How to Choose a Listing Agent: A Homeowner’s Guide

Written by James Steere

Picking a listing agent is one of the largest decisions in a home sale. The agent you hire sets your price strategy, controls how your home is presented and negotiates the biggest financial transaction most people ever make. Yet many sellers choose the first name they hear.

Here is how to choose a listing agent with a little more care, using what research says sellers value and a simple process you can finish in a week.

Most Sellers Use an Agent, and Most Don't Compare

In the National Association of REALTORS' 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 91% of sellers sold with the help of an agent, and only 5% sold as for sale by owner, and both figures are records ("2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers," NAR, November 4, 2025). The same report found that 66% of sellers used an agent who was referred to them or one they had worked with before, and 80% contacted only one agent before choosing (full report, 2025 Profile, NAR, November 2025).

Referrals are a good place to start. Talking to just one agent is where sellers leave the most on the table. Interviewing two or three costs a few hours and gives you something to compare.

What Sellers Say Matters Most

When NAR asked sellers what they prioritized, the top three tasks were helping market the home to potential buyers (23%), pricing the home competitively (19%) and selling within a specific timeframe (19%). The agent's reputation was the most important factor in choosing (35%), followed by trustworthiness and honesty (22%) (same 2025 Profile, November 2025).

Notice that marketing came first. That is the part of the job you can see most clearly in an interview, so give it the most attention.

Step 1: Build a Short List

Ask friends, neighbors and coworkers who they would use again. Look at recent "sold" signs in your area and check which agents have sold homes similar to yours in the last year. Aim for three names.

Step 2: Look at Their Recent Listings

Browse each agent's current and recent listings. Look at the photos, the descriptions and how the homes were presented beyond a standard online listing. Ask yourself whether you would stop scrolling for these homes. If an agent's listings look like every other listing, yours probably will too.

Step 3: Interview Each Agent in Your Home

Meet in person, at the house if possible. A good agent will walk through, point out strengths and problems candidly, and come prepared with comparable sales. Be wary of an agent who flatters the home and quotes the highest price to win the listing. A price that cannot be supported by sales leads to price cuts later.

For a full list of what to ask, read our article on questions to ask a realtor before listing.

Step 4: Compare Marketing Plans Side by Side

Ask each agent to describe their plan for your home in writing. A strong plan covers:

  • Photography and, where it fits, video or a 3D tour

  • Online syndication and social media

  • Direct outreach to local agents and past clients

  • Print marketing such as postcards, brochures or magazine placement

  • Open house and showing strategy

Ask specifically how your home will be seen by people who are not already searching. A real estate magazine feature, such as one in the Only Homes Collection, is one way some agents put a listing in front of readers at home (Listing Boosted reports 25,000+ readers per issue). You do not need every tactic, but you should know which ones your agent will use and why.

Step 5: Check Experience That Fits Your Home

A generalist with years of experience may be right for a typical house, while a condo, a luxury property or an unusual home may benefit from an agent who has sold that type. Ask how many homes like yours the agent has sold in your area, and how long they took.

Step 6: Understand the Agreement Before You Sign

Read the listing agreement carefully. Commissions are negotiable, and the agreement should state what you will pay, how long the agreement lasts, what happens if you want to end it and what services are included. If anything is unclear, ask for it in writing. Ask, too, how often the agent will update you.

Step 7: Trust Your Read on Communication

You will talk with this person often over several weeks. Ask how they prefer to communicate, how fast they usually respond and who handles things when they are unavailable. Reputation and honesty topped sellers' lists in the NAR data for a reason.

Questions the Agent Should Ask You

A good interview goes both ways. Pay attention to whether the agent asks about your goals before telling you about themselves. They should want to know:

  • Why you are selling and what your timeline is

  • Whether you have a minimum price you need to net after paying off your mortgage

  • What repairs or updates you have made, and what you know is wrong with the home

  • Whether you need to buy another home and when

  • How you like to be contacted and how involved you want to be

Agents who ask these questions are building a plan around your situation. Agents who skip them are usually selling a one-size-fits-all package.

Common Mistakes When Choosing an Agent

  • Choosing the highest price quote. Agents sometimes quote high to win the listing. Ask for the sales that support the number.

  • Choosing a friend or relative without comparing. Loyalty is nice, but a short interview does not hurt a friendship and may protect it.

  • Ignoring the paperwork. The term, the cancellation process and the services included should be clear before you sign.

  • Focusing on the commission alone. A lower fee matters only if the marketing and negotiation are just as strong.

  • Forgetting about the follow-through. Ask how the agent handled a deal that fell apart, a difficult appraisal or an offer with many conditions.

A One-Page Scorecard

Score each agent from 1 to 5 on:

  1. Local sales record for homes like yours

  2. Pricing logic and supporting comparable sales

  3. Marketing plan and quality of past listing presentation

  4. Communication and responsiveness

  5. Terms of the listing agreement

Add up the scores, then add your gut feeling. If the totals are close, choose the agent whose marketing plan you could explain to a friend.

When you are ready, visit Listing Boosted to learn how agents use print and digital exposure, and read how to market your new listing to see what a thorough plan looks like from the agent's side.

Sources

James Steere
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