Larry Grishom at Crye-Leike Realtors in Chattanooga: Residential Agent Focused on East Brainerd and North Shore

Larry Grishom is a residential real estate agent based at Crye-Leike Realtors, one of Chattanooga's oldest and largest independent brokerages, operating since the 1970s with multiple offices across the metro area. Grishom specializes in single-family homes and condominiums in East Brainerd, North Shore, and surrounding mid-to-upper-range neighborhoods, working with both buyers and sellers in the $250,000 to $500,000 range, though he handles transactions outside this band.

How agents are paid and what Grishom's arrangement looks like

Real estate agents in Chattanooga earn commission only, typically split between the listing agent and buyer's agent at 2.5 to 3 percent of sale price each. The seller's proceeds cover both commissions. A buyer working with Grishom pays nothing directly; his commission comes from the seller's side and is paid at closing. This structure means buyers should understand that Grishom has economic incentive to close any deal, not necessarily the deal most favorable to the buyer alone.

Crye-Leike, as a full-service brokerage operating the Greater Chattanooga MLS, provides Grishom with access to all active listings in the region and access to a support team for transaction management, document preparation, and compliance. Agents working for smaller independent brokerages or discount brokerages like Redfin or online flat-fee shops typically handle more of this work themselves and may charge differently; Redfin, for example, charges buyers a transaction fee rather than taking commission from the seller's side.

Services and what to expect in a transaction

When working with Grishom as a buyer, the agent will help identify properties matching your criteria, arrange showings, prepare an offer, negotiate terms and price, and shepherd the deal through inspection, appraisal, financing, and closing. Grishom does not provide financing or title services; those come from separate lenders and title companies. He also cannot give legal advice about contingencies or contract terms, though Crye-Leike agents are trained on Tennessee contract standards. For contract language questions, a buyer's real estate attorney (a separate expense, typically $300 to $600) should review before signing.

As a seller, Grishom helps set listing price, stages or advises on staging, photographs the property for MLS, markets to other agents, manages showings, reviews offers, and negotiates sale terms. Crye-Leike's in-house photography and marketing team is available to all agents; some agents in Chattanooga work solo without this support. Staging advice from an agent is general; professional staging (a separate service costing $1,500 to $3,000 for a typical home) is optional.

How to evaluate Grishom against other Chattanooga agents

Crye-Leike agents have institutional advantages: access to the MLS from multiple offices, support staff, and consistent branding with high visibility in Chattanooga. The brokerage is large enough that Grishom is not handling all his own closing paperwork, freeing time for client interaction. Agents at smaller boutique firms or independent brokerages may offer more personalized attention but typically lack in-house support and must refer transactions to outside service providers.

For buyers: if you want an agent focused on a specific neighborhood (East Brainerd, North Shore), asking Grishom for his sales history in that area over the past 12 months is fair. Request specifics—number of closings, average time on market, price variance. Compare this data across 2 to 3 agents in Chattanooga before deciding. If you are buying in a very different neighborhood (say, Signal Mountain or St. Elmo), ask whether Grishom regularly works those areas or whether a local specialist would serve you better.

For sellers: Crye-Leike's multiple offices mean your listing reaches more agents within the brokerage, potentially increasing buyer traffic. However, some local agents at non-Crye-Leike firms (such as independent boutique brokers) may argue they give more hands-on attention. Ask Grishom how many listings he currently has, his average days-on-market, and how many of his sales are to represented buyers versus direct. These metrics reveal whether his inventory management and buyer-agent relationships are strong.

Who Grishom suits and who might look elsewhere

Grishom is a practical fit for Chattanooga buyers and sellers with experience in real estate transactions who understand agent incentives and want a straightforward, established process. Buyers new to the area who need neighborhood education beyond East Brainerd and North Shore may benefit from consulting multiple agents or investing in a relocation consultant separately. Sellers considering FSBO (for-sale-by-owner) should understand that most Chattanooga buyer's agents still expect to be compensated; refusing to pay buyer-side commission is rare and may narrow your buyer pool significantly.

First steps and logistics

To begin, contact Grishom directly through Crye-Leike's Chattanooga office (the brokerage operates from several locations; confirm which office handles your area) to schedule a consultation. Buyers should bring a pre-approval letter from a lender; sellers should have a clear title search and recent tax assessment handy. Crye-Leike's transaction timeline from offer to closing typically runs 30 to 45 days in Chattanooga's standard market, longer if appraisal or inspection issues arise.

Grishom's role in Chattanooga's real estate market is representative of how mid-sized brokerages operate here: institutional enough to handle complexity, local enough to know neighborhood pricing and trends, and commission-based like nearly all agents in the region.