A listing agent (also called a seller's agent) represents the seller in a real estate transaction. They oversee all the steps to sell a house.
Most sellers work with a listing agent. The agent is paid a commission, usually 2.5–3% of the home's sale price, only if they successfully sell the home. This commission covers a wide range of services, including expert pricing, marketing, and negotiating — which can often help your home sell faster and for more money, making the fee well worth it.
Our guide breaks down the key responsibilities of a listing agent, how they get paid, and how to choose a good realtor for selling.
What are a listing agent's responsibilities?
1. Price the home
To guide your pricing strategy, a good agent creates a comparative market analysis (CMA) report. A CMA is a home valuation based on the recent sales of comparable or similar homes in your area.
A good real estate agent also prices your home to reflect current market conditions. For example, they might recommend you list your home slightly above its fair market value if the market favors sellers.
2. Prepare your home for sale
Part of a listing agent's job is to help you get your home ready for photos, showings, and inspections.
At your initial listing interview, an experienced agent evaluates your home and recommends pre-listing repairs and other work with the highest return on your investment.
For example, an agent can recommend you make certain repairs or improvements to increase your home's value, or invest in home staging to improve your home's showing appeal.
3. List on the MLS
Listing agents post your home on the multiple listing service (MLS), a platform most realtors use to market and sell properties.
Listing on the MLS also publishes your home on popular home search websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia, getting it in front of more agents and potential buyers.
You can list on the MLS if you're selling without an agent by using a flat fee MLS service (for a one-time fee).
4. Market the home to buyers
A good realtor markets your home with professional photos, videos, and 3D tours, hosts open houses, and shares your listing on social media.
In a hot real estate market, extra efforts like staging and 3D tours of the home might not be necessary, but sometimes they help to get more eyeballs on your listing.
5. Review offers
It's often hard to decide if an offer you've received is a good one. After all, the offer price is just one factor to consider. A listing agent can help you carefully analyze each offer and decide whether or not to accept, counter, or decline.
A listing agent can also explain all of the important details about an offer, including contingencies and contract deadlines.
6. Negotiate contract terms
Good realtors are fierce negotiators and can help you get the best possible price and terms for your house, such as a faster closing date and fewer contingencies.
7. Coordinate inspections and closing
A listing agent is your main point of contact and communicates with all of the parties involved in the transaction to ensure a timely closing, including the buyer's agent, title company, lenders, appraisers, and home inspectors.
How listing agents get paid
Listing agents earn a percentage of your home's final sale price, but they only get paid if your home sells. The typical real estate commission rate is 2.5–3%.
So, if your home sells for $500,000 and your agent has a 3% rate, you'd owe them $15,000 at closing. The commission cost is usually factored into the listing price and comes out of the sale proceeds at closing, so you don't have to pay out of pocket.
Agent commission covers the time and effort your agent put into your home sale, in addition to their upfront costs — including photography and videos, posting on the MLS, setting up a for-sale sign and lockbox, and marketing to buyers. The agent then recoups these costs when the house sells.
However, commission rates are negotiable, and sometimes it's possible to save on realtor fees without sacrificing great service.
How to find a good listing agent
With over 2 million licensed real estate agents in the U.S., it's fairly easy to find a real estate agent. But finding the right fit can be more challenging. Here are some ways to go about it:
- Use a free service that matches you with vetted local agents. These services can quickly match you with top agents. You just fill out a short online form about what you're looking for in a listing agent, and then you get sent profiles of agents near you who may be a good fit. Getting matched is free, and there's no obligation to use any agent you're matched up with. Some services even pre-negotiate lower commission rates that can save you thousands of dollars.
- Ask family and friends for referrals. One of the most common ways to find a listing agent is to ask family, friends, and neighbors for referrals. These are typically trustworthy sources, but you'll still want to make sure any recommended agents have experience (e.g., with your area and price point) that fits your specific transaction.
- Find a listing agent at an open house. You can meet with local listing agents quickly by attending local open houses. Simply search for upcoming open houses on Zillow, and make plans to visit each home during the scheduled time. You can get a sense of how the agent communicates and markets the house to potential buyers.
Can you change listing agents?
You can usually change realtors if you're unhappy with your current one.
If you signed an exclusive right-to-sell agreement (the most common type), the legally binding contract gives your agent the exclusive right to represent you for the duration stated in your agreement (usually 3–6 months).
You can wait until the contract expires to switch agents, or you can ask your agent to let you out of the contract early. Agents are often willing to find an amicable solution to protect their reputation. If your agent has failed to perform their duties or behaved unethically, you can escalate the situation to the managing broker.
Can a listing agent also work as a buyer's agent?
Yes, an agent who represents sellers can also represent buyers. Some agents specialize in one or the other, while some realtors do both.
Technically, a realtor can also be both the listing agent and the buyer's agent in the same transaction. This is called dual agency, and the realtor gets double the commission. However, dual agency is risky because it's hard for an agent to remain neutral to both parties. Given concerns about conflicts of interest and confidentiality, it's best to avoid dual agency, and it's even illegal in some states.
Listing agent vs. selling agent
A listing agent — also called a seller's agent — represents the seller in a transaction. They help sellers set a fair asking price, market the home for sale, host open houses, coordinate showings with prospective buyers, and negotiate contracts.
A selling agent — also called a buyer's agent — represents the home buyer. They help buyers get pre-approved for a mortgage, schedule and attend home showings, write offers, negotiate with listing agents, and set up home inspections.
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