others focus on co-op sales and board approvals, and the size of the firm behind your real estate agent in New York matters more than most renters realize. Manhattan Realty Group tops this list with 767 reviews at 4.9 stars, while the five agents here range from 73 reviews up to that number.

Short answer: Manhattan Realty Group tops the list with 4.9 stars across 767 reviews, the largest client base of any agency we checked. Next Step Realty and Jay Glazer Real Estate both hold perfect 5.0 ratings on smaller review counts. Broker fees typically run around one month's rent once a lease signs.
Jump to a business

How These NYC Brokerages Compare

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Manhattan Realty Group 4.9 767 Overall / widest borough coverage View ›
2 Next Step Realty 5.0 322 First-time NYC renters and grads View ›
3 New York Living Solutions @ Keller Williams NYC 4.9 246 Rentals and first-time renters View ›
4 MTY Group 4.7 139 Fast-moving rental searches View ›
5 Jay Glazer Real Estate | The Glazer Team at The Corcoran Group 5.0 73 Buying and selling, including co-op board approvals View ›
5 Best Real Estate Agents in New York (2026)

Which agency fits your search

Manhattan Realty Group logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Manhattan Realty Group

4.9767 Google reviews

Manhattan Realty Group is a Midtown brokerage handling buying, selling, and renting across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, and beyond, with a large roster of individually named agents rather than a single point of contact. The company's own site frames itself around professional, top-quality service and lists neighborhood coverage stretching from Battery Park to Yorkville and out to Staten Island. It carries by far the largest review volume of any agency on this list, with reviewers consistently naming their specific agent rather than the firm generally.

What people praise

  • Reviewers consistently name and praise individual agents by name, including for remote and international relocations
  • Described as communicative and transparent through stressful application processes
  • Wide neighborhood coverage across all five boroughs
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.9 / 5
Review volume767 · 98th
Confidencevery high
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown97% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The largest review base by a wide margin, and the rating holds up at that scale, which is the strongest volume signal on this list.

211 E 43rd St #804, New York, NY 10017

Next Step Realty logo
#2🕑 Open 7 days

Next Step Realty

5.0322 Google reviews

Next Step Realty is a Greenwich Village brokerage built specifically around relocating renters, particularly recent graduates and young professionals moving to New York for the first time, offering a concierge-style single-day apartment tour. Its own site pitches itself as a leading relocation resource for the city's newest arrivals, and its intake form asks for graduation year and employer, underscoring who it's built for. Reviewers consistently describe touring several apartments in one afternoon with a private car between stops.

What people praise

  • Concierge-style single-day touring described as fast and low-stress by multiple reviewers
  • Agents named individually and praised for market knowledge
  • Handles urgent, competitive bidding situations well, per reviewer accounts
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating5 / 5
Review volume322 · 93th
Confidencehigh
Recency7 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown98% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It holds a perfect rating across the second-largest review base here, and the single-day tour model is a genuine differentiator for renters new to the city.

4 E 8th St, New York, NY 10003

New York Living Solutions @ Keller Williams NYC logo
#3🕑 Open 7 days

New York Living Solutions @ Keller Williams NYC

4.9246 Google reviews

New York Living Solutions operates as a team within Keller Williams NYC out of a Financial District storefront, covering sales, rentals, and commercial real estate with a roster of individually named agents. The Google profile shows the business as unclaimed, though the reviews are extensive and specific, most naming the agent who handled the transaction directly. Its own site lists agents with formal titles, including licensed associate brokers alongside salespersons.

What people praise

  • Reviewers consistently describe feeling supported through competitive rental applications
  • Agents credited with helping first-time independent renters, including students
  • Fast turnaround described, with some leases confirmed within a week of first contact

Worth knowing

  • The Google Business Profile for this location is unclaimed, so the business itself hasn't verified the listing
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.9 / 5
Review volume246 · 88th
Confidencehigh
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown97% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: The unclaimed profile is worth noting, but the review pattern, specific, recent, and consistently naming individual agents, reads as genuine rather than thin.

