How to choose a listing agent in Massachusetts: 10 questions that separate the good ones
I'm an agent, so read this knowing I have a stake in it. But most of what follows is what I'd tell a family member interviewing someone else. Choosing a listing agent is usually a decision worth tens of thousands of dollars, and most sellers make it after one kitchen-table meeting and a gut feeling.
Here are the questions I'd ask, what a strong answer sounds like, and the red flags to watch for.
1. "How did you get to that price?"
A strong agent walks you through three to six recent sales near you, explains why each one is better or worse than your home, and lands on a range. A weak agent gives you one big number and moves on.
Red flag: the highest price in the room with the thinnest reasoning. Some agents quote high to win the listing, then ask for price cuts a few weeks later. Your home sits, buyers start wondering what's wrong with it, and you often end up below where an honest price would have landed.
2. "What are all my options for selling?"
A traditional listing is one route. Depending on your situation, you may also be weighing a cash offer, selling as-is, doing a few repairs first, or timing the sale around your next purchase. A good agent lays these out with the numbers on each, so you can see what each path actually puts in your pocket.
Red flag: an agent who only has one answer for every house.
3. "What's your plan for the first two weeks on the market?"
Most of the attention a listing gets comes early. Ask for specifics: professional photos and when they're scheduled, floor plans, video, the first open house, how the listing will be written, and when offers will be reviewed. Get it in writing.
4. "Who will I actually be working with?"
On some teams, the person who wins the listing isn't the person who answers your calls, runs the showings, or handles your inspection negotiation. That can work fine, but you should know up front who does what.
5. "How and how often will you update me?"
Ask for a real answer: a weekly call, a text after every showing, feedback summaries. Poor communication is the most common complaint sellers have about their agent, and it's easy to screen for in the first meeting.
6. "Have you sold homes like mine?"
A condo with a slow management company, a two-family with tenants in place, and a single-family that needs work each sell differently. Ask for examples of similar sales and what went wrong on them. Every experienced agent has stories. The good ones learned something.
7. "What's your fee, and what exactly does it cover?"
Commissions in Massachusetts are negotiable, and since 2024 the way buyer-agent compensation is handled has changed. Ask how the fee is structured, whether you're expected to offer anything to the buyer's agent, and what's included, like staging advice, photos, and pre-listing inspections. Ask for a net sheet that shows what you'll walk away with after every cost, not just the commission.
8. "How long is the listing agreement, and can I cancel?"
Read the term and the cancellation language before you sign. Many agreements run several months. A confident agent is usually comfortable with a reasonable exit if they don't perform.
9. "How do you handle multiple offers and negotiations?"
The highest offer isn't always the strongest one. Ask how they compare financing, deposits, contingencies, and closing dates, and how they keep a deal together after the inspection. In Massachusetts you'll usually sign an Offer to Purchase first and a Purchase and Sale Agreement a week or two later, so there are two points where a deal can be won or lost.
10. "What would you change about my home before listing, and what wouldn't you touch?"
Good agents tell you which repairs pay for themselves and which are money down the drain. If an agent loves everything about your house, they're either being polite or not looking closely.
One Massachusetts form to expect
At your first meeting about a specific property, a Massachusetts agent is required to give you the Massachusetts Mandatory Licensee-Consumer Relationship Disclosure. It explains whether they'll represent you as a seller's agent or act in another role, and it covers what happens if the same brokerage also represents a buyer. It's a short form. Read it, and ask questions if anything is unclear.
The bottom line
Interview two or three agents. Bring the same questions to each. Then pick the one whose answers were specific, honest, and written down, even if their price was not the highest.
If you'd like me to be one of the agents you interview, I'll bring a price range, every realistic way to sell, and a net sheet for each. Send me your address and I'll get started.
Christo