Who Is the Best Realtor in Staten Island, NY? Here's How to Find Out

The best realtor in Staten Island, NY is the one whose results speak directly to your situation, your neighborhood, and your goals. The best agent is the one who gets you the outcome you need, whether that means selling a Todt Hill colonial above asking price in under two weeks, or helping a first-time buyer navigate a competitive multiple-offer situation in Eltingville without overpaying.

Why Generic Rankings Miss the Point

National ranking lists capture an agent's sales volume across a broad region, so it's worth going deeper to confirm that your agent has sold homes on your block, understands the difference between pricing a cape cod in Dongan Hills versus a newer construction townhouse in Woodbridge, and knows which neighborhoods are seeing the most buyer activity right now in August 2026. For context on how national ranking methodology works, HousingWire's city-level agent rankings are based primarily on transaction count and volume, reflecting the productivity and market activity that experienced agents consistently deliver.

Staten Island is a borough with distinct micro-markets. The North Shore, the Mid-Island corridor along Richmond Avenue, and the South Shore communities of Great Kills, Huguenot, and Tottenville each have their own pricing dynamics, buyer pools, and inventory patterns. An agent with broad, island-wide experience brings the context needed to serve you well regardless of which neighborhood you are buying or selling in.

The Standards That Actually Matter Here

When evaluating who is the best realtor in Staten Island, NY for your situation, four criteria consistently define the strongest agents: verified local transaction history, a clear and honest communication style, a pricing strategy grounded in current comparable sales data, and a network of local contacts including inspectors, attorneys, and mortgage professionals who know Staten Island's specific closing process.

You can read more about how to evaluate these qualities in detail in this guide on assessing a Staten Island agent's local experience, which walks through specific questions to ask and red flags to watch for.

2. The Local Knowledge a Top Staten Island Realtor Must Have

A strong Staten Island realtor should be able to answer specific questions without hesitation. What did similar homes in Annadale sell for in the past 90 days? How does the commute from Prince's Bay to Lower Manhattan compare to commuting from St. George? What is the difference in property tax burden between a home in Westerleigh and one in New Dorp? These are the kinds of questions that reveal whether an agent truly knows this market at the level of detail that protects your interests.

Neighborhood Pricing Nuances Across the Island

As of August 2026, median home prices across Staten Island range widely depending on location and property type. Entry-level single-family homes in areas like Port Richmond and Stapleton are generally accessible in the mid to upper $400,000 range, while mid-island neighborhoods such as Heartland Village and New Springville see medians closer to the $550,000 to $650,000 range for detached single-family homes. South Shore communities including Tottenville and Richmond Valley, known for larger lots and newer construction, often push past $700,000 for move-in-ready properties.

A top agent knows that a $620,000 list price in Great Kills and a $620,000 list price in Grymes Hill represent very different competitive situations, different buyer pools, and different negotiating dynamics. Pricing strategy on this island rewards specificity, and an agent with neighborhood-level insight helps sellers capture full value and helps buyers avoid overpaying.

For a broader look at how prices are moving across the borough right now, the current Staten Island housing market overview covers inventory trends, days on market, and where buyer demand is concentrated in 2026.

Understanding Staten Island's Unique Housing Stock

Staten Island's housing inventory is genuinely diverse and unlike what you find in most other New York City boroughs. You have prewar brick colonials and cape cods on the North Shore, postwar ranch homes and split-levels throughout the Mid-Island, and newer attached townhouses and detached single-family homes built in the 1990s and 2000s on the South Shore. There are also co-ops in areas like Bay Terrace and condominiums near the St. George waterfront.

Each property type comes with its own inspection considerations, financing constraints, and resale patterns. A co-op purchase, for example, requires board approval and has different financing requirements than a standard single-family sale. A top Staten Island agent is fluent in all of these transaction types, bringing the right expertise to every deal regardless of property type.

3. How to Verify a Realtor's Track Record in Staten Island

Closed transactions are the most reliable measure of an agent's real-world performance. Before you commit to any agent, ask for verifiable data on their recent performance in Staten Island specifically, not across the metro area or New York State as a whole.

Transaction Volume and Closed Sales

Ask the agent how many transactions they closed on Staten Island in the past 12 months, and in which neighborhoods. An agent who closed 20 focused deals in Tottenville and Annadale brings concentrated neighborhood expertise, while volume spread across multiple boroughs reflects broader but less localized experience. Volume matters, but local concentration matters more for your purposes.

Days on Market and List-to-Sale Price Ratio

Two numbers reveal more about an agent's effectiveness than almost anything else. The first is average days on market for their listings: a strong listing agent in today's Staten Island market should be moving homes in 30 to 45 days or fewer in most price ranges. The second is the list-to-sale price ratio: top agents consistently close at or above their original list price, reflecting a pricing strategy that was accurate from day one and kept the listing competitive throughout.

