New Jersey’s 7 Most Elite Trusted Agents To Watch Out For In 2026.

Buying or selling a home is one of the most significant decisions a person can make. It involves money, timing, emotion, and trust. Finding an agent who genuinely cares about the outcome can make all the difference.

The professionals featured in this list share something in common. They show up for their clients. They answer questions without making anyone feel foolish for asking. They walk people through complicated processes with patience, not pressure. Some have backgrounds in teaching, social services, or finance. Others built their careers entirely on word of mouth referrals, earned over years of consistent, honest work.

What connects them isn't a formula or a sales technique. It's a commitment to treating each client's investment like their own. They educate, advocate, and stay present through the stress and uncertainty that real estate often brings.

These are agents who have earned trust the old fashioned way: by showing up and doing right by people.

Jessica Ekenezar: Helping Buyers Get to the Closing Table With Less Out of Pocket

For many people, buying a home feels out of reach. Between rising prices and strict lending requirements, the upfront costs alone can stop a family before they even start looking. Jessica Ekenezar, a Realtor® with Fathom Realty serving New Jersey and Pennsylvania, has built her practice around solving that exact problem.

Her approach is simple but effective. She focuses on helping clients purchase homes while spending as little as possible upfront. "Whether that means securing grants, negotiating closing cost assistance, or connecting clients with lenders offering the best low interest programs, my goal is to make homeownership more attainable and affordable," she said.

The results back up her words. In 2025, most of Jessica's clients brought under $500 to the closing table. That kind of outcome requires deep knowledge of assistance programs, strong relationships with lenders, and real negotiation skills.

Her background in social services shapes how she works with people. She understands that many of her clients face real obstacles, whether that means limited savings or credit issues that need attention. Instead of turning them away, she connects them with resources and walks them through the process of getting financially ready.

"I guide them step by step through improving their credit and preparing financially so they can confidently qualify for a mortgage," she explained. Some clients work with her for months before they're ready to buy, but that patience pays off in long term success.

Jessica was recognized as a Top Producer across New Jersey in 2024 and hit her commission cap within four months of 2025. Her clients include first time buyers, growing families, and investors, all looking for honest guidance.

"The ideal outcome of working with me is not just closing on a home but achieving homeownership with confidence and stability," she said.

Christine Trabattoni: A Jersey Shore Agent Who Puts People Before Transactions

Real estate can feel rushed and impersonal. Christine Trabattoni, working along the Jersey Shore, has spent her career proving it doesn't have to be. Over 90 percent of her business comes strictly through word of mouth, and that number tells you everything about how she operates.

Christine didn't start in real estate right away. She raised her family first, spending 30 years married to her husband Mark and watching her two sons, Alec and Jack, grow up. After those years of focusing on family, she stepped into real estate as a second career and quickly became an award winning agent.

Her path included struggle. As a breast cancer survivor, Christine says the experience inspired her to live with more purpose and joy. That sense of intentionality shapes how she approaches every client relationship.

She's a full service realtor specializing in residential and commercial real estate, but her involvement goes beyond the typical duties. Staging, organizing, clean outs, design, packing, unpacking. She does it all.

"Passion and compassion, sweet and simple," she said when asked what makes her different. "I have cried with my sellers on closing day when they locked their front door for the last time. I have taken the top down on my convertible with my 85 year old client watching her laugh."

Many in the industry say you shouldn't get too personal with clients. Christine disagrees. Some of her clients have ended up sitting at her Thanksgiving table.

She's earned recognition throughout her career, including Rookie of the Year, Top Producer, and the Red Ruby Award. Now she's focused on expanding her brand while keeping trust at the center, including plans to partner with her son Jack.

For Christine, real estate has never been about the transaction. It's about the people.

Kashana "Kash" Wainwright: From Bold Career Change to Award Winning Advocate

When Kashana "Kash" Wainwright left the West Coast to pursue real estate full time, it was a leap of faith. A few years later, that decision has turned into an expanding career built on trusted connections and a genuine commitment to serving people during some of the biggest moments of their lives.

"I stepped into this industry to make a difference in my life and in the lives of the people I meet," Kash said. That philosophy shapes everything, whether working with first time buyers, sellers, or investors building their portfolios.

The industry noticed early. In her first year, Kash earned the Rising Star Award. Now in year two, the momentum continues. A recent milestone was the successful completion of a six unit deal, with more multifamily properties in the works.

"If a client is looking to accomplish a goal, I'm here to partner with them to accomplish it," she explained. That collaborative approach has resonated especially well with investors seeking someone to help secure and negotiate deals.

Beyond transactions, Kash created The Kash Connection, a show exploring the intersection of people, business, and real estate. She also cofounded the 777 Property Group with partners Austin Cennimo and Jenny Mendez. The team focuses on guiding investors through the purchase and sale of multifamily and commercial properties, driven by a simple mission: to put a roof over as many heads as possible.

For Kash, real estate has always been about more than closings. It's about building communities.

Bobbi Lebbing: 30 Years of Dedication and Genuine Connection in New Jersey

Bobbi Lebbing was born and raised on a horse farm in Monmouth County. The beaches, inlets, bays, and lagoons of New Jersey shaped her childhood and eventually her career. She's called Monroe home for 40 years, and for 30 of those years, she's worked as a full time Realtor serving clients across Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, and Mercer Counties.

