Rhode Island Broker Breaks Down How Personal Connections Once Overpowered Performance

Written by:

Rudi Davis

Date:

27 Nov 2025

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The premium real estate market in Rhode Island’s most desirable coastal towns operated more like an exclusive club than a competitive marketplace until recently, according to one broker who successfully challenged the status quo.

Matthew Antonio, broker/owner at Corcoran Chart House Realty, says that when he entered Barrington’s premium market in 2018, nearly 90% of all activity was controlled by just two firms – both of which were staffed largely by part-time agents.

According to Antonio, these long-established firms stayed dominant not because they offered superior service, but because they benefited from personal loyalties within the community. He says many sellers worked with the same agents simply out of obligation or long-standing ties, rather than because they expected a better process or outcome.

The Network-Dependent Model’s Vulnerabilities

Antonio argues that this network-dependent model created major inefficiencies, since the dominant agents relied almost entirely on personal contacts rather than professional skill or modern marketing. He says this gave the incumbent firms an inflated sense of security, allowing them to persuade sellers to choose them simply because they controlled most of the market, not because they delivered better results. According to Antonio, this left the market wide open for disruption by full-time professionals – agents willing to treat the work as a true craft, invest in systems, and operate with the consistency that part-time agents typically lacked.

The Buyer-Side Strategy That Broke Market Concentration

Rather than directly challenging the established listing agents, Antonio employed a different strategy. His firm focused initially on buyer representation, particularly targeting relocating clients through internet lead generation.

He initially focused on buyer representation rather than competing directly for listings, targeting relocating clients through online lead generation. The goal was to provide dedicated, hands-on service to buyers rather than rely on market share or reputation.

This strategy paid off. His firm has consistently ranked among the top three in Barrington and the East Bay Area, and the early focus on buyers eventually generated significant listing business, resulting in an even split between buyer and seller clients.

The New Professional Standards

Antonio sees the disruption in Barrington’s premium market as part of a larger shift in what clients expect from real estate professionals. He argues that agents now need to elevate both their marketing efforts and overall service, going beyond the traditional methods of listing properties and waiting for buyers to call. The current market demands a more proactive, hands-on approach, where agents provide a higher level of guidance, attention, and strategy throughout the buying or selling process. While this new standard is more challenging, Antonio notes that it is also more lucrative and ultimately better serves clients’ needs.

Industry Implications

Antonio’s success in breaking market concentration in Barrington suggests that similar disruptions may be possible in other premium markets dominated by part-time agents relying on personal networks. The key appears to be combining full-time dedication with modern marketing technology and a willingness to initially focus on buyer representation rather than directly competing for listings.

The Corcoran Chart House Realty model demonstrates how professional standards and systematic approaches can overcome even entrenched market positions when those positions are based more on relationships than performance. As Antonio puts it, the market ultimately rewards agents who can deliver “a better process and a better service and a better outcome” rather than just personal connections.