The RateMyAgent Awards have recognized Matthew Sharman, team leader of The Sharman Team at Real Broker NY LLC, as the 2026 Agent of the Year for Livingston County and Conesus Lake, and a Top 10 Agent in New York State. Unlike many industry awards that focus on sales figures, these honors are determined exclusively by verified client reviews tied to completed transactions, underscoring a shift toward customer-centric metrics in real estate.
The RateMyAgent Awards, which began in the United States in 2021, are brokerage-agnostic and aim to reflect the quality of the client experience. Winners are selected based on feedback from clients who have actually worked with the agent, making the recognition a direct measure of customer satisfaction. Sharman's triple win places him among the most highly reviewed real estate professionals in the state, a distinction that carries weight in a competitive market.
Sharman's practice specializes in waterfront and lake-access properties across Conesus Lake, Honeoye Lake, Silver Lake, and the western Finger Lakes, as well as the greater Rochester market and the GLOW region of Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans, and Wyoming counties. His approach focuses on the intricate details that differentiate one waterfront property from another: usable frontage versus recorded frontage, water depth and lake bottom conditions, lot orientation, dock and breakwater integrity, and the shared-access and easement agreements that govern water usage among neighbors.
"These awards are decided by clients, not by a spreadsheet, and that is what makes them mean something to me," Sharman said. "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."
Sharman's deep roots in the region, having been born and raised there and working alongside his father, who has been a licensed agent for five decades, provide a historical perspective that is crucial in this market. This long-term view allows the team to understand how the western Finger Lakes market has evolved and how that history impacts current property values.
"Buyers on Conesus Lake are more selective than they have ever been," Sharman added. "They deserve someone who can tell them exactly what they are buying, down to the foot of frontage."
The RateMyAgent platform, which operates in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, provides a transparent system for consumers to rate their real estate agents. By prioritizing client reviews, the awards shift the focus from transactional volume to relational quality, offering a more consumer-centric measure of an agent's success.
For Sharman, the recognition is not just a personal achievement but a testament to the team's commitment to client service. As the real estate market continues to evolve, particularly in niche areas like waterfront properties, such client-driven accolades may become increasingly important in guiding buyers and sellers toward agents who truly meet their needs.
