How To Choose the Best Real Estate Agent in Tallahassee: What Local Clients Say Matters
August 30, 2026
All Real Estate News
August 30, 2026
All Real Estate News
Searching for the best real estate agent in Tallahassee can get overwhelming pretty quickly.
There are plenty of agents, impressive websites, and promises of great service. But “best” is not really one-size-fits-all. The right Tallahassee real estate agent depends on what you need, the type of property involved, and how you want to be represented throughout the transaction.
So, what should you actually look for?
Every year we ask people who have worked with Hum Real Estate agents what stood out about their experience. Their answers kept coming back to the same things: deep Tallahassee knowledge, problem-solving, communication, thoughtful advice, strong seller marketing, and a low-pressure approach to helping people make major decisions.
This is just one of more than 60 client testimonials about experiences with Hum Real Estate and our Tallahassee real estate agents.
Watch all Hum Real Estate Client Testimonials
A great real estate agent should do more than unlock doors, put a property in the MLS, or send documents for electronic signatures.
The value often shows up in things that are harder to see from an agent bio: knowing what questions to ask, recognizing potential problems, understanding the local market, communicating clearly, marketing a property effectively, and helping a client make a good decision even when that decision does not immediately result in a commission.
That is also where several Hum Real Estate clients said Kelly Chavers and Sarah Goldie McKinzie stood out.
One client described Kelly as someone who “solves problems before they become problems,” referring to him as a “Tallahassee real estate guru.”
Sarah was described as knowledgeable, creative, thorough, easygoing, and someone who “really knows what she’s talking about.”
Those are compliments, of course. What matters even more are the specific experiences behind them.
Local knowledge is more than knowing neighborhood names.
Tallahassee is a market where housing can vary dramatically within a relatively small geographic area. We have historic homes, newer subdivisions, condos near FSU and FAMU, rural properties with acreage, homes with septic systems and wells, luxury properties, investment properties, and neighborhoods built across many different decades.
That makes local experience useful in ways that may not always be obvious during the initial home search or listing process.
Kelly Chavers is the founder of Hum Real Estate and a Tallahassee native. Clients in this repeatedly point to his local knowledge and experience as reasons they valued working with him.
“It’s rare that there’s a statute that he doesn’t know. It’s rare that there’s a person that he doesn’t know.”
Sarah Goldie McKinzie is also a Tallahassee native, and her clients specifically praised her knowledge of Tallahassee and Florida real estate transactions.
One client who had previously worked as a REALTOR® herself said Sarah pointed out important considerations about the area and the purchase that they otherwise might have overlooked.
That kind of local knowledge can be especially valuable for someone moving to Tallahassee who does not yet know what questions to ask.
Real estate transactions have a lot of moving parts.
Inspections, financing, insurance, appraisals, title issues, surveys, repairs, deadlines, association requirements, property conditions, and contract terms can all affect whether a transaction makes it successfully to closing.
Experienced representation can be especially valuable when someone recognizes a potential issue early enough to address it.
One client in this described an especially memorable example.
Kelly identified something during their transaction that could otherwise have cost them a lot of money.
“He caught something that would have ended up costing me an additional probably about $200,000.”
That is one client's individual experience, not a promise that every transaction will produce a similar financial result.
The larger point is that a good real estate agent is not simply processing paperwork after decisions have already been made. Experience should help clients identify questions, evaluate potential risks, coordinate with appropriate professionals, and address problems before they become much larger ones.
For Tallahassee sellers, choosing a real estate agent also means choosing the person and brokerage responsible for positioning the property against everything else competing for attention.
That requires more than putting a sign in the yard.
One client in the specifically highlighted Hum Real Estate's approach to individual property marketing:
“Kelly’s one of the few people who understands how critical it is to market each individual property and know the story for each individual property.”
That idea is central to how Hum Real Estate approaches listings.
Different properties have different reasons someone may want to own them. A mid-century modern home in Waverly Hills should not necessarily be marketed the same way as new construction in Canopy. A college condo complex has a different story from a midtown home in Levy Park.
Good real estate marketing identifies what makes that particular property compelling and communicates it through photography, , property information, online marketing, and other media.
Another client described Kelly's listing package as:
“So above and beyond everyone else and everyone else's offerings.”
That is the client's opinion, but it points to a useful question for any Tallahassee seller interviewing listing agents:
What, specifically, is the agent going to do to market your property?
Ask to see the photography. Ask about . Ask where the property will be promoted. Ask how the agent determines positioning. Ask how the home's individual story will be communicated. Ask what happens after launch if the market does not respond as expected. Ask if your home will get it's own website to make it easier to find and market to potential buyers.
A good listing presentation should give you more than promises.
It should give you a plan.
Not everything that matters in real estate sounds impressive on a résumé.
One former Hum Real Estate seller remembered Kelly replacing all of the light bulbs himself while helping prepare the property.
Changing light bulbs obviously is not the most complicated part of selling a house.
And that is exactly why the story is memorable.
The client was describing a willingness to notice what needed to be done and help get it done.
“It’s just that one step that he goes that other Realtors might not.”
Real estate can involve major strategic decisions one minute and a surprisingly mundane problem the next.
Sometimes good service means understanding the market. Sometimes it means negotiating. And sometimes it means helping solve whatever little problem is standing between a property and being ready for the next step.
The goal of showing someone houses should not be to convince them to buy one.
It should be to help them figure out which property, if any, is actually right for them.
That distinction came through repeatedly in this .
One client remembered touring home after home with Kelly without feeling pushed toward a decision:
“It wasn’t like he was trying to sell us on anything.”
Instead, the client described the approach as going inside, seeing whether they liked the home, understanding what it offered, and deciding whether it was a good fit.
Another client put it even more simply:
“He’s not here just to make a sale.”
