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Richard McDonough
Lakes Sotheby's International Realty · Stillwater, MN
Updated July 2026
Editorial evaluation
8.2/ 10
Very good
Strong public evidence, with limitations still worth reviewing
Evidence confidence
Low10/100
Documentation completeness and reliability—not agent quality.
Richard McDonough is a fourth-generation Stillwater resident who has worked as a real estate broker in the city for roughly three decades and holds dual licensure in Minnesota and Wisconsin. He practices as an associate broker with Lakes Sotheby's International Realty out of its downtown Stillwater office, with current and recent listings concentrated in the historic Main Street corridor. Third-party transaction data (homes.com) shows 84 closed sales over the past five years worth about $41.9 million; that figure, and the 238 sold listings shown on his own brokerage profile, are both well below the '450+ career transactions' cited in his marketing, a gap that is not explained anywhere public.
Pros
- ✓Fourth-generation Stillwater resident with roughly three decades in the local market and dual MN/WI broker licensure, useful for clients comparing properties on both sides of the St. Croix River.
- ✓Verifiable recent production: homes.com transaction records show 84 closed sales over five years worth about $41.9 million, so the practice is demonstrably active rather than dormant.
- ✓Current and recent listings cluster in downtown Stillwater's historic core -- brownstone conversions and a riverview penthouse among them -- indicating real familiarity with the city's premium niche housing stock.
Cons
- ✗His marketing cites '450+ career transactions,' but the sold count on his own Sotheby's profile (238) and the independently tracked five-year figure (84, per homes.com) are both well short of that number, and nothing public reconciles the difference.
- ✗No independently verifiable review count or star rating turned up in this research; a specific '4.9-star Zillow rating' appears only in self-distributed press releases, and he does not appear on the first page of Zillow's own Stillwater agent-review rankings.
- ✗Operates as a solo associate broker rather than with a team, which may matter to sellers who want multiple points of coverage during overlapping showings.
Profile evidence audit
0 of 5 evidence areas have exact citations
This measures what Minnesota Top Agents can trace to a dated URL. It does not measure the agent's quality, and an uncited area is a documentation gap—not proof that the underlying fact is false.
0
exact sources
Identity & credentials
GapProfessional identity, brokerage, office, license or team roster.
0 supporting sources
Public reviews
GapA dated public rating, review count or review-platform snapshot.
0 supporting sources
Transaction activity
GapSales, listings, transactions, volume, price range or closing activity.
0 supporting sources
Market & specialty focus
GapService areas, local markets, property types or client specialties.
0 supporting sources
Experience & recognition
GapExperience, tenure, designations, awards or professional recognition.
0 supporting sources
- Official records
- 0
- Independent platforms
- 0
- First-party sources
- 0
Consumer decision guide
Turn this profile into a better interview
These are profile signals and verification prompts—not performance guarantees. Use them to compare the same facts across two or three candidates before signing an agreement.
Published fit signals
0/5 evidence areas cited
- Published service-area signal
- Stillwater, Oak Park Heights, Lake Elmo +3 more
- No exact citation covers this evidence area yet; verify it directly.
- Published specialty signal
- Luxury, Waterfront, New Construction +1 more
- No exact citation covers this evidence area yet; verify it directly.
- Published working model
- Solo agent profile
- No exact citation covers this evidence area yet; verify it directly.
- Published price context
- $370K–$2.4M
- No exact citation covers this evidence area yet; verify it directly.
A citation supports only the claims named in the source register. It does not validate every signal shown in the same evidence area.
Ask in the first interview
- 1
What is your current Minnesota license number and employing brokerage, and where can I verify both?
Confirms current identity and affiliation using the state record rather than a directory claim.
Targets an uncited evidence area
- 2
Which public review profiles best represent your recent work, and how many reviews were added in the last 12 months?
Separates current, attributable feedback from an undated lifetime aggregate.
Targets an uncited evidence area
- 3
How many transactions did you personally close in Stillwater and the $370K–$2.4M range during the last 12 months?
Requests recent, comparable production and keeps personal results separate from team totals.
Targets an uncited evidence area
- 4
Which neighborhoods in Stillwater have you worked in most recently, and what local issue materially affected a deal?
Tests current, specific market knowledge instead of relying on a broad service-area label.
Targets an uncited evidence area
- 5
If you are unavailable, who covers showings, negotiations and urgent contract deadlines?
Clarifies backup coverage without assuming a solo practice means one-person service at all times.
- 6
Will you provide a written, itemized explanation of compensation, services, cancellation terms and any additional costs before I sign?
