The Absolute Best Realtor in Albany

Look, buying or selling a house in Albany is basically a part-time job you never applied for, and you need someone in your corner who actually gets the 518. Maybe you’re hunting for a fixer-upper near Washington Park or trying to offload a ranch in Buckingham Pond before the snow flies.

The local market here moves fast, but it’s also full of quirks that can trip up the unprepared. So we tracked down a dozen agents who run the gamut from patient first-time buyer whisperers like Kellie Kieley to tenacious, well-above-asking-price closers like Jenn Baniak-Hollands.

Consider this your cheat sheet to finding a pro who won't ghost you come inspection time.

Miuccio Real Estate Group

Highlights
Stands by clients for years
Treats clients like family
Offers honest, unbiased guidance
Quick to provide fitting options
Answers questions long after closing

Look, you want a realtor who’s basically family by the time the ink dries, right? Miuccio Real Estate Group gets that. They don’t just shake your hand and vanish after closing—they’re the type to answer your silly paint-color question three years later. Their honest, unbiased guidance is a rare breed, and they’re quick to line up options that actually fit, not just what’s flashy. It’s like having that one patient friend who’s seen it all and won’t steer you wrong. If you want a cheerleader for the long haul, these folks are it. They’ll stick around longer than your favorite pair of jeans.

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Kellie Kieley, Kellie Kieley Realty LLC

Highlights
Unparalleled knowledge and professionalism
Perfect for first-time buyers
Patient, honest, always responsive
Genuinely cares about clients
Smooth, stress-free home buying

If you’re new to this whole buying-a-house rodeo, Kellie Kieley is your safety net, your GPS, and your hype person rolled into one. Her patience with first-timers is practically legendary—she never once made me feel dumb for asking about, oh, how a septic system actually works. She’s honest, always picks up the phone, and genuinely cares if you’re stressed. The whole process felt smooth, which is saying something, because Albany’s market can be a beast. She’s not just professional; she’s the kind of agent who remembers your dog’s name. Go in with questions, leave with a house. Simple as that.

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The HUB at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Blake, REALTORS

Highlights
Tireless advocate for buyers
Genuine friendships with clients
Honest, steadfast, professional guidance
Delivers dream homes on deadline
Passionate and tenacious negotiator

So here’s the thing about The HUB at Berkshire Hathaway: they fight like your favorite underdog sports team. Tireless advocate? Understatement. They’re the ones who’ll hunt down that dream home, then negotiate the price down like it’s a garage sale. But what really got me was the friendship part—you’re not a commission check, you’re a person. They’re honest, steadfast, and they meet deadlines that would make a perfectionist sweat. If you want someone who’s passionate to the point of tenacious (in a good way), who’ll get you into a place you love before your lease runs out, call them. Just be ready for them to be just as excited as you are.

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Staged Nest Real Estate

Highlights
Staging and selling expertise
Genuine care and support
Professional, reliable, and effortless
Guides through challenging processes
Helpful, pleasant team support

Staged Nest Real Estate sounds like a fancy boutique, but they’re actually the calm, capable friend you need when real estate gets weird. Their staging and selling expertise is obvious from the first walkthrough—they see the potential in a cluttered living room while you just see someone else’s mess. Genuine care? Yes. Support through the challenging parts? Absolutely. They’re professional and reliable to the point of being boring, but in a good way. The team is pleasant, always helpful, and they guide you through the process without ever making you feel rushed. If you want to sell without losing your mind, these folks make it look effortless. And honestly, that’s the dream.

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Empire Real Estate Firm LLC

Highlights
Marissa makes sales breeze
Anganese Gomez is patient
Knowledgeable through entire process
Smart decisions, saved money
Highly recommended by clients

Let me tell you about Empire Real Estate Firm, where Marissa and Anganese Gomez are basically the dynamic duo of Albany home buying. Marissa makes the whole sales process feel like a breeze—like, did we just close already? But then there’s Anganese, who is so patient you’d think she’s part-time therapist. They’re both incredibly knowledgeable from the first showing to the final signature. I made smarter decisions, saved some real cash, and never once felt pressured. My friends who’ve used them say the same: highly recommended, no fine print. If you want a team that feels like a well-oiled machine with a smile, this is your spot. You’ll thank me later.

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Tracy Mance | REALTOR® | 518Realty.com

Highlights
Knows her stuff
Patient through long searches
Professional and transparent
Genuine passion for helping

Tracy Mance knows her stuff—period. But here’s the kicker: she’s patient through the longest, most frustrating house hunts you can imagine. I’m talking months of you waffling between a fixer-upper and a condo, and she never once rolls her eyes (that I saw). Professional and transparent? Check and check. She tells you the truth about a neighborhood’s noise level, even if it’s not what you want to hear. What I love most is her genuine passion for helping—it’s not just a job. She’s the kind of agent who’ll send you a listing at 10 PM just because she knew you’d love the backyard. If you want straight talk and zero games, she’s your person.