90 John St, New York, NY 10038

MTY Group logo
#4🕑 Open 5 days/wk↩ Responds to reviews

MTY Group

4.7139 Google reviews

MTY Group is a World Trade Center-based brokerage founded in 2012 by Tae Moon, describing itself on its own site as an international firm blending traditional brokerage with newer online tools for buying, selling, and renting. It positions itself around a vetted network of agents held to what it calls industry-leading standards. Reviewers most frequently name Tae Moon directly, describing fast apartment searches that moved from first meeting to signed lease in under a week in more than one case.

What people praise

  • Reviewers describe extremely fast turnaround, including one lease signed six days after first contact
  • Strong relationships with landlords described as helping applications move quickly
  • Consistent, responsive communication cited across several reviews
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume139 · 83th
Confidencemoderate
Recency4 years ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown91% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It ranks lower here mainly on review volume and average review age, several of the most detailed reviews are a few years old, rather than on any service complaint.

4 World Trade Center, New York, NY 10006

Jay Glazer Real Estate | The Glazer Team at The Corcoran Group logo
#5🕑 Open 7 days

Jay Glazer Real Estate | The Glazer Team at The Corcoran Group

5.073 Google reviews

The Glazer Team, led by Jay Glazer, operates under The Corcoran Group out of a Broadway office in NoHo, focused on buying and selling rather than the rental-heavy business most other firms on this list run. The team's site is currently being rebuilt, so its fullest description comes from its reviews rather than its own copy, but Corcoran affiliation places it within one of the city's larger established brokerages. Reviewers describe multi-month searches and sales processes, including first-time co-op buyers guided through board applications.

What people praise

  • Reviewers describe deep knowledge of co-op and condo board application processes
  • Patient, consultative approach described over searches lasting a year or more
  • Repeat clients specifically say they wouldn't use another brokerage

Worth knowing

  • The team's own website is currently down for a rebuild, so verify current contact details before reaching out
Reputation scorecardrank in New York
Rating5 / 5
Review volume73 · 68th
Confidenceearly
Recency2 months ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown100% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: It has the smallest review base here but a perfect rating and reviewers who specifically call out board-application expertise, which matters more for co-op purchases than for straightforward rentals.

524 Broadway, New York, NY 10012

6

Your business here

Get listed on this page, in front of local customers already searching for you.

Claim this spot ›

How we score

Rating is each brokerage’s live Google average, and review volume tracks how many clients actually left one, which feeds a confidence score alongside the rating itself. Recency measures how current the reviews are, and completeness checks for a working site, phone number, and posted hours. None of these five numbers can be purchased.

How much does a real estate agent cost in New York? (2026)

Renters in New York typically pay either the landlord’s fee or a broker’s fee equal to one month’s rent or more once a lease is signed, while sellers generally cover a commission split between both sides’ agents at closing. None of these five publish a flat public rate, since fees depend on the specific building, landlord, and deal structure.

Real estate agents across New York

These five brokerages are based in Midtown, Greenwich Village, the Financial District, and NoHo, but all cover a broader footprint across Manhattan, Brooklyn, and beyond depending on the deal. Whether the search is for a first rental or a co-op purchase, expect an initial call or in-person tour before any fee is discussed.

What to ask before you hire a real estate agent

  • Is the broker’s fee paid by me or covered by the landlord on this listing?
  • How many other clients are you currently working with alongside me?
  • What’s your experience with co-op or condo board applications specifically?
  • Can you show me comparable recent sales or rentals in this building or block?
  • What happens if we don’t find the right place within my timeline?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data. A business can pay to be a Featured Partner (badge and top placement), but that never changes another business’s score or position.

How did you choose these five?

We compared real estate agencies serving New York and ranked by rating, review volume, and recency.

How often is this updated?

We last verified this list in July 2026.

Who’s best for a first-time renter new to New York?

Next Step Realty is built specifically around relocating renters and offers a single-day guided tour, which reviewers say helps with the city’s fast rental pace.

Who’s best for buying a co-op?

The Glazer Team at Corcoran has the most reviewer detail specifically about getting through co-op board applications.

The bottom line

Manhattan Realty Group is the safest default given its size and review volume, but Next Step Realty is worth a direct look if you’re new to the city and renting for the first time. Either way, ask about broker fees before you tour.

Own one of these businesses, or want to be here?

Claim your spot on this page: Basic listing $50, Premium $100 with a dofollow link to your site.