If you’ve typed “real estate agent near me” into Google, you’ve already seen the problem: dozens of results, all claiming to be the best. How do you actually choose? This guide cuts through the noise with the specific questions to ask — and the answers that matter — before you sign with anyone.
Why Agent Selection Matters More Than Most Buyers and Sellers Think
The difference between a skilled agent and an average one isn’t measured in commission percentage — it’s measured in sale price, days on market, negotiation outcomes, and how smoothly the transaction closes. On a $600,000 North Shore home, a 3% difference in sale price is $18,000. The right agent more than pays for themselves. The wrong agent costs you money you’ll never get back.
Question 1: Do You Actually Know This Market?
Real estate is hyperlocal. An agent who specializes in Boston condos is not equipped to price a Victorian in Lynn’s Diamond District or a colonial in Beverly Farms. Ask specifically: How many homes have you sold in this city in the past 12 months? What’s the price range you work in most often? Can you show me recent comparable sales in this neighborhood?
A strong local agent will answer these questions instantly and specifically. Vague answers — “I work all over the North Shore” — are a yellow flag. Every experienced agent has a geographic core where they’re genuinely strong.
Daniel Meegan focuses on Beverly, Salem, Lynn, Peabody, Swampscott, and Marblehead. Ask him about any of these markets and you’ll get specific neighborhood-level data, not talking points.
Question 2: How Do You Price a Home?
For sellers, pricing is the most consequential decision you’ll make. Ask your agent to walk you through their pricing methodology before you sign a listing agreement. Specifically:
What comparables are you using, and how did you adjust for condition, square footage, and location? Are you pricing to attract multiple offers, or to a specific buyer type? How are you accounting for days-on-market trends in this zip code right now?
Be wary of agents who lead with a high list price to win your listing — a tactic called “buying the listing.” Overpriced homes sit, accumulate price reductions, and eventually sell for less than a correctly priced home would have on day one. Ask the agent: what’s your list-to-sale price ratio over the past 24 months?
Question 3: What Is Your Marketing Plan — Specifically?
MLS listing and some photos is table stakes. Every agent does that. Ask what happens beyond the MLS. Specifically:
Do you use professional photography and video, or do you take listing photos on your phone? What websites does your listing appear on beyond Zillow and Realtor.com? Do you have a social media strategy — and can you show me examples from past listings? Do you have a print advertising presence in local newspapers?
Daniel’s marketing system syndicates listings to 300+ real estate websites and 44,000+ agents in the J. Barrett network, runs targeted Facebook campaigns reaching 3,000+ North Shore buyers per month, and includes print advertising in the Salem News (circulation 14,590), Eagle-Tribune (20,710), and other local publications. See the full marketing system here.
Question 4: Are You a Full-Time Agent?
Part-time agents aren’t necessarily bad, but real estate requires availability. When a buyer’s agent calls about your listing at 6pm on a Friday, your agent needs to answer. When you’re in an offer situation and the deadline is 5pm, you need someone who is working your transaction as their job — not as a side hustle between their day job shifts.
Ask: Is real estate your full-time career? How many transactions did you close last year? Who covers for you when you’re unavailable?
Question 5: What’s Your Negotiation Approach?
Good negotiators don’t just tell you what you want to hear. Ask a potential agent: Tell me about a negotiation that didn’t go the way you expected — what happened and what did you do? How do you approach multiple-offer situations as a listing agent? As a buyer’s agent?
An agent who can tell you about a difficult negotiation with specific details is an agent who has actually been in them. Vague, positive-only answers suggest limited experience or limited candor.
Question 6: Do You Have Experience With My Specific Situation?
Not all transactions are the same. If you’re selling an estate or probate property, you need an agent who understands executor responsibilities, Massachusetts probate court timelines, and how to price a property with deferred maintenance. If you’re buying with an FHA loan, you need an agent who understands lead paint requirements and which sellers will accept FHA financing. If you’re buying or selling a multi-family home, you need someone who can evaluate rental income, cap rates, and investor buyer pools.
Daniel specializes in estate and Essex County probate real estate, lead paint disclosure situations, multi-family transactions, and bilingual representation for Spanish-speaking clients. These are specific competencies — not every agent has them.
Question 7: Can You Give Me References from Sellers and Buyers in This Price Range?
Ask for references from recent clients — specifically in your price range and situation (seller or buyer). Then actually call them. Ask: Did the agent communicate consistently? Were there surprises at closing? Was the final sale price close to the original estimate? Would you use this agent again?
An agent who can’t produce references, or who gives you references that don’t match your situation, is telling you something.
Red Flags to Avoid
Walk away from an agent who: pressures you to sign immediately without time to think; leads with a higher-than-market list price to get your listing; can’t explain their pricing methodology; has fewer than 10 transactions per year; doesn’t have a clear answer to the marketing question; or makes you feel like a number rather than a client.
The Commission Question
Commission is negotiable and has been increasingly scrutinized after the 2024 NAR settlement changes. However, selecting an agent based primarily on the lowest commission rate is like hiring a surgeon based on the lowest price. The agent’s skill, market knowledge, and network are what drive your outcome. A lower commission rate that leads to a lower sale price or a failed transaction is not a savings.
That said, commission structures are evolving. Ask any agent you interview to explain their fee structure clearly, and make sure you understand what you’re getting for it.
Why Local Matters on the North Shore
Beverly, Salem, Lynn, Peabody, Swampscott, and Marblehead each have distinct buyer pools, price dynamics, seasonal patterns, and school reputations that affect how properties are marketed and priced. An agent who genuinely knows the difference between Beverly Farms and Ryal Side, or why Diamond District Lynn is underpriced relative to Swampscott’s beach neighborhoods, will serve you better than a generalist who covers every zip code from Cape Ann to Cambridge.
Daniel Meegan focuses exclusively on the North Shore. See the communities Daniel serves and contact him at dmeegan@jbarrettrealty.com to start the conversation.