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Jenn Baniak-Hollands, Associate Broker, KW Platform

Highlights
Always available when needed
Sold well above asking price
Guided buying and selling
Responsive, organized, and knowledgeable
Made stressful process easier

Jenn Baniak-Hollands is the secret weapon you didn’t know you needed. She sold my place well above asking—and I still don’t know how she pulled that off, but I’m not asking questions. She handled both my buying and selling, which can be a tightrope act, but she made it look easy. Always available when you text, super organized, and knows her stuff when it comes to the local market. The stressful parts of the process? She just took them and smoothed them over like butter. If you want someone who’s responsive to a fault and will get you top dollar, she’s your woman. Just be prepared to feel a little spoiled.

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Cornwell Real Estate

Highlights
Patient with first-time buyers
Trusted for sight-unseen purchases
Strong local market expertise
Responsive and easy to communicate
Reliable team and vendor connections

Cornwell Real Estate is the patient friend who never judges you for looking at 40 houses before committing. They’re especially great with first-time buyers, which is perfect because I had no idea what I was doing. They even handled a sight-unseen purchase for a buddy of mine—trusted them from another state, and it worked out perfectly. Their local market expertise is strong, and they’re easy to communicate with, whether you’re on the phone or emailing at midnight. Plus, they’ve got a reliable network of vendors, so when you need an inspector on short notice, they’ve got a guy. If you want someone who won’t ghost you, this is your crew.

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McSharry and Associates Realty

Highlights
Patient through long searches
Sharp negotiation and closing skills
Kind, funny, and responsive
Stunning listing presentations
Guidance for first-time buyers

McSharry and Associates Realty is where you go when you want to laugh and still get down to business. They’re patient through the long searches—I’m talking months of changing your mind—and their negotiation skills are sharp enough to cut glass. But here’s the best part: they’re kind, funny, and always responsive, which makes the whole thing bearable. Their listing presentations? Stunning. Like, magazine-worthy. And if you’re a first-time buyer, they’ll guide you without ever making you feel foolish. I felt like I had a friend in my corner who also happened to know the contract inside and out. That’s a rare combo, my friend. Don’t let them go.

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Michael Keefrider

Highlights
Knows markets extremely well
Goes above and beyond
Responsive, supportive, stress-free guidance
Great for first-time buyers
Highly recommended without hesitation

Michael Keefrider is the realtor equivalent of that friend who always has a plan, a backup plan, and a backup-backup plan. He knows the Albany markets extremely well—you won’t catch him recommending an overpriced dud. He goes above and beyond, like staying late to check out a property’s drainage after a rainstorm. Responsive, supportive, and surprisingly stress-free to work with, which is huge when you’re a first-time buyer. I can’t recommend him without hesitation—actually, I can, and I do, often. He’s the kind of agent who makes you feel like you’re his only client, even though you know he’s juggling three other deals. Just a solid, genuinely good guy.

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Paula Rice, Associate Real Estate Broker, Gabler Realty

Highlights
Patient with first-time buyers
Deep local market knowledge
Always responsive and engaged
Trusted professional referrals
Genuine care throughout

Paula Rice from Gabler Realty is the calm, steady hand you want when the housing market feels like a rollercoaster. She’s super patient with first-timers—she didn’t mind that I kept flip-flopping between neighborhoods. Her local market knowledge is deep, so she can tell you which streets are noisy on weekends and which have the best school zones. Always responsive and engaged, she makes you feel like you’re her only client. She also has a list of trusted professionals—inspectors, lawyers, you name it—so you never have to scramble. Genuine care throughout? Absolutely. If you want someone who treats your search like it’s their own, call her. You won’t regret it.

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Tibbitts & Co. Realty

Highlights
Queena Li: dedicated, honest, invested
Trent: instrumental expertise and advice
Client-focused, never pressured, always informed
Prompt, proactive, clear communication
High integrity, no settling for less

Tibbitts & Co. Realty has a dynamic duo that deserves a shoutout: Queena Li and Trent. Queena is dedicated, honest, and so invested in the outcome you’d think she was buying the place herself. Trent brought instrumental expertise and advice that saved me from at least two mistakes. Together, they’re client-focused without ever being pushy—they’d present the facts and let me decide, which I appreciated. Their communication is prompt, proactive, and clear, even when I was being a nervous wreck. They have high integrity and refuse to settle for less, which means you won’t either. If you want a team that’s in your corner but also tells you the truth, this is it.

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