To choose a listing agent on the North Shore, compare their experience with homes like yours, the reasoning behind their pricing, their marketing plan, and how they’ll communicate with you through the sale. Interview two or three agents, ask each one the same questions, and ask for examples that back up their answers.
The highest suggested price isn’t enough to make that decision. You need to know how the agent got to it, how they’ll reach buyers, and how they’ll help you weigh the money and terms in each offer.
I’ve worked in real estate for more than 20 years. Before I recommend a plan, I want to understand what the homeowner is trying to accomplish. Selling a tenant-occupied multifamily in Peabody involves different decisions than selling a Salem condo or a family home in Beverly.
Before you interview anyone
Should you sell now? Start with why you’re moving and where you’re going next. If you’re relocating, settling an estate, or buying your next home, your timeline is set, and the job is to sell well inside it. If you don’t have to sell right now, I usually tell people to wait for spring, when more buyers are out looking. Also check how long the home has been your main residence. If you’ve lived there at least two of the last five years, federal tax law lets you exclude up to $250,000 of profit from capital gains tax, or $500,000 if you’re married and file jointly. Talk to your accountant before you pick a date.
Can you afford to sell? The sale price isn’t what you walk away with. Ask for an estimated seller’s net sheet, which subtracts your mortgage payoff, the commission, attorney’s fees, the Massachusetts deed excise tax ($4.56 per $1,000 of the sale price), and other selling costs. That number tells you whether your next move works.
Here are the eight questions to ask before you sign a listing agreement.
1. Have you sold homes like mine in this area?
An agent’s overall production gives you context, but relevant experience matters more. Ask about sales in your town, property type, and price range. What challenges came up, and how did the agent handle them?
For a condo, that might mean association documents and the buyer’s financing. For a multifamily, it means tenant communication, showing access, and the leases and rent information buyers will ask for.
Our record includes 282 closed sales and about $128 million in volume through August 2026, across 43 Massachusetts communities. That includes sales completed at Nina-Soto Realty and sales our current agents completed earlier in their careers at other brokerages. More than half are in Salem, Lynn, and Peabody.
Those numbers show the breadth of our experience. When we talk about your home, we’ll focus on the sales and situations closest to yours.
2. What do your listings sell for compared with the asking price?
The sale-to-list ratio compares a home’s sale price with its asking price. A home listed at $600,000 that sells for $624,000 sold at 104% of asking.
Before you compare agents, ask whether they measure against the original asking price or the price after reductions. Measuring against a reduced price makes the number look better. Also ask what years and what types of homes the number covers.
Our results: our market-rate listings that sold averaged 104% of asking, and 86% sold at or above asking. Because so few were reduced, that’s 104% whether you measure against the original or the final price. Most of those sales happened in a strong seller’s market, which helped every agent’s numbers, ours included. So ask the agent to walk you through a recent sale: how they set the price, how buyers responded, and what the seller received.
3. How long do your listings take to sell, and how often do you adjust the price?
Ask how long comparable listings took to get an accepted offer and how many needed a price adjustment. Ask what the agent means by “days on market,” too. Time to an accepted offer and the days recorded in MLS can differ depending on when the listing’s status changed.
Our results: of our 87 market-rate listings that sold, 4 needed a price reduction, and the median time to an accepted offer was 6 days. Not every listing sells, ours included, so ask every agent how many of their listings expired or came off the market, and why.
A price reduction doesn’t automatically mean the first strategy was wrong. Competition changes, inspections turn things up, and some sellers choose to test a higher price. What matters is whether the agent explains the strategy, watches the response, and recommends changes based on evidence.
We monitor market data weekly to see where the trend lines are heading. If the first two weeks are quiet, we review the response to the listing alongside current competition and market trends, then talk with you about whether to adjust. You should know how those conversations will happen before your home goes on the market.
4. How will you determine my listing price?
Ask to see the properties behind the agent’s recommendation. Which recent sales are most comparable? What differences affect value? What other homes would a buyer look at alongside yours?
Closed sales show what buyers have paid. Active listings show your current competition. Pending sales add context, though their final prices may not be public yet. Condition, layout, location, and property type all matter. A price-per-square-foot calculation or an online estimate can be a starting point, but neither replaces an analysis of your specific home.
