How do you choose a listing agent in Chicago? You choose a listing agent in Chicago by interviewing two or three agents who sell homes like yours in your neighborhood, and asking each one the same questions about results, pricing advice, marketing, and who will actually do the work. The answers to those questions tell you far more than a glossy presentation or the highest suggested price.
Every decision in your sale is yours to make, including the price. Your listing agent's job is to give you the comparable sales, an honest recommendation, and a clear picture of your choices, and then to prepare, market, and negotiate the way you decide. The quality of that advice and that work can move your final price by tens of thousands of dollars. Below are the questions I would ask if I were the one hiring, what a strong answer sounds like, and the red flags that should make you keep looking.
In over 24 years of selling homes in Chicago, I have seen that when a home sells for less than it should, the cause is almost always one of three things: how it was priced, how it was prepared, or how it was marketed. The market itself is rarely the problem. A good listing agent gives you clear advice on all three, and you make the final call on each one.
The first week on the market is when your home gets the most attention and the most showings. A home that is priced well, prepared well, and launched to the right buyers can draw several offers in that week. A home that misses on any of the three can sit, and buyers start to ask what is wrong with it. My post on how long it takes to sell a home in Chicago shows what that looks like in today's market.
Ask every agent you interview the same questions, in the same order. It makes the answers easy to compare, and it shows you quickly who has real numbers and who is speaking in general terms.
Ask for the average sale price as a percentage of the original asking price, and the average days on market. A strong agent knows these numbers without looking them up. For context, my listings sold for an average of 105.07% of their original asking price, with an average of 9 days on market, in my 2026 performance analysis.
Selling a vintage two-flat in Ravenswood is different from selling a high-rise condo in Lakeview or a new construction house in North Center. Ask for recent sales of your type of home, in your area, and at your price range. An agent who sells your kind of home knows who buys it and what those buyers compare it against.
The price is your decision. A good agent gives you the closed sales from the MLS behind their recommendation, explains why each one is a fair comparison, and walks you through what is likely to happen at different prices. When I prepare a recommendation, I use recent sales close to your home, of the same type of home, and inside the same school boundary. I do not compare a home east of Western Avenue with homes west of it, because buyers see those as different markets. If the agent's numbers come only from an online home value estimate, keep asking questions.
Be careful with the agent who suggests the highest price just to win the listing. A price set too high often scares away the buyers who would have competed for your home, and the home sits instead. My post on how to price your home to sell in Chicago explains why with 2026 data.
Listen for specific advice for your home instead of a generic list. Before any of my listings go live, the seller gets a free staging consultation with one of my professional stagers, and I bring in the cleaners, painters, and handymen the home needs. Sometimes staging with your own furniture is the best option. Most homes need four things first: decluttering, a deep clean, fresh neutral paint where it is needed, and brighter lighting. Small updates like kitchen hardware and light fixtures can change how buyers see a room without a big investment. My post on whether to renovate or sell as-is in Chicago covers when larger projects make sense.
Your first showing happens online, so professional photography is the minimum. Ask what else the agent does, and ask for it in writing. The most important question is what happens before your home appears on the MLS, because that is when demand is built. You can see my full plan further down in this post.
On some teams, the agent who comes to the listing appointment is not the person who answers your calls after you sign. Ask who will meet the photographer, who will give you feedback after showings, and who will negotiate your offers. With me, you work with me directly, from the first walkthrough to the closing table.
Many agents put a lockbox on the door and let buyers' agents show the home on their own. I do not use a lockbox. I show every listing in person, so I can point out what makes the home and the neighborhood special, and so I can hear what buyers say while they are there.
The highest offer is not always the best offer. Ask the agent how they compare offers, and listen for four things: how strong the buyer's financing is, whether the buyer will cover a gap if the appraisal comes in low, the inspection terms, and the closing timeline. A strong agent also negotiates the terms along with the price, and protects the sale after you accept. I meet the appraiser at the home with the comparable sales, so a low appraisal does not undo a strong offer. My post on how to get top dollar selling your Chicago home goes deeper on this.
Real estate commissions are negotiable and are set in your listing agreement. Since August 2024, offers of compensation to a buyer's agent are no longer shown on the MLS, and as the seller you decide whether to offer that compensation. The National Association of REALTORS® consumer guides explain the rules, and my post on who pays the buyer's agent in Chicago explains what it means for you. Compare what each agent includes for the fee, because two agents at the same rate can deliver very different marketing.
Ask how long the agreement runs and what happens if you want to end it early. Read the cancellation terms before you sign, and ask your attorney if anything is unclear. My post on whether you need a real estate attorney to sell a home in Chicago explains the attorney's role in a sale.
When you interview agents, ask each one to walk you through their plan from the first visit to closing. This is mine, so you have something to compare against.
Most agents market the house. I start with the buyer. I combine AI with my hyper-local knowledge of Chicago's North Side and 24 years of experience to identify the ideal buyer for your specific home: their stage of life, what they care about, what worries them, and where they spend time online. That profile shapes the photos, the video, the words in the listing, and where the ads run.
