David Kilgore at Crye-Leike Realtors in Chattanooga: A Listing Agent for Residential Sales
David Kilgore is a residential listing agent at Crye-Leike Realtors, one of the largest independent real estate firms in the Southeast, operating in Chattanooga's competitive market where median home prices in neighborhoods like St. Elmo and North Shore have climbed into the $350,000 to $450,000 range over the past three years.
What Crye-Leike and listing agents actually do
Listing agents represent sellers, not buyers. They price the home, market it to other agents and the public, schedule showings, negotiate offers, and shepherd the sale to closing. Crye-Leike operates as a full-service brokerage with agents who handle both sides of transactions; Kilgore, as a listing specialist, focuses on getting sellers' homes sold. The firm holds multiple offices across Chattanooga, including locations in downtown and Hixson, giving agents access to broad agent networks for buyer referrals and MLS distribution.
Listing agents earn a commission, typically 5 to 6 percent of the final sale price in Chattanooga (split between the seller's agent and the buyer's agent). You pay nothing upfront; the commission comes from the sale proceeds. This structure means Kilgore's income depends on selling your home at the highest price and speed possible.
Services and what to expect
A listing agent's core work includes a comparative market analysis (CMA) to set a realistic asking price, photography and description for online listings, coordination with the MLS (Multiple Listing Service), open house management, and negotiation of offers. Crye-Leike agents use the firm's marketing reach, including syndication to major portals like Zillow and Realtor.com, print materials, and direct agent-to-agent outreach.
Kilgore, like all Crye-Leike agents, operates on the standard commission model; there are no separate fees for staging advice, photography, or basic marketing. Some agents offer additional paid services like professional staging consultants or targeted digital advertising, but this varies by agent and should be discussed during an initial consultation.
Your first step is a listing consultation, typically free and 30 to 45 minutes long. Kilgore will tour your home, assess its condition and location, pull recent sales of comparable homes in your neighborhood, and discuss pricing strategy and timeline.
How Crye-Leike agents compare to other Chattanooga options
Chattanooga's real estate market includes large national franchises (RE/MAX, Keller Williams, Century 21), smaller independent brokerages, and individual agents working under various firms. Crye-Leike's advantage lies in scale; it has been operating for decades, maintains a large local agent pool, and benefits from brand recognition across Tennessee and neighboring states. This translates to more agent-to-agent referrals when a buyer's agent is looking for homes to show clients.
Boutique brokerages and smaller independent firms often offer more personalized attention and may work with a narrower client base, which can be an asset if your home appeals to a specific demographic (e.g., luxury or first-time buyer markets). National franchises like RE/MAX operate on a different model: agents lease desk space and are often independent contractors rather than Crye-Leike employees, which can mean variable service quality.
Choose a large firm like Crye-Leike if you want broad exposure and strong agent networks; choose a smaller firm if you value hands-on attention and deep neighborhood expertise; choose a national franchise if you want flexibility and low overhead (which may translate to lower commission).
Who Kilgore suits, and who should look elsewhere
Kilgore is a good fit if you own a residential property in or around Chattanooga, are selling (not buying), and want a listing agent backed by a substantial brokerage. If you are selling a vacation property, investment real estate, or commercial space, ask directly whether that is Kilgore's specialty; some agents focus narrowly on residential owner-occupied homes.
Do not hire a listing agent expecting them to also represent you as a buyer on another property. This creates a conflict of interest. Use separate agents for buying and selling, or confirm your agent's policy on dual representation in writing.
First contact and logistics
Call Crye-Leike's main office or reach out to Kilgore directly through the firm's website to schedule a listing consultation. Consultations happen at your home, not at an office. Bring recent property tax statements, utility bills, and a list of any major home improvements. The agent will photograph rooms, measure square footage, and discuss your timeline and price expectations.
Crye-Leike's main offices are open during standard business hours (Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; confirm current hours before visiting, as they may shift seasonally). Most communication with your agent happens by phone, email, and text; you will not need to visit an office regularly once the listing is active.
Why this matters in Chattanooga
The quality of a listing agent directly shapes how quickly your home sells and at what price. In Chattanooga's market, where inventory fluctuates and buyer activity varies by season, an agent with strong local MLS presence and agent relationships can make the difference between a home selling in 45 days at asking price versus lingering for months.
