To choose a buyer’s agent on the North Shore, compare their experience in the towns and price range you’re shopping, how they help buyers compete without overpaying, what they know about financing and first-time buyer programs, and what their buyer agreement says. Interview two or three agents, ask each one the same questions, and ask for examples that back up their answers.
In this market, the agent you pick affects more than which homes you see. It affects what you offer, which terms protect you, and whether you end up with the right house at a price that still makes sense five years from now.
I’ve worked in real estate for more than 20 years. Buying a first condo in Salem, a two-family in Lynn you’ll live in and rent out, and a deed-restricted home through a lottery are three very different purchases, and the questions below are written with that in mind.
Before you interview anyone
Can you afford to buy? Start with a lender, not a listing. (Our 2026 guide to North Shore mortgage rates and affordability walks through the numbers.) A pre-approval tells you what a lender will lend, but the number that matters is the monthly payment you’re comfortable with, including taxes, insurance, and any condo fee. If you’re a first-time buyer, ask about MassHousing loans and down payment assistance, and about local programs in the city where you’re buying. Terms and deadlines change, so confirm what’s available when you’re ready. If your income is within program limits, a deed-restricted home sold through a lottery may also be an option. Many are for households earning up to 80% of the area median income, though some go higher.
Should you buy now? Think about how long you plan to stay. Buying and selling both cost money, so if you might move again in two or three years, renting a little longer can make more sense. If you plan to stay five years or more, have steady income, and have savings left after closing, waiting for the “perfect” market usually costs more than it saves. Nobody can promise you where rates or prices are going, including me.
Selling too? Read how to choose a listing agent on the North Shore.
Here are the eight questions to ask before you sign a buyer agreement.
1. Have you helped buyers purchase homes like the one I want, where I want it?
Ask about the towns you’re considering, your price range, and the type of property. Each one comes with its own questions. A condo means reviewing the association’s budget, reserves, and rules. An older single-family means knowing what to look for in the inspection. A multifamily means understanding the leases, the rents, and what the building actually costs to run.
Our results: we’ve represented buyers on 161 market-rate purchases in 37 communities, most of them in Salem, Lynn, and Peabody, at a median price of about $420,000. Twenty of those were multifamilies. We’ve also represented buyers on 14 purchases of new-construction, income-restricted homes in Everett, Chelsea, and Malden.
2. How do you help buyers compete without overpaying?
On the North Shore, many well-priced homes get multiple offers. A good buyer’s agent knows what has actually been selling, what the seller cares about, and which terms make an offer stronger without putting you at risk.
Our results: we know the seller’s side well. Our own market-rate listings averaged 104% of asking. On the buyer side, our clients paid a median of about 101% of asking, and 38% bought at or below the asking price. Ask any agent you interview for the same numbers on the buyer side.
3. Do you know the programs I might qualify for?
Many buyers never hear about the programs that could lower their down payment or their interest rate, or about the homes they could buy through a lottery. Ask whether the agent has closed sales using first-time buyer loans, down payment assistance, and deed-restricted homes, and whether they work with lenders who handle those programs every day.
Deed-restricted homes come with rules. The sale price is capped, there are income limits, and when you sell, the resale price is limited too. That trade-off can be worth it, but you should understand it before you apply.
Our answer: affordable homeownership is a big part of our work. We’ve represented buyers and sellers on 31 sides of income-restricted sales at developments in Everett, Chelsea, and Malden, including the lotteries and income qualification behind them.
4. Can you help me buy a multifamily?
Living in one unit and renting the others is one of the most common ways people on the North Shore build wealth through real estate. It’s also more complicated than buying a single-family. Ask how the agent reviews leases and rents, whether the rents would cover what the lender expects, and what an inspection should cover in an older two- or three-family.
Our answer: twenty of our buyer purchases have been multifamilies, so we know what to ask before you make an offer on one.
5. How will you help me decide what to offer, and when to walk away?
Ask how the agent will decide on a price: which recent sales they’ll use, how the home compares, and how much competition there’s likely to be. Then ask about terms. Your deposit, your inspection period, your mortgage contingency, and your closing date can matter as much as the price.
Also ask when they’d tell you not to buy. A good agent will tell you when a home has problems you can’t see in the photos, or when the price is past what the home is worth to you.
6. What does your buyer agreement say, and what does it cost?
Since August 2024, buyers working with a REALTOR® usually sign a written agreement before touring homes. Read it before you sign. It should say how long it lasts, which areas or properties it covers, what the agent will be paid, and who pays. Buyer agent compensation is negotiable. Sometimes the seller offers to pay part or all of it, and sometimes the buyer pays or asks for it in the offer.
Ask what happens if you want to end the agreement, and make sure you understand it before you start touring.
7. Who will I actually work with?
Ask who will set up showings, write your offer, attend the inspection, and keep track of your deadlines, and who to call when you have a question at 8 p.m. the night before a deadline.
Our answer: at Nina-Soto Realty, our team is The Alianza Group. Genesis Gonzalez is our lead buyer’s agent. She has a business administration and accounting degree from Salem State University and works with many first-time buyers and investors who want the numbers explained. I oversee every transaction and stay involved through closing. We work with buyers in English and Spanish.
8. Can I hear from past buyers?
Read past the star rating. Look for buyers describing how the agent handled a lost bidding war, an inspection problem, or a long search. Then ask the agent to walk you through a purchase like the one you want to make.
You can read Nina-Soto Realty’s reviews on Google and Zillow.
Common questions about choosing a buyer’s agent
Do I need a buyer’s agent to buy a home in Massachusetts?
No, but most buyers use one. Your agent helps you price your offer, negotiate the terms, and keep track of inspection, mortgage, and closing deadlines. If you don’t have an agent, the listing agent works for the seller, not for you.
Who pays the buyer’s agent?
It depends on your agreement and your offer. Compensation is negotiable. The seller may pay part or all of it, or the buyer may pay it. Your buyer agreement should say exactly how it works.
How many agents should I interview?
Two or three. Ask each one the same questions and compare their experience, how they’d help you compete, and what their agreement says.
When should I talk to an agent?
Before you fall in love with a house. Talk to a lender and an agent a few months before you want to buy, especially if you’re a first-time buyer, buying a multifamily, or applying for a deed-restricted home, since lotteries have deadlines.
Should I offer over asking?
Sometimes. It depends on what similar homes have sold for and how much competition there is. Our buyers paid a median of about 101% of asking, and more than a third paid asking or less. The right offer is based on the home’s value to you, not on what someone else might pay.
Thinking about buying on the North Shore?
You don’t need to be pre-approved or have a town picked out before we talk. We can start with what you can comfortably afford, which programs you might qualify for, and which towns fit your budget and your life. From there, we’ll make a plan.
Call Nina-Soto Realty at (978) 693-5643, or book a time to talk.
About our figures: The combined record counts each side of a closed sale (listing or buyer) from 2015 through August 2026, so a sale where we represented both sides counts as two. It includes sales completed under Nina-Soto Realty, including by former agents, and earlier career sales completed by our current agents at other brokerages. Buyer results cover market-rate single-family, condo, and multifamily purchases. Income-restricted sales are reported separately, and rentals are excluded.