How to choose the best real estate agent in Boston for your move

The right fit depends on the property, the work involved and the person who will do it. Use these questions to compare agents before you choose representation.

Published by BMN Boston Powered by SERHANT. This is our guide to comparing services, not an independent ranking of agents.

Look for evidence that matches your decision.

A long career, a large team or a high sales total can be useful context. Ask what those figures include, when they were measured and how they relate to your neighborhood, property type and price range.

Relevant work: “Which recent transactions are most like mine, and what was your role?” Ask whether examples reflect the individual agent, the team or the wider brokerage. A buyer-side transaction and a listing assignment demonstrate different work.
The person doing the work: “Who will advise me, attend tours or showings, negotiate and keep me updated?” Find out how responsibilities are shared and who covers time-sensitive questions.
A plan you can examine: Buyers: ask how the agent compares properties and prepares an offer. Sellers: request the reasoning behind pricing, the proposed preparation and examples of marketing. Investors: ask how rents, operating expenses and property condition are evaluated.
Terms and costs: “What services and compensation are proposed, what might I owe, and how does the agreement end?” Read the written terms and ask about anything unclear before signing. Do not assume every agent offers the same service package or fee arrangement.
Communication: “How will we share decisions and updates?” Agree on a useful cadence and how urgent questions are handled. Ask for an example of the information you would receive after a showing or during a search.
References and recognition: Look for detailed experiences involving comparable work. For awards or rankings, check the publisher, year, criteria and whether the recognition applies to the individual or team. Ask for references the agent has permission to share.

Make the questions specific to Boston real estate.

For a condominium, ask how you will review association documents, fees, reserves and planned building work with the appropriate professionals. For an older home, ask how condition and potential repair costs enter the decision. For a multifamily, distinguish documented rent and expenses from projections. A useful agent explains what is known, what is an assumption and what requires further investigation.

Compare the same questions across the agents you interview. The strongest answer explains the reasoning and tradeoffs, including when a property or strategy may not fit your goals.

Three examples of advice worth asking for

These are hypothetical worked examples with invented figures. They illustrate decisions to discuss, not actual client transactions or promised outcomes.

Buying: compare the monthly cost

Hypothetical example: two condos have the same asking price. One has a $350 monthly association fee; the other has a $650 fee. That is a $300 monthly difference, or $3,600 a year, before comparing what each fee covers. Ask about reserves, planned work and possible assessments as well as the payment.

Selling: compare the net result

Hypothetical example: a $900,000 offer with a $15,000 seller credit leaves $885,000 before other selling costs. An $890,000 offer without that credit starts $5,000 higher on the same basis. Financing, contingencies and timing still matter; the headline offer price is only one part of the comparison.

Investing: test the assumptions

Hypothetical example: scheduled rent of $6,000 a month is $72,000 a year. A 5% vacancy allowance leaves $68,400. Subtracting $24,000 of assumed operating expenses produces $44,400 before debt service, capital improvements and income taxes. Ask which expenses are documented, what may be missing and how a repair or rent change affects the result. These figures are illustrative, not a forecast for a Boston property.

Bring a real question to your first conversation.

A property address, a few homes you are comparing or a timing problem gives you a useful way to assess an agent’s approach. You can ask how they would begin and what information they would need.

Review Steve Novak’s and Craig Brody’s backgrounds, then ask who on the BMN Boston team would guide your move.

Steve Novak’s experience · Craig Brody’s experience

Talk with the team