My role is to explain the evidence and give you a clear recommendation. If your expectations and the market data don’t line up, we should talk about it before the home goes live. A high number wins the listing. It doesn’t sell the house.
We’ll also go over your estimated net proceeds at that price, so the pricing conversation connects to your next move.
5. What is your preparation and marketing plan?
Ask for a plan that covers what happens before launch and how the agent will introduce your home to buyers.
Start with preparation. Which repairs are worth doing? What would improve the presentation? Which expenses aren’t likely to pay off?
Our marketing includes professional photography and video, drone photography, a 3D Matterport tour, and floor plans, so buyers understand the home before they visit. We coordinate a full social media rollout and send postcards to the neighborhood to build awareness of the listing.
Showings and open houses should be part of the plan too. An occupied rental needs different coordination than a vacant home, and the schedule should fit your situation. Your agent should also explain how they’ll track the response after launch.
6. How will you help me compare offers?
The highest price matters, but it’s only one part of an offer.
When we present offers, we prepare a seller’s net sheet for each one so you can see what actually ends up in your pocket. A higher offer that asks for concessions can net you less than its price suggests. We review that alongside:
- The buyer’s financing and ability to close
- Inspection, appraisal, and other contingencies
- Deposits and requested seller concessions
- Closing dates and when you’d move out
- Terms that affect your next purchase or move
A net sheet is an estimate. Your final proceeds depend on the actual costs and adjustments at closing. My job is to explain the numbers, terms, and tradeoffs. You make the decision knowing what each offer means for you.
7. Who will oversee my sale, how will we communicate, and what does the fee include?
You should know who is responsible for your sale and who to call when you have a question.
At Nina-Soto Realty, our team is The Alianza Group. I oversee every transaction and stay in direct, one-to-one contact with our clients from preparation through closing, with our team supporting the process.
Before you hire anyone, ask how you’ll get updates, who handles each part of the sale, and how urgent questions get answered.
Also understand the fee and services before you sign. Real estate commissions in Massachusetts are negotiable. Ask what the fee includes, whether there are other charges, and how compensation for the buyer’s agent will be handled. The agreement should spell out those responsibilities and costs.
8. Can I read reviews and see examples of your work?
Read past the star rating. Look for sellers describing communication, preparation, negotiation, and how the agent handled problems. Then ask for an example that’s similar to your situation.
When we sold 134 Highland Avenue in Salem this summer, it was listed at $689,900, had an accepted offer in 8 days, and sold for $735,000. The sellers told us how organized and personal the process felt. They mentioned the photography, the presentation, the open houses, and the steady updates and guidance through the sale. They also said they felt we cared about them and how it turned out.
That’s what I want every client to experience: a well-run sale, clear communication, and confidence that their goals are taken seriously.
You can read Nina-Soto Realty’s reviews on Google and Zillow. Ask about the experiences behind them so you can decide whether our approach fits what you need.
Common questions about choosing a listing agent
How many listing agents should I interview?
Two or three. Ask each one the same questions so you can compare experience, pricing, services, and communication side by side.
Should I choose the agent who suggests the highest price?
Not on price alone. A higher number should come with evidence. Ask which sales support it, how your home compares with what’s for sale now, and what the plan is if buyers don’t respond.
How much does a listing agent cost in Massachusetts?
There’s no fixed rate. Commissions are negotiable between the seller and the brokerage. Get the proposed fee, the included services, and any other charges in writing.
When should I contact an agent before selling?
Before you make major repairs or commit to a listing date. Two to three months gives you useful planning time. Reach out earlier if your sale involves tenants, an estate, significant work, or buying your next home at the same time.
How do I know what I’ll walk away with from the sale?
Ask for an estimated seller’s net sheet. It starts with the proposed sale price and subtracts your mortgage payoff and selling costs. Update it as offers come in so you can compare them. Your final proceeds are set at closing.
Thinking about selling on the North Shore?
You don’t need every decision made before we talk. We can start with what your home may sell for, what preparation is worth your time and money, and what your estimated net proceeds could look like. From there, we’ll build a timeline that fits your situation.
Call Nina-Soto Realty at (978) 693-5643, or request a home value review.
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. Seller results cover Nina-Soto Realty’s market-rate residential listings that sold. Rentals are excluded.