Then I build demand before your home is public. That can include teaser videos and coming-soon reels, coming-soon ads on Facebook and Instagram aimed at that buyer profile, private exposure to agents in the Top Agent Network and pocket listing networks, mailers, and, on the right property, calling the neighbors myself. I talk with you about whether a coming-soon period makes sense for your home and how long it should run, because a private launch is right for some homes and not for others. The decision is yours.
On the first day your home has professional photos, a cinematic video, a floor plan, and a 3D walkthrough, and on the right property, drone photos and a full YouTube listing tour. The listing description is written to show up well in online searches and AI answers. I promote it with paid social ads, and I retarget people who already watch my Chicago neighborhood videos, which is something most agents cannot do. It also goes out to my email list, to thousands of agents, on social media and Google, and through a sign with a text code so I know who is interested.
I show every home in person, with no lockbox. The first weekend usually includes a public open house, and on the right property, a neighbors-only open house the day before, because neighbors often know the next buyer.
When offers come in, I lay them out side by side so you can compare price, financing, appraisal risk, inspection terms, and timing, and you choose. After you accept, I meet the appraiser with the comparable sales, stay on top of the attorneys and the lender, and send you an update every week until closing.
Topic | A strong answer | A weak answer |
|---|---|---|
Results | Exact sale-to-asking percentage and days on market | "I sell a lot of homes" |
Pricing | A recommendation backed by closed MLS sales, with your choices explained | The highest number, with no sales behind it, or pressure to accept their price |
Preparation | A room-by-room plan and a staging consultation | "It looks great as it is" |
Marketing | A written plan that starts before the home is live | Photos, the MLS, and a sign in the yard |
Who does the work | One named person from start to closing | "My team will take care of it" |
Offers | Compares financing, appraisal, inspection, and timing | "Just take the highest one" |
Some warning signs show up in the first meeting. Watch for an agent who suggests a much higher price than the others without showing the sales to support it, because that is often a way to win the listing and then ask you to lower the price later. Be careful if the agent cannot name recent sales of homes like yours, or bases the price on an online estimate instead of the MLS.
Other red flags are pressure to sign that day, no written marketing plan, and slow replies while they are still trying to win your business. If it takes two days to hear back now, it will not get faster after you sign. Many of these overlap with the mistakes first-time home sellers make in Chicago.
Two or three is usually enough. Fewer than two leaves you nothing to compare, and more than three tends to blur together. Choose agents who sell in your neighborhood, give each one the same tour of your home, and ask each one the same questions.
If you are also buying your next home, ask each agent how they would plan both sides. The order of selling and buying affects your money and your stress level. My page on selling and buying a home at the same time in Chicago explains the options.
I have sold real estate on Chicago's North Side for more than 24 years, with more than 300 closed transactions and more than 190 five-star reviews. I am a Certified Negotiation Expert, and my office is at 4553 N. Lincoln Ave. in Lincoln Square. You can read what my sellers say on my testimonials page.
I bring the comparable sales from the MLS, a price recommendation with your options explained, a preparation plan for your home, and a written marketing plan to the first meeting. Every decision stays yours, and I give you the information to make it with confidence. If you live in Lincoln Square or North Center, my pages for the Lincoln Square listing agent and the North Center listing agent show results for those areas. For homes at the higher end of the market, my page for Chicago luxury home sellers explains how I market at that level.
A listing agent represents the seller and markets the home. The selling agent, also called the buyer's agent, represents the buyer who purchases it. Each one works for their own client in the same sale.
In Illinois, every licensed real estate agent holds a broker license, so most listing agents are also brokers. Each broker works under a managing broker at a brokerage, such as Baird & Warner in my case. You can check any agent's license on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation website.
There is no set rate. Commissions are negotiable and are agreed in writing in your listing agreement. Ask each agent what is included for the fee, and read my post on closing costs for home sellers in Chicago to see the full cost of selling.
Yes, but only with written consent from both the buyer and the seller. This is called dual agency. Ask how the agent handles it, and decide ahead of time whether you are comfortable with it.
It helps. An agent who works in your neighborhood knows which blocks and buildings buyers compare, what recently sold, and who is buying there right now. That knowledge shows up in the price and in the marketing.
Start two to three months before you want to list. That gives you time to prepare the home, get a staging consultation, and plan the launch. My post on whether to sell in winter or wait for spring can help you pick your timing.
The advice and the work you get from your agent shape your final price, so it is worth asking the hard questions before you sign. I am happy to answer every question on this list for your home, with real numbers from the MLS.
Start with a free home value review, or schedule a complimentary and confidential consultation here. You can also start with my free Chicago Home Seller Course, or call or text me directly at 773.719.0989.
Dee Savic is a Realtor with Baird & Warner, a 24+ year real estate professional, and a 27+ year Chicago resident with 300+ closed transactions. She specializes in helping buyers, sellers, downsizers, and relocation clients across Chicago's North Side.
Dee Savic
Realtor® | Baird & Warner
4553 N. Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60625
773.719.0989
[email protected]
deesavic.com
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I'm Dee Savic, your trusted Chicago real estate expert, and I'm here to guide you through your relocation journey. Discover why Chicago is the perfect city for you; from its diverse neighborhoods to its cultural vibrancy, Chicago offers an unmatched urban experience. Together, we'll find a community and home that fits your lifestyle and aspirations.