When reviewing an agent's track record, listings that moved efficiently within 30 to 45 days are a reliable sign of accurate pricing and strong marketing. Homes that move quickly and close near asking price reflect an accurate pricing strategy and strong marketing reach from day one. Ask to see the data, not just hear the pitch.

Client Reviews and Referrals

Google reviews and Zillow reviews are useful starting points, but pay attention to the specifics in what past clients write. A review that says 'she knew exactly what comparable sales to use in our neighborhood and we closed $18,000 over asking' tells you far more than a generic five-star comment. Look for reviews that mention specific neighborhoods, specific situations, and measurable outcomes.

Referrals from past clients carry even more weight than online reviews. Ask any agent you are seriously considering if they can connect you with two or three past clients who had a similar situation to yours, whether that is a first-time purchase, a relocation, or a sale after a major life event. A confident agent will say yes without hesitation.

HousingWire's guide on how to pick the right real estate agent outlines additional verification steps including license checks through your state's Department of State, which you can do for any New York agent in seconds online.

4. What Sets Ariana DiMattina Apart as a Staten Island Realtor

Ariana DiMattina of Robert DeFalco Realty is one of the most well-regarded agents working in Staten Island right now, and the reason is straightforward: she works this market exclusively and knows it in granular detail. She is not splitting her time between multiple boroughs or counties. Her entire practice is built around Staten Island buyers and sellers, which means her knowledge of current inventory, active competition, and neighborhood-level pricing is current and specific.

Deep Knowledge of Staten Island Communities

Ariana works across Staten Island's full range of communities, from the waterfront neighborhoods near the Bayonne Bridge and the St. George ferry terminal to the quieter residential streets of Tottenville near the Conference House Park at the island's southern tip. She understands the practical differences that matter to buyers: that commuting from the South Shore to Manhattan by ferry and subway typically takes 60 to 80 minutes depending on where you board, that Mid-Island locations near the Staten Island Expressway offer faster access to the Goethals and Bayonne bridges for New Jersey commuters, and that properties near the Greenbelt's 2,800 acres of preserved open space often carry a premium because of the trail access and green views.

If you are considering a move to the South Shore specifically, the complete buyer's guide to Tottenville covers what to expect in terms of housing stock, pricing, and what the neighborhood looks and feels like on the ground.

A Negotiation and Marketing Approach Built for This Market

On the listing side, Ariana uses professional photography, targeted digital marketing, and MLS exposure combined with Robert DeFalco Realty's strong local buyer network to generate early, competitive interest. In a market where well-priced Staten Island homes are still drawing multiple offers in August 2026, having an agent who can structure an offer review process that creates real competition among buyers is a meaningful financial advantage for sellers.

On the buyer side, she prepares clients to move quickly and confidently in competitive situations, which means getting pre-approval locked in before touring, understanding the inspection contingency landscape in Staten Island's current market, and knowing when to hold firm on price versus when flexibility on terms will win the deal without costing more money.

If you are weighing whether now is the right moment to sell, the article on whether to sell your Staten Island home now or wait walks through the current inventory and pricing conditions that affect that decision.

5. Questions to Ask Before You Hire Anyone

Whether you are interviewing Ariana or any other agent, the questions you ask in the first conversation will tell you most of what you need to know. Here are the ones that cut through the marketing and get to the substance of whether this agent can actually perform for you in Staten Island.

For Buyers

Ask how many buyer transactions the agent completed on Staten Island in the past year and in which neighborhoods. Ask what their strategy is when a listing receives multiple offers and how they have helped buyers win in those situations. Ask how familiar they are with the specific property type you are targeting, whether that is a co-op, a condo, or a single-family home. And ask how they communicate: do they respond by text, email, phone, and how quickly can you expect to hear back when something time-sensitive comes up?

For Sellers

Ask the agent to walk you through how they arrived at their suggested list price, using specific comparable sales from your neighborhood in the past 60 to 90 days. Ask what their average list-to-sale price ratio has been over the past 12 months. Ask what the marketing plan looks like beyond MLS: where will your listing appear, what photography and staging support is included, and how will they handle the first open house weekend? Ask what happens if the home does not sell within 30 days, and what adjustments they would recommend.

For a full list of what to cover before signing a listing agreement, the article on questions to ask a Staten Island agent before signing covers each one in detail so you go into that conversation prepared.

The bottom line on finding the best realtor in Staten Island, NY is this: the agent who can answer your specific questions with specific local data, who has a verifiable track record in your target neighborhoods, and who communicates clearly from the first conversation is almost always the right choice over the agent with the most name recognition or the flashiest website.