That can be particularly important when the market, mortgage rates, monthly payments, and other parts of buying a home already create enough pressure on their own.
A real estate agent should help provide information and perspective, not manufacture urgency that is not actually there.
Buying a first home can involve an entirely new vocabulary.
Escrow. Earnest money. Inspections. Appraisal. Loan estimates. Insurance. Title. Surveys. Closing disclosures.
It can sometimes feel like everyone else involved in the transaction already knows what is happening except you.
One first-time homebuyer in the said working with Sarah Goldie McKinzie made the process “so much simpler” and took a lot of the stress out of it.
They described Sarah as intelligent, easygoing, knowledgeable, and willing to meet them where they were.
That last part matters.
Good first-time homebuyer representation should not assume someone already understands the process. An agent should be willing to explain what happens next, answer questions, help the client evaluate options, and bring in other qualified professionals when a question falls outside the scope of a real estate license.
Real estate transactions create enough uncertainty without wondering whether your agent has disappeared.
Communication was one of the strongest themes in Sarah McKinzie's client testimonials.
“She was so communicative and informative and just kept us involved the whole way through the process.”
The client described the experience as feeling like:
“A real concierge service.”
Another client described Sarah as enthusiastic, knowledgeable, thorough, and “the ultimate Realtor.”
That particular compliment came from someone who said she was a retired REALTOR® herself.
She knew what to look for in another real estate professional and specifically praised Sarah's knowledge, attention, and guidance.
There probably is not one objectively “best” Tallahassee real estate agent for every seller, buyer, property, personality, and situation.
A more useful question is:
Who has the experience and approach that best match what you need?
If you are interviewing Tallahassee real estate agents, some useful things to evaluate include:
Those are many of the same qualities Hum Real Estate clients describe when talking about Kelly Chavers and Sarah Goldie McKinzie.
For other questions to ask real estate agents when deciding who is best for you and your situation, we have a helpful list of "Questions to Ask Your Agent" for sellers and buyers.
The best way to meet us is through our 60+ Client Testimonials.
Kelly Chavers is the founder of Hum Real Estate and a Tallahassee native. His work with sellers and buyers throughout Tallahassee and the surrounding area emphasizes local knowledge, technology, property marketing, problem-solving, and hands-on client service.
Clients in this specifically praise Kelly's Tallahassee knowledge, transaction experience, low-pressure approach, ability to anticipate potential problems, and comprehensive property marketing.
Learn more about Kelly Chavers
Sarah Goldie McKinzie is a Tallahassee REALTOR® with Hum Real Estate and a Tallahassee native.
Clients featured in this particularly highlight Sarah's communication, local knowledge, patience, thoroughness, and ability to make the homebuying process easier to understand.
Her testimonial feedback is especially strong from first-time homebuyers and clients who valued having someone explain their options without adding unnecessary pressure.
Learn more about Sarah Goldie McKinzie
Hum Real Estate is an independent Tallahassee real estate brokerage serving sellers and buyers in Tallahassee and surrounding communities.
The brokerage combines local real estate knowledge, technology, property marketing, transaction support, education, and client service with an approach centered on helping clients make informed decisions.
You can also hear directly from more of our clients in our full testimonial collection.
Watch all Hum Real Estate Client Testimonials
There are many experienced real estate professionals in Tallahassee, and the best fit depends on the individual client's needs. Clients featured in Hum Real Estate's testimonials strongly recommend Kelly Chavers and Sarah Goldie McKinzie of Hum Real Estate, citing Tallahassee market knowledge, communication, problem-solving, low-pressure guidance, seller marketing, and client service.
Yes. Kelly Chavers is the founder of Hum Real Estate and a Tallahassee native. His team works with sellers and buyers throughout Tallahassee and surrounding communities. Client testimonials particularly associate him with local knowledge, listing marketing, problem-solving, transaction experience, and hands-on service.
Yes. Sarah Goldie McKinzie is a Tallahassee REALTOR® with Hum Real Estate and a Tallahassee native. Client testimonials particularly highlight her communication, Tallahassee knowledge, patient guidance, thoroughness, and ability to simplify the homebuying process.
When interviewing Tallahassee listing agents, sellers should compare local experience, pricing strategy, property preparation, photography, , online marketing, communication, transaction management, and previous client experiences. Hum Real Estate receives particularly strong feedback in this for property-specific marketing, local expertise, service, and problem-solving.
First-time homebuyers may benefit from an agent who is willing to explain the process, answer questions, evaluate homes without unnecessary pressure, and coordinate with lenders, inspectors, title professionals, and other parties involved in the transaction. A first-time homebuyer featured in this said Sarah Goldie McKinzie of Hum Real Estate made the process much simpler and reduced much of the stress involved.
Yes. Hum Real Estate is a Tallahassee real estate brokerage serving sellers and buyers throughout Tallahassee and surrounding communities. Our client testimonials include experiences involving listing and selling homes, purchasing homes, first-time homebuying, local market guidance, transaction problem-solving, and property marketing.
Hum Real Estate has a YouTube playlist containing more than 70 Client Testimonials featuring people discussing their experiences with Hum Real Estate and its Tallahassee real estate agents.
Watch the full Hum Real Estate Client Testimonials playlist
There is no shortage of real estate agents in Tallahassee.
Choosing one should come down to more than a name on a sign.
Look for someone who knows the local market, communicates, recognizes potential problems, explains the process, markets property thoughtfully, and gives you enough information to make your own decisions.
Those are exactly the qualities clients repeatedly describe in this when they talk about Hum Real Estate.
If you are considering selling or buying a home in Tallahassee, take some time to hear directly from the people who have already worked with us.
Watch more Hum Real Estate Client Testimonials
The goal is not to talk you into making a move. It is to help you make the right one.
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