Top 10 Real Estate Agents in Ohio You Can Trust: Decades of Putting People First

Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest decisions most people will ever make, and it rarely happens in isolation. Behind nearly every transaction is a family in the middle of something larger: a first home, a retirement, a downsize, a fresh start. In a market this challenging, having someone to trust is not a luxury. It is the whole point. That is what this list is about. The agents gathered here, working across Ohio, have earned that trust over years, and in several cases, decades.

Their experience is hard to overstate. Some have been in the business for twenty-five or thirty years or more. Some grew up in real estate families and carried the work into a new generation. Others found it after careers elsewhere and stayed because they loved helping people. Many now teach and mentor other agents, quietly raising the standard of the profession itself.

What they share is a way of working that puts the person before the deal. They listen to what each client actually needs rather than pushing toward a quick close. They treat every transaction with the same care, whatever the price. Several have built entire businesses on referrals alone. One meets personally with buyers facing credit challenges and stays with them for months until they are ready. Others remain involved long after closing, answering questions for years.

They see themselves as advisors, fiduciaries, and often friends. Not salespeople. And in a market like this one, that difference matters. 

Jeffrey Rosa: Thirty Years of Showing Up for His Clients

Jeffrey Rosa has spent three decades in the real estate world, and somewhere along the way, he decided that the usual approach wasn't enough. Based in Cincinnati, Jeff works with buyers and sellers across the spectrum, from luxury homes to land, new construction to investment properties. But what sets him apart isn't the range of what he handles. It's how he thinks about the work itself. Born in 1962, Jeff has built a career defined by consistency and a genuine desire to serve clients beyond the basics of buying and selling.

"I realized years ago that agents focus on helping people buy and sell homes," Jeff explained. "To me, we are more than that."

That realization changed everything for him. It wasn't enough to simply close deals and move on to the next client. Jeff wanted to build something that lasted longer than a single transaction.

That shift in thinking led Jeff and his wife to reframe their entire practice. They stopped calling themselves realtors and started positioning themselves as real estate advisors. The distinction matters to them. A realtor helps with a transaction. An advisor stays involved long after the closing papers are signed, guiding clients through the ongoing realities of property ownership.

Jeff's influence extends well beyond his own clients. He has been teaching continuing education classes and training other agents for 25 years. He's a Maestro Coach and currently serves as a mentor at eXp Realty, helping newer agents navigate the industry's complexities. His willingness to share what he's learned over the years reflects a broader commitment to raising the standard of service across the profession.

Cathy LeSueur: The Shaker Heights Name Families Keep Coming Back To

Cathy LeSueur has spent more than four decades helping families buy and sell homes in Shaker Heights, Cleveland Heights, and the surrounding communities. She works with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, where she has consistently ranked among the company's top producers.

The oldest of five siblings, Cathy grew up in Cleveland's Collinwood neighborhood in what she describes as a broken home. She left before finishing high school and later earned her GED. Those early years shaped how she approaches her work today.

"Because of the lack of love in my own home and because I had to take care of my brothers and sisters, I have a very nurturing kind of background. I'm all about people," Cathy said.

She started her real estate career in 1983 and has averaged $25 million a year in sales, ranking as the top seller in her office 25 times in the past 28 years. Still, she doesn't define her success by numbers. "One of my biggest achievements is building a business rooted in trust and referrals," she said.

The LeSueur Team is a family operation. Her husband Jim joined full-time in 2003, and their daughter Kate is also part of the team. Expanding beyond the immediate family, Cathy welcomed Angel Krsacok to the team in 2024. Together, they have completed more than 1,900 sales.

Karen Samonte: A Steady Hand in Northeast Ohio After Three Decades

Karen Lynn Samonte, ABR, HOD, RRS, SRES, is a real estate professional based in Northeast Ohio. She has been in the industry for more than 30 years, working with buyers and sellers across the region. Her focus is simple: helping people find homes or move on to the next chapter of their lives.

