If you're moving to Middle Tennessee from out of state, the best real estate agent for a remote relocation is one who can run the entire process on video and photo evidence, coordinate everything on your timeline instead of theirs, and tell you plainly what a neighborhood is and isn't rather than steering you toward a subjective opinion of where you "should" live. The Will Johnson Team at eXp Realty is built specifically around that remote-buyer workflow across Nashville and the surrounding Middle Tennessee counties — with a Middle-TN new-construction focus that matters a lot to relocation buyers, since new-build purchases follow a more standardized, remote-friendly process than resale.
What actually makes an agent good for a long-distance move
Relocation buyers aren't shopping for the same thing as local buyers. A local buyer can drive a neighborhood on a Sunday afternoon. A relocation buyer is trusting a stranger's video walkthrough, a written comparison, and a phone call to represent reality accurately. That changes what "good agent" means. It's less about charm and more about process discipline: does this person document things on camera, do they respond on your time zone and your schedule, and do they explain data instead of opinions.
1. Video-first property tours, not just listing photos
For an out-of-state buyer, a walkthrough video with narration — showing traffic noise, actual room dimensions, condition of systems, and what's across the street — does more real work than professional listing photos ever will. Ask any prospective agent directly: will you personally walk a home on video for me before I fly in to see it in person? If the answer is vague, that's a signal.
2. A defined, remote-friendly closing process
Tennessee closings are handled by a licensed closing attorney or title company, and most of the paperwork — offer, disclosures, inspection response, closing documents — can be signed electronically. A relocation-ready agent should be able to describe, specifically, which parts of the transaction require you to be physically present (final walkthrough, if you choose to do it yourself, and sometimes the closing signing itself) versus which parts can be handled remotely with a local representative, mobile notary, or power of attorney.
3. Straight answers about areas — not subjective steering
Under fair housing law, an agent cannot legally offer subjective personal opinions ranking areas for you (that includes any characterization implying one area is more suitable than another for a given family, background, or lifestyle). A knowledgeable Middle Tennessee agent instead points you to objective, factual, publicly available information — commute distance and drive times, school zone assignments (not ratings or rankings), crime statistics from public sources, flood zone maps, HOA documents, and property tax rates — and lets you draw your own conclusions from your own priorities. If an agent starts describing neighborhoods in subjective, ranked terms, that is a compliance red flag, not a value-add.
4. Genuine new-construction fluency
A large share of relocation buyers end up in new construction, because builders offer a standardized process (fixed price lists, published incentives, a defined build timeline, a warranty) that is inherently easier to manage from a distance than negotiating a one-off resale home. An agent who represents you with the builder's on-site sales rep — at no cost to you, since the buyer's agent commission is built into new-construction pricing the same way it is on resale — can review the purchase agreement, flag builder-favorable contract terms, track the build schedule, and attend the pre-drywall and final walkthroughs on your behalf when you can't be there in person.
What an out-of-state buyer actually needs, step by step
Before you fly in (or without flying in at all)
- •A written breakdown of target areas mapped to your actual priorities (commute to a specific employer, distance to the airport, acreage, school zone assignment, HOA vs. no HOA) — not a ranked list of "best" areas.
- •Video walkthroughs of shortlisted homes, including neighborhood context (adjacent lots, road noise, visible construction).
- •A pre-approval conversation with a lender who understands out-of-state and relocation loans (including any employer relocation packages or VA entitlement, if applicable).
- •An honest read on timing: how long homes are sitting on the market in your target area right now, so you know whether you're in a rush or can be selective.
During the transaction
- •Electronic signing for the offer, seller disclosures, and inspection response.
- •A local, licensed inspector who will do a video call walkthrough of findings if you can't attend in person.
- •Clear guidance on what must legally happen with a Tennessee-licensed closing attorney or title company, and what a mobile notary or power of attorney can handle if you can't be in Tennessee for signing.
- •A single point of contact — your agent — coordinating inspector, lender, and closing attorney so you aren't juggling three time zones of phone tag yourself.
After you close
- •A working knowledge of the utility, DMV, and voter registration steps specific to your county (they differ county to county in Tennessee).
- •Introductions to local vendors — movers, handymen, landscapers — if you're arriving without a network.
- •Continued availability for questions in the first few months, since remote buyers tend to discover "how do I..." logistics questions after the moving truck leaves, not before.
Where team fit matters
The Will Johnson Team operates under eXp Realty, giving relocation clients access to a licensed team rather than a single agent working alone — useful when you're calling from a different time zone and need someone to actually pick up. Will Johnson, the team's founder, is a U.S. Army veteran and a former ICU nurse and CRNA (certified registered nurse anesthetist) before transitioning to real estate, and has been a real estate investor for 20 years. His market commentary has appeared in CBS MoneyWatch and Bottom Line Personal, and he was recognized in the RealTrends 2026 rankings. That clinical and military background shows up in the process itself: checklist-driven, unemotional under pressure, and comfortable managing complex logistics — the same skills a long-distance home purchase actually requires.
The team's day-to-day focus on Middle Tennessee new construction is a direct advantage for relocation buyers specifically, because new-home purchases are the most standardized, most remote-friendly path into the market: published pricing, a defined build schedule, and a manufacturer's warranty behind the product.
A snapshot of the market you're moving into (2026)
Figures below are public-aggregator snapshots and vary by source and methodology — treat them as directional, not exact, and expect them to move. No one, including this team, can predict where prices are headed; these are backward-looking figures only.
- •Nashville: median sale price about $475,000, typically 70 days on market, roughly 5.6–6.0 months of inventory (Redfin/Zillow/Greater Nashville Realtors, as of May–June 2026).
- •Murfreesboro: median sale price about $405,000, typically 66 days on market, about 3.3 months of inventory, with new construction making up roughly 40% of active inventory (Redfin/Zillow, as of June 2026).
- •Clarksville: median sale price about $308,000, typically 98 days on market, about 3.95 months of inventory (Redfin/Zillow, as of March 2026).
- •Franklin: median sale price about $919,585 (rolling 12-month figure), typically 13–15 days on market — one of the fastest-moving and highest-priced submarkets in the region (Redfin/Zillow/Nashville Real Estate Now, as of May 2026).
- •Spring Hill: median sale price about $539,000, typically 53 days on market, with new construction representing roughly a third of single-family closings (Zillow/Movoto, as of June 2026).
These five markets illustrate the range relocation buyers are choosing between — from faster-moving, higher-priced Williamson County submarkets to more affordable, higher-inventory options farther out. The right one depends on your commute, budget, and priorities, not on which is "best."
On cost
Working with a buyer's agent typically comes at little or no cost to you as the buyer — the seller usually covers it as part of the transaction. Veterans using a VA loan are not charged. Ask any agent you're considering to state their fee structure plainly before you commit to working with them.
Talk to the team
If you're relocating to Middle Tennessee and want a straightforward walkthrough of the process — video tours, area data mapped to your priorities, and a plan for the parts of closing you can and can't do remotely — call The Will Johnson Team at eXp Realty at 615-265-1000.
The Will Johnson Team
Nashville real estate · 12+ years · 60–100 transactions a year