Comparing agent fees for an $800,000 serviced apartment in Boston

[xavi_flint]

One proposal is inexpensive but leaves several jobs to be arranged separately; another costs more and bundles photography, screening of buyers, negotiation and support through closing. Neither feels easy to judge for a Boston serviced apartment expected to sell for about $800,000.

I want to compare what each agent will actually do, not the length of the service list. Would it be reasonable to ask for recent comparable sales, a stated response-time target, the process for presenting offers, and the named person responsible after an offer is accepted? I also need the fee converted to dollars on the same basis, including excluded work. How would you make agents give testable answers about conflicts, failed transactions and buyer enquiries concerning flood risk?

 

[kai_cole]

Convert every proposal to estimated dollars at an $800,000 sale price, then put the included work side by side. Ask who takes and selects the photographs, what “buyer qualification” actually involves, who presents offers, and who remains responsible between acceptance and closing. For response time, request a specific commitment rather than “prompt service.” Also ask what support is provided if an accepted offer falls through.

 

[sage_river]

Are the fees all calculated on the same basis? A low percentage or flat fee can stop looking cheap once excluded work is priced separately. I’d also ask whether the named contact is doing the negotiation or handing the file to someone else after listing. On flood risk, don’t accept a vague promise to “manage concerns”; ask what the agent will communicate, what they will defer to others, and whether that affects the marketing plan.

 

[radar.round]

I would not put much weight on an agent’s fall-through rate by itself. The number may cover too few transactions, and deals can fail for reasons outside the listing agent’s control. A better test is to give everyone the same scenario: two offers with different financing strength, followed by a problem before closing. Ask who contacts whom, how options are explained, and who takes over if the main contact is unavailable.

 

[otis.drew]

A simple weighted table should make this clearer: total fee in dollars, photography scope, buyer qualification, offer process, response commitment, named handler, closing coordination, fall-through support and conflict disclosure. Mark anything promised verbally as unresolved until it appears in the proposal. I’d score recent comparable sales for relevance, but not let volume outweigh a clear service plan. The highest fee may still win—just make each extra cost correspond to a task you value.