Karen holds several certifications, including Accredited Buyers Representative, Howard Hanna Homes of Distinction Specialist, Residential Relocation Specialist, and Senior Real Estate Specialist. "My goal is not just to guide you through the process but to empower you with knowledge, ensuring you're informed at every step," she said.

"I have been in business for over 30 years; I have the knowledge and understanding of what my buyers and sellers are looking for," Karen explained.

She has worked with Howard Hanna for over 25 years. The company is independently owned and family-operated, which she values deeply. "We are not a franchise; we have knowledge of everything going on within the company," she explained. "They provide ongoing education for all employees. They are an excellent company to work with."

Karen has been recognized as a top producer and has received the President's Sales Club CABOR Award of Achievement, the National Sales Excellence Award for being in the top five percent nationally, and the Howard Hanna Quality Service Award for 20 consecutive years. Her most prestigious accolade is the President's Circle award, which required a 15+ year tenure at the company with consistently high sales volume.

Outside of real estate, Karen has served as a PTA president and Girl Scout leader, and volunteers with St. Rita's Church and other local causes.

Bill Hanna: 25 Years of Honest Work in Findlay, Ohio

Bill Hanna is a real estate agent based in Findlay, Ohio, who has spent the last 25 years helping clients buy and sell homes. He currently works with RE/MAX Unlimited Results Realty and has built a reputation grounded in honesty and integrity.

Bill grew up in the area, graduating from Liberty Benton High School before attending Bowling Green State University. He married his high school girlfriend, and together they raised two daughters. They now have four grandchildren. His roots in the community run deep, and that connection shapes how he approaches his work.

His path to real estate was not a straight line. Bill started his career in Cleveland at US Steel, then moved into sales in the paper distribution industry, where he excelled for many years. But the constant travel and pressures of corporate life wore on him. He missed being home every night, so he made a complete career change and went into real estate.

"I don't have to sell real estate," Bill explained. "I do it because I enjoy helping others to achieve their goals."

In his first full year in real estate, he received the Ohio President's Sales Award, and he has continued to earn this annual recognition each year since. He holds certifications as a Senior Real Estate Specialist and as an Accredited Buyer Representative. At RE/MAX, he has achieved Hall of Fame status and claimed multiple awards for sales excellence.

"In this market, you need to make sure you have an agent you can trust to navigate this unique and challenging housing market," he said. "I am excited to connect with you to understand your personal needs and to use my market experience to guide you through the process, providing a stress-free real estate experience."

More Than a House: Why Jenny Duncan Has Spent Nearly Two Decades Helping Northeast Ohio Families Find Home

For Jenny Duncan, real estate isn’t just about houses. While she loves the homes, architecture, and strategy behind every transaction, what’s kept her passionate about the industry for nearly two decades is the people. As the leader of The Duncan Real Estate Team with Keller Williams Elevate, serving Northeast Ohio, Jenny has built her business around a simple belief: behind every transaction is a family navigating an important life transition.

“I want people to feel like they have someone in their corner who cares about their outcome, not just the closing date,” Jenny said. “My goal is for clients to feel informed, supported, and confident throughout the process.”

Over the years, Jenny has become a trusted resource for hundreds of buyers and sellers across Northeast Ohio. Past clients often return for guidance long after closing day, with questions about the market, homeownership, future moves, and investment opportunities. “I genuinely love real estate,” she said. “I love the houses, the strategy, and most of all, the people.”

Her approach is rooted in values that guide her life every day: God first, family second, business third. Jenny and her husband are raising four children, including their youngest, who joined their family through foster care adoption. The experience deepened her appreciation for stable housing and her belief that home is about far more than four walls and a roof.

That perspective extends beyond real estate. Jenny serves as President of the Board for Habitat for Humanity of Medina County and remains committed to helping families achieve safe, stable housing. For Jenny, success is about serving people well and helping them find a place to call home.

