With more than 8,000 in Greater Boston, how do you choose a real estate agent?

Real Estate

A lot can go wrong if you choose the wrong one.

If you’re like most home buyers and sellers, you probably plan to use a real estate agent to represent you. According to the National Association of Realtors’ 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers — a survey covering transactions between July 2024 and June 2025 — 88 percent of buyers and 91 percent of sellers used an agent to guide them.

But with the Greater Boston Association of Realtors (GBAR) having some 8,700 agent members, how can buyers or sellers choose the best agent to meet their needs?

“Choosing the right real estate agent is one of the most important decisions buyers and sellers make,” said Mike Miedler, president and chief executive officer of Century 21 Real Estate. “After all, buying or selling a house is often the largest financial transaction consumers will make in their lifetimes.”

A lot can go wrong if you choose the wrong agent. “If a seller’s agent doesn’t know how to market your home effectively, it could cost you tens of thousands of dollars on the sale,” said Joselin Malkhasian, an agent with Lamacchia Realty in Waltham and the current president of GBAR. “One wrong word in a negotiation could give a buyer leverage, and not disclosing things properly can lead to liability.”

Here are some tips for finding the right real estate agent.

Get a referral from someone you trust

That person could be a friend or family member or a professional, like an attorney or accountant. Make sure the person referring the agent was happy with the service provided.

Vet any agents you’re considering

Do this whether you found the agent online — like 36 percent of sellers today, according to Zillow — or they were referred to you. Check online reviews (many are very candid). Make sure anyone you’re considering is a full-time agent, since others may not be aware of current market conditions.

Meet with each agent you’re considering in person

This helps establish rapport. “You need to be able to say what your needs are,” said Michael Harper, a sales associate with Coldwell Banker in Back Bay. “People are often misaligned with their agent and don’t know how to have candid conversations about what’s working or not working in a home.”

Make sure the agent is local

A local agent who is active in your neighborhood, whether you’re buying or selling, can offer tremendous value. He or she will be familiar with current pricing, market trends, and homes about to be listed that may not have hit Zillow yet. “You want someone who lives and breathes a certain market — who has boots on the ground,” said Harper. “It’s hard to get someone to focus on you if they have to be in Fitchburg at 1 p.m. and Back Bay at 2:30.”

Go to open houses

If you want to get an idea of how an agent would sell your home, visit open houses in your neighborhood to see how those homes are being presented and how the agent treats you when you walk in. Buyers can also do this to meet agents in person.

Look for a long-term relationship, not just a one-off deal

If you choose the right agent, you will establish a relationship that can last for years, not just until your deal closes. “Think of it as a partnership,” Harper said. “The relationship should follow you as long as you live in the market. Having somebody in your corner, who can give you the right advice and has the right market knowledge, will pay you back in spades.”

Key questions to ask a real estate agent before hiring them:

• How long have you been a practicing real estate agent, and is it your full-time job?
• Tell me about the current state of the market and any challenges I may encounter.
• How many homes did you buy or sell in 2025?
• Do you hold any professional designations or certifications, like ABR (accredited buyer’s representative) or MRP (military relocation professional)?
• What is the commission I will pay, and are there any additional fees you will charge, such as for photography?
• How often will you be in touch to keep me informed?
• Can you give me the names and contact information for three recent clients?
• How will you market my home, and what will you do to differentiate my home from others on the market?
• What tools or data sources will you use to help price my home accurately, market it effectively, and attract buyers?

Robyn A. Friedman is an award-winning freelance writer who has covered real estate and personal finance for over two decades. Follow her @robynafriedman.