Matthew Sharman, team leader of The Sharman Team at Real Broker NY LLC, has been named the 2026 RateMyAgent Agent of the Year for Livingston County and Conesus Lake, and ranked among the Top 10 Agents in New York State. The awards, announced August 28, 2026, are based on verified client reviews tied to completed transactions, a methodology that sets them apart from many industry honors that rely on sales volume or self-reported data.
According to RateMyAgent, the awards program, which launched in the United States in 2021, is brokerage-agnostic and aims to reflect the client experience. By focusing on reviews attached to actual closings, the recognition underscores a growing trend in real estate where customer satisfaction is becoming a key performance indicator. For consumers, this means that an agent's reputation is increasingly built on the quality of service rather than just the number of homes sold.
Sharman's practice specializes in waterfront properties across Conesus Lake, Honeoye Lake, Silver Lake, and the western Finger Lakes, as well as the greater Rochester market and the GLOW region comprising Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. His approach emphasizes technical details that matter to waterfront buyers, such as usable frontage, water depth, lake bottom quality, and easement arrangements. This level of scrutiny is crucial in a niche market where property values are highly sensitive to specific features.
“These awards are decided by clients, not by a spreadsheet, and that is what makes them mean something to me,” said Sharman. “Every review behind them came from someone who trusted our team with a decision that mattered – a family buying their first place on the water, or a seller letting go of a cottage that has been in the family for forty years. Getting that right takes local knowledge and a lot of homework.”
The significance of this recognition extends beyond personal achievement. It signals to the real estate industry that client feedback, when properly verified, can serve as a reliable measure of an agent's competence and trustworthiness. For homeowners and buyers, especially those in competitive markets like the Finger Lakes, such reviews offer a transparent way to evaluate agents before making a high-stakes decision.
Sharman's local roots, having been born and raised in the region and working alongside his father, a licensed agent for five decades, provide a historical perspective that informs his practice. This deep understanding of the area's market dynamics is a differentiator that clients may not find elsewhere. As the real estate landscape continues to evolve, the emphasis on client satisfaction and verified feedback is likely to grow, making recognitions like the RateMyAgent Awards increasingly influential.
For consumers, this news highlights the importance of looking beyond an agent's sales numbers and instead considering the experiences of past clients. Platforms like RateMyAgent offer a way to access this information, empowering buyers and sellers to make more informed choices. As Sharman's recognition demonstrates, agents who prioritize client service and local expertise are being rewarded in new and meaningful ways.
This development also reflects a broader shift in the industry toward accountability and client-centric practices. With the rise of online reviews and digital platforms, real estate professionals are finding that their reputation is more transparent than ever. The RateMyAgent Awards, by tying recognition directly to transaction-linked feedback, provide a model that other industries may follow.
As the market for waterfront properties in the Finger Lakes remains competitive, Sharman's advice to buyers is clear: “Buyers on Conesus Lake are more selective than they have ever been. They deserve someone who can tell them exactly what they are buying, down to the foot of frontage.” This sentiment underscores the value of detailed, honest communication in real estate transactions, a principle that the RateMyAgent Awards aim to celebrate.