Blaine Wells: A Findlay Real Estate Legacy Built Across Generations

Blaine Wells has held his real estate license for 23 years in Northwest Ohio. He is based in Findlay, a micropolitan town where his family has been part of the local real estate scene since the 1970s. His grandfather, grandmother, and mother were in the business for years before him. For Blaine, real estate was never just a career choice. It was more like destiny.

Over the years, he has owned and operated multiple brokerages, recruited and mentored more than 50 sales agents, and worked across corporate relocation, foreclosure sales, vacant land, commercial real estate, new home construction, and traditional buyer and seller representation.

"There is a lot of talk in our industry about being a disruptor," Blaine said. "I want to disrupt the unfortunate perception many people have of my profession and show them what being a professional Realtor looks like."

He is drawn most to two kinds of clients: those who have had a poor real estate experience in the past, and first-time buyers or sellers. "These clients often need real help and are absolutely begging for someone to trust," Blaine explained. "I relish the opportunity to guide their processes, from start to finish, side by side with the client as a trusted fiduciary."

In mid 2025, Blaine and his business partner, Jason Alge, opened The Property Collective, a new independent brokerage in downtown Findlay. Starting with just the two of them, they have since added eight more Realtors to the team.

Rebecca Nedelka: Simple, Smooth, Sold in Northeast Ohio

Rebecca Nedelka is a real estate agent serving Northeast Ohio through eXp Realty. She works with buyers and sellers across the Cleveland area, with a particular focus on residential sales, negotiation, and marketing. Her approach is built around a straightforward philosophy: keep things simple, keep them smooth, and get to the closing table.

Rebecca has been named an ICON Agent with eXp Realty every year since joining the company. In 2025, she closed 68 transactions as a solo agent and made the eXp Top 250 Agents list at number 80. In the 2026 RateMyAgent awards, she received multiple honors, including Top Agent in Cuyahoga County for the second time, Top 10 in Ohio, and Top 100 in the United States. She values those most because they are based on client reviews.

"While all clients are either looking to purchase a property or sell a property, they all have different goals and top priorities," Rebecca explained. "Listening and focusing on the most important thing to them and creating a marketing plan centered around that is how I operate. Regardless of the transaction amount, they are all treated with the same care and respect. It is about the individual first, not the commission."

One client, planning to retire in Florida, hoped to get $250,000 for her Stow home. After walking through the property, Rebecca suggested a few minor fixes and listed it at $350,000. By the end of the first day of showings, an offer came in at $365,000.

Candice Eberhardt: 25 Years of Opening Doors in the Akron Market

Candice Eberhardt has been helping people buy and sell homes in the Akron area for more than 25 years. She got her real estate license in 2001 when she was just 20 years old, making her one of the youngest agents in her market at the time. In 2012, she opened Eberhardt Realty, which she still runs today.

Her agency, based in the Wallhaven neighborhood of Northwest Akron, was recently named the number one real estate agency in that area by Business Rate for 2026.

Most of her clients are first-time homebuyers. Many come to her facing challenges with credit or struggling to pull together the funds needed to close on a house. Instead of turning them away, Candice meets with them personally and connects them to agencies that can help. She stays in touch throughout the entire process, sometimes for months, until they are ready to buy. To date, she has assisted more than 500 families on their path to homeownership.

"Seeing these buyers at the closing table will always be the most poignant part of my career," she said. "I am still in contact with many of them."

In 2022, Candice was elected as the first minority woman to serve as President of the Akron-Cleveland Association of REALTORS, the governing body for approximately 7,000 real estate professionals across Cuyahoga, Summit, and Portage Counties. The Akron-Cleveland Association of REALTORS later named her Realtor of the Year, and the Women's Council of Realtors created an award in her name: The Candice Eberhardt Legacy in Leadership Award.

