By Eric Berman, REALTOR® | The Eric Berman Team at Compass
TL;DR:
Choosing the right listing agent for your Long Island home comes down to substantive interviews, verified track record, and clear marketing plan. The best sellers interview 2-3 agents before committing, ask specific questions about pricing analysis and marketing approach, verify claims through OneKey MLS data and references, and understand the listing agreement terms before signing. The August 17, 2024 NAR settlement fundamentally changed how listing agents work — written listing agreements are now required, buyer's agent compensation is negotiated separately, and listing agents must explain the new framework clearly. Local expertise matters substantially — a Manhasset agent may not know Levittown, and vice versa. Watch for red flags: agents who overpromise on price to win the listing, generic marketing plans, weak local knowledge, or unclear fee structure. The right listing agent for your specific home in your specific area produces meaningfully better outcomes than a well-known name without specific local expertise.
Why the Agent You Pick Matters More Than Ever
Your listing agent affects almost every part of your home sale — the price you get, how fast it sells, how smoothly the process runs, and how much stress you carry along the way. Getting this decision right isn't optional. Long Island's specific market dynamics make the choice particularly consequential.
The August 17, 2024 NAR settlement changed the game. After the NAR settlement went into effect, several substantial things changed for sellers working with listing agents:
Written listing agreements are now required with specific terms before an agent can work with you
Buyer's agent compensation is no longer automatically included on MLS listings — you as the seller now decide whether to offer buyer's agent compensation, and how much
Listing agents are required to explain the new framework clearly to you before you sign anything
Fee structure is more genuinely negotiable than it used to be
These changes make agent selection meaningfully more consequential than it was even a year ago. The costs of selling framework covers the substantive settlement mechanics.
Long Island's local variation makes local expertise critical. A great Manhasset agent may not know the Levittown market. A Bayside specialist may not have the same pull in Port Washington. Long Island is a collection of very different local markets, and the agent who knows your specific area will produce meaningfully better outcomes than a well-known name without specific local expertise.
The 4-Question Listing Agent Interview Framework
Interviewing 2-3 agents before committing is genuinely important. The 4-question framework below cuts through the pitch and gets to substance.
Question 1: What's your specific pricing analysis for my home?
Ask the agent to walk you through recent comparable sales, active listings, and pending sales in your specific area. A substantive answer includes: 5-8 comparable sales pulled from the last 3-6 months, specific adjustments for how your home compares (bigger lot, smaller kitchen, better condition, needs work), analysis of active competition, and a realistic pricing range with reasoning. A weak answer offers a single number without showing the work, or promises a high number without substantive comp support (a red flag — see below).
Question 2: What's your specific marketing plan for my home?
Ask specifically what marketing they'll do, when, and through what channels. A substantive answer covers: professional photography (specific photographer or in-house), video walkthrough or drone if warranted by the property, MLS syndication reaching buyers across Long Island, social media approach specific to your area, network activation (agent-to-agent outreach), open house strategy, and specific brokerage tools (Compass Private Exclusive, Compass Coming Soon for pre-market exposure, Compass Concierge for pre-listing improvements). A weak answer says "we'll list it on MLS and use professional photography" without specifics.
Question 3: How do you handle negotiation and offer strategy?
Ask about their approach to multi-offer situations, contingency management, and buyer qualification. A substantive answer covers: how they evaluate offers across price, financing structure, contingencies, timeline, and buyer strength; how they coordinate multi-offer situations if one develops; how they handle inspection response; and how they work with buyer's attorneys. A weak answer says "I'll get you the best price" without process.
Question 4: What's your communication cadence, and who handles what?
Ask specifically who you'll be talking to during the process, how often, and through what channels. A substantive answer covers: whether the lead agent handles you directly or a team member handles day-to-day, expected communication frequency (weekly market updates, showing feedback within 24-48 hours), and who to call for what. A weak answer is generic ("I'm always available") without structure.
How to Actually Verify Agent Track Record
Every agent claims a strong track record. The substantive question is how to verify. Three sources give you real data.
OneKey MLS public data. OneKey MLS (Long Island's MLS system) makes recent sales data publicly accessible. You can see how many homes an agent has sold in your specific area over the last 12 months, average days on market for their listings, and list-to-sale price ratios. This is the most objective data source available.
References from recent sellers. Ask for names and phone numbers of 2-3 recent sellers, ideally in your area or price range. Call them. Ask specific questions: was the pricing analysis accurate, how was communication during the process, did any surprises come up and how were they handled, would they use the agent again. Real references produce real signal.
Their specific listings you can see live. Look at their current active listings and recent solds online. Are the photos professional? Is the description substantive? Are the homes selling at meaningful prices? A track record you can see with your own eyes matters more than claims.