"I love my job! This crazy career path that I've chosen is something that brings me joy and great satisfaction," Bobbi said. But she's quick to acknowledge reality. "Truthfully, it is not an easy job. It is not something that can be done part time."

That honesty extends to how she works. An impressive 90 percent of her business comes from repeat clients and personal referrals, built over decades of showing up fully for the people she serves.

From the first moment she walks into a listing, Bobbi helps. Whether it's addressing clutter, coordinating donations, or bringing in her trusted team of plumbers and electricians to handle repairs, she solves problems before they become obstacles.

Her track record speaks for itself. She's a Five Star Award winner for 2023, 2024, and 2025, and holds a Lifetime Membership in the Distinguished Sales Club. She's earned Bronze, Silver, and Gold Level recognition through the New Jersey Association of Realtors Circle of Excellence multiple times over.

"It's all about relationships," she said. "And those relationships mean the world to me."

Madeline Bennett: Modern Marketing Meets Client First Service in South Jersey

Madeline Bennett didn't set out to reinvent real estate. She just wanted to do it better.

As a full time agent with Romano Realty, Maddie has built her business around something most buyers and sellers say they want but rarely find: genuine communication, clear guidance, and someone who actually understands what they're going through.

She holds a Master's Degree in Strategic Communication from Rowan University, and that background shapes everything she does. She created her own buyer and seller guides, designed to walk clients through each step without jargon or pressure. Her focus is on Gloucester and Camden Counties, and she treats that specialization seriously, sharing what it's actually like to live in these areas rather than just pushing listings.

"I specialize in Gloucester and Camden Counties and share the lifestyle that comes with living here, not just the listings," Maddie said. "This positions me as a trusted resource, not just a salesperson."

Her ideal clients are often first time buyers who feel stuck or overwhelmed. They assume they can't afford a home. They don't know where to start. Maddie works to simplify the process and break down financing options in a way that feels approachable rather than intimidating.

She was recently featured in South Jersey Real Producers Magazine and received the Most Improved Agent Award at her office. She's also launched a structured internship program under her brand, Madeline Bennett NJ, designed to give aspiring professionals real experience inside a modern real estate business.

Melissa Gonzales: From Kindergarten Teacher to Top Producing Agent

Melissa Gonzales didn't ease into real estate. In 2020, she left a stable teaching career to pursue something she believed in. After earning her license in 2019 and working in both worlds for a while, the pull toward real estate was stronger. So she quit her job as a kindergarten inclusion teacher and committed fully.

Since then, she's sold more than 250 homes. She's been recognized as top agent for units sold and top listing agent at Signature Realty NJ for three consecutive years, a distinction that stands out even more when you consider the brokerage has 400 agents.

But the accolades don't tell the full story. What matters more to Melissa is how her clients feel when they work with her.

"My clients know I genuinely care, and they feel that," she said. She credits some of that warmth to her years teaching kindergarten, where being present and patient wasn't optional. That same energy carries into her work now. Clients have told her they chose her because they could just tell she is a good person.

Real estate transactions can be overwhelming. Melissa knows that. She doesn't push. She doesn't create urgency where it doesn't exist. She walks people through each step with clarity and consistent communication.

"I treat their investment like it's my own," she said.

Melissa also mentors new agents at Signature Realty NJ, helping train them and supporting their development. She believes in giving back, not just in life but in her profession.

Mary Premtaj: Wall Street Expertise Meets Client Centered Real Estate

Before real estate, Mary Premtaj spent a decade on Wall Street. She started in an entry level position at Merrill Lynch and worked her way onto the foreign exchange trading floor, making markets and taking positions in foreign currencies during the 1980s. That analytical background shapes everything she does today.

It was her own frustrating experience buying a home that planted the idea of a career change. "The process was unorganized and chaotic," she recalls. "It was such a big deal, and I just felt like I didn't have the proper guidance and resources I needed."

Mary knew there had to be a better way. She combined her Wall Street expertise and business acumen with a genuine commitment to service. That approach has made her the top realtor in Franklin Lakes every year since 2009 and an annual NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence award recipient since 2010, with platinum level recognition since 2017.

As the leader of The Premtaj Team at Compass, Mary serves buyers and sellers throughout Bergen County, with a particular focus on luxury properties. She's closed more than $400 million in career sales, including $60 million in 2021 alone.

What sets her apart is her ability to listen with intention, understanding not just what clients say but what they really mean. Her long list of repeat and referral clients is what she considers her proudest achievement.

Mary resides in Franklin Lakes with her husband, three kids, and their German Shepherd.

Summary

Real estate works best when trust is at the center. The agents featured here understand that. They've built their careers not on flashy marketing or empty promises, but on showing up consistently for the people who rely on them.

Some have helped clients bring less than $500 to the closing table. Others have spent decades earning repeat business and referrals from families who keep coming back. A few left stable careers in teaching or finance because they believed they could do this work better, with more care.

What they share is a way of operating that puts people first. They listen. They explain things clearly. They don't rush or push. They treat every transaction like it matters, because it does.

In a process that can feel overwhelming and uncertain, these professionals offer something simple but rare: honest guidance from people who genuinely care about the outcome.