Commission and services are negotiable; a written proposal makes candidates easier to compare.
Agent overview
McDonough has worked in Stillwater real estate for about three decades and describes himself as a fourth-generation resident of the city. He holds broker licenses in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, which he uses when clients are weighing properties on either side of the St. Croix River, and he currently practices as an associate broker with Lakes Sotheby's International Realty, working out of the brokerage's office on North Main Street in downtown Stillwater.
Independent transaction data from homes.com shows 84 closed sales over the trailing five years with a combined value near $41.9 million, split roughly three-to-one toward seller-side representation, and a sale-price range from modest lots up to a $2.4 million penthouse. His current listings sit largely within Stillwater's historic Main Street corridor, including a converted brownstone unit and a riverview penthouse, with occasional listings farther into the Twin Cities metro.
Core specialties
Historic Downtown Stillwater
Current and recent listings include brownstone-conversion condos and a riverview penthouse on or near Main Street, reflecting regular work in the city's historic housing stock rather than typical suburban subdivisions.
Cross-River Minnesota/Wisconsin Transactions
Broker licensure in both states supports clients comparing Stillwater against Wisconsin river towns; his sold-property history includes land and home transactions in Prescott, Wisconsin.
Commission & fees
Not publicly posted; commission is negotiated per listing under Lakes Sotheby's International Realty's standard brokerage terms.
Who this agent is for
Downtown Stillwater condo buyers and sellers
Recent and current listings concentrate in the Main Street historic district, a segment with its own pricing quirks (HOA dues, conversion-building rules) that benefit from an agent who already trades in it.
Households moving across the St. Croix River
Dual Minnesota/Wisconsin licensure and a sales history that includes Prescott, Wisconsin, make him a plausible fit for buyers comparing Stillwater against nearby Wisconsin river towns.
Not for
Buyers who want team-based, round-the-clock coverage, or who prioritize a documented public review record over tenure and self-reported credentials.
Verdict
McDonough is a genuinely long-tenured, hyper-local Stillwater broker with real, if independently modest-sized, recent transaction volume, but several of his marketing claims (career transaction count, a specific Zillow star rating) could not be verified and one is directly contradicted by his own brokerage's sold count. He is a reasonable option for downtown Stillwater or cross-river MN/WI business, provided buyers verify the current marketing claims themselves rather than relying on his press materials.
Editorial score: 8.2 / 10 · Very good · Evidence confidence: low (10/100)
Ranking disclosure
Why this ranking appears in this order
This profile evaluates Richard McDonough against other researched agents using the same scoring model; it is not a statewide MLS production ranking. The displayed order follows the published five-factor score. The math is fixed; the five input scores are editorial evaluations of the public evidence available through July 2026.
- Ranking formula
- Local knowledge 25% + client reviews 25% + market expertise 20% + communication 15% + specialization fit 15%.
- Time period
- Evidence reviewed through July 2026. Review totals are snapshots; career claims may cover longer periods and must state that context.
- Objective vs. editorial
- The weighted calculation is deterministic after the inputs are assigned. Selecting evidence and assigning each dimension score require editorial judgment.
- Commercial independence
- Agents cannot purchase inclusion, a score, numbered position, or favorable verdict. Any sponsorship must appear outside the editorial ranking.
- Transaction-data boundary
- This edition does not use a private MLS feed or a standardized file of verified 2025 closings. Sales volume, homes sold, sale-to-list ratio, and days on market are not assumed when attributable evidence is unavailable.
- Independent corroboration
- Government records control licensing facts. Brokerage, agent, review-platform, award, and production claims are kept distinct; agreement across sources raises confidence but does not erase source limitations.
Evidence captured for this profile
- Minnesota license record
- No license number is stored in this profile; use the state lookup for current status.
- Public review aggregate
- No review aggregate is recorded; missing data is not treated as zero.
- Professional first-party source
- richardmcdonough.com is linked for direct review of the agent's current public claims.
Exact field-level source URLs are not yet available for every narrative claim. Until they are, production and award statements should be treated as attributed public claims—not as independently audited MLS facts.
Areas served
Common questions about Richard McDonough
How long has Richard McDonough worked in Stillwater real estate?
He is described across his brokerage profile and press materials as a fourth-generation Stillwater resident with roughly three decades (32-34 years, depending on the source) in the business.
Is the '450+ career transactions' figure in his marketing verified?
No independent source confirms it. His own Sotheby's associate page currently lists 238 sold properties, and homes.com's five-year transaction history shows 84 closed sales worth about $41.9 million -- both notably lower than the marketing figure.