What Real Local Expertise Looks Like
Long Island is a collection of very different local markets. Real local expertise in your specific area is a substantial value driver.
Specific area comp knowledge. A local expert can talk about recent sales on specific streets, unusual comps that don't show up in a standard MLS pull, sub-area variation you'd miss otherwise, and how condition tiers price differently in your area.
Buyer pool understanding. Different Long Island areas attract different buyers. Manhasset's buyer pool differs from Levittown's. Bayside's differs from Fresh Meadows. A local expert knows who's buying in your specific area, what they're looking for, and how they behave when they find it.
Municipal specifics. Long Island's specific towns and villages have specific quirks — permit histories, common CO gap issues, oil tank considerations, HOA rules, village-level inspections. A local expert knows the paperwork issues that come up in your specific area and how to head them off before listing.
Comp-adjacent factors. Waterfront positioning in Port Washington, corner lot dynamics in Levittown, condo vs. single-family in Bayside — these specifics matter for pricing and marketing. A local expert catches them; a generalist misses them.
The Compass Tools Framework
If you're interviewing a Compass agent (including me), specific Compass tools are worth understanding as part of the marketing conversation.
Compass Private Exclusive. Off-market listing option that markets your home only to a curated network of Compass agents and their qualified buyers. Useful for sellers who want privacy, want to test the market before public listing, or have specific circumstances (divorce, high-profile owners, complicated timing).
Compass Coming Soon. Pre-market listing option that lets buyers see your home in the Compass network before it goes on public MLS. Builds anticipation, generates early interest, and can produce offers before the public listing even goes live.
Compass Concierge. Financing program that covers pre-listing improvements (staging, cosmetic updates, targeted repairs) with no interest and no upfront cost — the seller pays it back at closing. Genuinely useful when a home needs updates that would produce meaningfully better sale outcomes but the seller doesn't want to lay out cash upfront.
These are substantive tools, not marketing bullet points. If a Compass agent isn't discussing them appropriately for your specific situation, ask why.
Red Flags to Watch For
Some patterns during the interview process should raise concern.
Overpricing to win the listing. If one agent quotes you a substantially higher listing price than the others, ask them to walk you through the comp support. Aspirational pricing loses you time and money. An agent who wins your listing with a high number and then pushes for reductions six weeks later isn't serving you — they're serving themselves.
Generic marketing without specifics. "We'll use professional photography and social media" isn't a marketing plan. If the agent can't tell you specifically what they'll do, when, and through what channels, they probably don't have a real plan.
Weak local knowledge. If the agent can't discuss recent sales on your specific streets, doesn't know the buyer pool for your area, or seems generic about Long Island as a whole, they're not the right fit for your specific home.
Unclear fee structure. Post-Sitzer/Burnett settlement, fees are more genuinely negotiable than they used to be. If an agent quotes you a specific commission without explaining what it covers, how the buyer's agent compensation portion works, or what's included in marketing, ask specifically. Ambiguity at this stage typically produces problems later.
Rushed communication or unavailability during the interview. How an agent behaves during the pitch is a preview of how they'll behave during the transaction. If they're rushed, unavailable, or dismissive during the interview, expect the same during the six-week process ahead.
The Listing Agreement Terms That Actually Matter
Before signing anything, understand the specific terms of the listing agreement.
Listing term length. Most Long Island listing agreements run 3-6 months. Longer isn't necessarily better — a 6-month exclusive is a long time to be locked in if the fit isn't right.
Cancellation provisions. Ask specifically what happens if you want to cancel. Some agreements have clean cancellation; others don't. Read the specific language.
Marketing commitments. The best agreements specify what marketing the agent will actually do. If it's not in the agreement, it's not committed.
Compensation structure. Under the post-Sitzer/Burnett framework, the agreement specifies your commitment to the listing agent's compensation. The buyer's agent compensation is a separate decision — how much you offer, if any, and how you communicate it. Your listing agent should walk you through both.
Protection period. Most agreements include a "protection period" after the listing expires — if a buyer the agent introduced you to comes back within a certain window (typically 30-90 days), the agent still earns their commission. Know what this looks like in your agreement.
A Recent Manhasset Seller's Interview Process
A recent Manhasset seller approached her home sale the right way. She interviewed three agents before signing anything. Her home was a Manhasset colonial in the $1.4M range, and she wanted to make sure she picked the right person for the job.
The first agent quoted her a listing price of $1,495,000 — the highest of the three. When she asked for comp support, the agent showed her a general MLS pull with a few outliers included, no adjustments for her specific home's condition and updates. When she asked about marketing plan, the answer was generic ("professional photography, MLS, social media"). Red flag: overpricing to win the listing, weak marketing plan.