Shannon Mary Bauer: Service With a Heart in Northeast Ohio

Shannon Mary Bauer has been selling homes in Northeast Ohio since 2017. In that time, she has closed more than 185 transactions, building a reputation that speaks for itself in a market where trust is everything. She works with a wide range of clients, from young couples buying their first home to seasoned buyers searching for luxury properties, and she has a particular fondness for the farms and rural land that define much of the region.

Originally from Southern California, Shannon has called Northeast Ohio home for 30 years. She is a mother of four adult children and a grandmother of two.

Her team is small and close and includes her daughter, Marissa Gebhardt.
They operate under the name The TEAM Group, an acronym for Shannon's four children: Trevor, Erik, Anna, and Marissa.

"We work as though there is no light between us," Shannon explained. "Covering for each other, showing up for each other, and ultimately wrapping ourselves around our clients to ensure the best outcome always."

She is brokered through eXp Realty and has a branch office in the small rural town of Rittman, Ohio. "The size of the brokerage does not matter, but rather the intellect and experience of the realtor," she said.

Shannon has never purchased a lead. Every client comes from referrals or her direct sphere of contacts. She earned recognition as an ICON agent with eXp and is a certified real estate mentor. In July 2024, she was featured by Cleveland Real Producers for "Service with a Heart."

Alexandria Heacock: A Family Farm, A Family Brokerage, A Family First Approach

Alexandria Heacock is a real estate agent in Cardington, Ohio. For the past seven years, she has worked with families and individuals through their buying and selling journeys, earning a reputation for genuine care and consistent results. She serves as the Branch Office Owner for the Cardington location of Home Equity Realty Group and holds the title of VP of Agent Affairs within the company. She is also a Certified Real Estate Negotiator and a New Home Certified Professional.

Alexandria resides locally on a generational family farm alongside her husband and three children, a personal connection that mirrors the structure of her professional life. The brokerage she represents is a family-owned and operated enterprise; her mother serves as a founding partner, active agent, and principal broker for the firm’s southwest Florida location. This legacy continues through Alexandria and her three brothers, who are all active agents, while her sister leads as the President of Operations and Finance. Furthermore, Alexandria and three of her siblings serve as brokerage shareholders, solidifying their collective commitment to the business.

"We've ensured that we have all the same access to cutting-edge marketing strategies and powerful technology as the larger companies, which means our clients get top-tier service and exposure," she explained. "What makes us truly unique, though, is the unmistakable feel of a small, family-owned business."

Much of her work focuses on helping people through specific life transitions, including first-time home buyers, VA buyers, and families who are downsizing. "For me, real estate is about more than just transactions," she said. "It's about guiding people through major life milestones."

Her biggest professional achievement, she says, is being named VP of Agent Affairs, a role that lets her teach and mentor new agents. "There is no greater professional reward than watching them grow their skills, learn the market, and ultimately achieve the goals they've set for themselves and their families," she said. "Their accomplishments are, in a very real sense, my biggest sense of accomplishment."

Summary

What ties these agents together is not sales volume or awards, though many have plenty of both. It is the way they treat the people in front of them. In a housing market this unique and challenging, clients are not just looking for someone to open doors. They are looking for someone they can trust with one of the biggest decisions of their lives.

These agents have answered that need in quiet, personal ways. One reframed her entire career after realizing an agent should be more than someone who closes deals, choosing instead to stay involved long after the papers are signed. Another meets face to face with first-time buyers who are struggling with credit, connecting them to help and walking beside them for months until they can finally buy. Several have built their businesses entirely on referrals, never purchasing a lead, because the people they served kept sending others their way.

Their experience runs deep. Decades in the business, family legacies passed through generations, careers left behind for work that felt more meaningful. Many now mentor newer agents, passing on what they have learned.

Underneath it all is the same instinct: put the individual first, not the commission. Listen to what matters most to each client. Show up, follow through, and stay in touch. In this market, that kind of steadiness is what trust looks like.