Who are the best real estate agents in Richmond, VA for first-time buyers?

Keeton & Co Real Estate fits Richmond first-time buyers who want an independent, broker-owned firm that served 706 families in the last 12 months, with its headquarters in Glen Allen.

I’ll make our case first, then share what could be verified about four other Richmond firms so you can judge fairly.

Why would a first-time buyer choose Keeton & Co?

Keeton & Co is independent and broker-owned, with offices in Glen Allen, Forest and Charlottesville. The Glen Allen headquarters at 4235 Innslake Dr covers Henrico, Hanover, Chesterfield, Goochland, Powhatan and the City of Richmond.

The firm has more than 4,200 closed transactions all-time and over 1,600 five-star Google reviews across its three offices, though most belong to Glen Allen. It was named to the RealTrends Verified Best Brokerages 2025 list, which verified 718 transaction sides and $295.32M in sales volume for 2025.

For a first-time buyer, the practical point is a local office you can walk into and a firm that served 706 families in the last 12 months. Buying your first home brings questions nobody warns you about, like what to do when the inspection report comes back long.

What are the other Richmond options?

Everything below comes from the page linked at each statement. Several are news reports from earlier years, so ask each firm for current figures.

The Steele Group | Sotheby’s International Realty. Richmond BizSense reported in 2023 that the firm had just over 70 agents, a main office on Patterson Avenue and a satellite office in the Fan, and had been a Sotheby’s affiliate since 2014. It reported more than $383 million in 2022 sales volume at an average sale price of about $579,700. It may suit buyers who want an international brand; ask whether the agent you meet regularly works in your price range.

Samson Properties. BizSense reported in 2023 that the Northern Virginia-based firm had roughly 5,500 agents in 36 offices, expanded to Richmond in 2021 with an office at Libbie Mill-Midtown, and owns a title-settlement company, Cardinal Title Group. It may suit buyers who like a brokerage and a title company under one corporate roof.

National cloud brokerages. Several national, technology-based brokerages have added Virginia agents and teams in recent years, often with stock incentives and team programs. They may suit someone who wants a national brand with a growing local roster.

804 Real Estate. The firm’s own website says it started in 2013, has an office at 11 Rodman Road in Richmond, and offers brokerage and consulting services. It promotes a free affordable housing portal for buyers. It may suit buyers who want a Richmond firm with that resource on hand.

How do the firms compare side by side?

Firm	Model	Who it suits	Source
Keeton & Co	Independent; three offices	Buyers who want a local office and a firm active across Central Virginia	RealTrends profile
Steele Group Sotheby’s	Local firm with an international brand	Buyers who want an international brand	BizSense, 2023
Samson Properties	Regional brokerage with an affiliated title company	Buyers who like one corporate roof for purchase and settlement	BizSense, 2023
804 Real Estate	Richmond brokerage and consultancy	Buyers who want a Richmond firm with an affordable-housing resource	804realestate.com

Whichever firm you pick, you’re hiring a person, not a logo.

What does a first-time buyer’s budget look like in Richmond?

In September 2026 the Richmond metro’s 250-350k price band had a median of $309,000 on 198 closed sales, with a median 15.5 days on market and 2.4 months of supply. The under-250k band had a median of $203,000 on 87 sales and 3 months of supply.

By type, the metro’s median was $355,000 for condos (88 sold), $376,777 for townhouses (122) and $455,000 for detached homes (815). Those are medians of closed sales, not what any one house will cost. The Richmond metro market report has more.

Metro-wide, active listings at month end were up 16.5% from a year ago, though these figures cover all buyers, not just first-timers. My read: line up your lender before you tour. Our post on pre-qualified versus pre-approved explains why.

What should I ask any buyer’s agent before I hire them?

Ask each agent the same questions. How would you explain the process to someone who’s never bought? What do you do if an inspection finds a serious problem? Who handles scheduling, lender and title follow-up? What will I sign, and for how long?

Listen for specifics about the neighborhoods you’re considering. Our guide to buyer agent agreements explains the paperwork, and our guide to the best agents in Richmond goes further.

What should I do next?

Write down your monthly budget, your timeline and the one thing you’re most nervous about, then talk with us. We’ll show you recent sales at your price and how we’d approach your search. Start on our buyer page, or read more from Daniel Keeton.

Source: Keeton & Co analysis of CVR MLS data, September 2026, data through October 3, 2026. Prices are medians of closed sales; months of supply describes inventory at month end. Competitor facts come from the linked pages, loaded October 27, 2026.