The second agent quoted $1,395,000 with substantive comp support — 6 specific comparables adjusted for her home's larger lot and recently updated kitchen. Marketing plan included professional photography, drone footage of the property, a specific video walkthrough approach, and Compass Coming Soon exposure before public listing. Communication cadence was clear: weekly market updates and 24-hour showing feedback.
The third agent quoted $1,375,000, similar substantive comp support, but weaker on marketing specifics and less clear on communication approach.
She went with the second agent. The home listed at $1,395,000, drew substantial interest during the Compass Coming Soon window, and had a contract at $1,425,000 (2.2% above list) 11 days after public listing. Her total end-to-end from initial interview through closing: about 4 months.
Her situation was specific, but the pattern applies broadly. Interviewing multiple agents, asking substantive questions, and verifying claims produces meaningfully better outcomes than picking the first agent who impresses you or the one who quotes the highest price.
Where to Start
For Long Island homeowners planning a sale, the right starting point is interviewing 2-3 agents with substantive questions before committing to anyone. The home valuation tool is a quiet way to begin the pricing conversation without commitment.
For broader context: the Long Island pricing guide covers how a substantive comp analysis looks. The selling costs guide covers the post-Sitzer/Burnett settlement fee framework. The home valuation guide covers what your home is actually worth. The Long Island timeline guide covers how long the process takes. The Long Island area comparison covers how different areas move at different paces.
The honest bottom line: the right listing agent for your specific home in your specific area produces meaningfully better outcomes than the wrong one. Interview 2-3 agents. Ask substantive questions about pricing, marketing, negotiation, and communication. Verify their claims through public data and references. Understand the listing agreement terms before signing. Watch for red flags — overpricing, generic marketing, weak local knowledge, unclear fees. The best sellers make this decision with substantive information, not a first-impression pitch.
FAQs
How do I choose the right listing agent for my Long Island home?
Interview 2-3 agents before committing. Ask each specifically about their pricing analysis (recent comps, adjustments, realistic range), marketing plan (photography, MLS, network, brokerage tools), negotiation approach, and communication cadence. Verify their track record through OneKey MLS public data (recent sales in your area, average days on market, list-to-sale price ratios) and through 2-3 references from recent sellers. Local expertise in your specific area matters substantially — a Manhasset agent may not know Levittown, and vice versa. The right agent produces meaningfully better outcomes than a well-known name without specific local expertise.
How did the NAR settlement change listing agent selection?
The August 17, 2024 NAR settlement made substantial changes. Written listing agreements are now required with specific terms before an agent can work with you. Buyer's agent compensation is no longer automatically included on MLS listings — as the seller, you now decide whether to offer buyer's agent compensation and how much. Listing agents are required to explain the new framework clearly. Fee structure is more genuinely negotiable than it used to be. Any agent who isn't discussing this framework with you clearly during the interview process isn't operating current to the market.
How do I verify a real estate agent's track record on Long Island?
Three sources give real data. OneKey MLS public data shows how many homes an agent has sold in your specific area over the last 12 months, average days on market, and list-to-sale price ratios. References from 2-3 recent sellers give you honest signal about the actual experience. Their current active listings and recent solds show you their work directly — photo quality, description substance, sale outcomes. Combining these three sources produces meaningfully more accurate assessment than pitch material alone.
What are the biggest red flags when choosing a listing agent?
Watch for: agents who quote substantially higher listing prices without substantive comp support (usually a pitch to win the listing that ends in reductions later), generic marketing plans without specifics (probably means there isn't a real plan), weak local knowledge (can't discuss your specific streets or buyer pool), unclear fee structure (should be transparent post-Sitzer/Burnett), and rushed or unavailable communication during the interview process (a preview of how they'll behave during the transaction). Any of these individually is worth pausing on. Multiple together is a clear no.
How much does a listing agent charge on Long Island?
Post-August 17, 2024 NAR settlement, listing agent fees are genuinely negotiable and no longer include automatic buyer's agent compensation on MLS. Typical Long Island listing agent compensation runs 2-3% of sale price, with additional buyer's agent compensation (typically 2-2.5%) as a separate seller decision. Total commission commonly runs 4-5.5% but varies substantially by agent, property, and market conditions. Ask specifically what's included, what the buyer's agent compensation structure looks like, and what marketing is committed. Cheapest isn't necessarily best — a strong agent producing 3% above what a weaker agent would achieve more than pays for themselves.
By Eric Berman, REALTOR® | The Eric Berman Team at Compass
Eric Berman | Long Island & Queens Associate Broker | Compass
1468 Northern Blvd, Manhasset, NY 11030
(917) 225-8596 | eric@ericbermanre.com | theericbermanteam.com
