How Close Should Your Real Estate Agent Be When Buying or Selling a House?
- Adam Garrett
- Jun 22
- 16 min read
Updated: Jun 26
Agent proximity matters, but it is not the only factor — and it is rarely the most important deciding factor. Overall, agent quality is much more nuanced, and I go over a dozen other factors involved in my article on listing agent selection, none of which is merely a question of physical proximity. A nearby agent can still be weak on MLS coverage, contracts, showing systems, listing remarks, area marketing, or on property marketing. A more distant agent can be a poor fit if they lack local access or support, but in some cases, they may offer better coverage, better marketing, better education for sellers, and better systems than a very local alternative.
If you are still deciding what matters most in an agent, start with my guides on what to look for in a buyer's agent and what to look for in a listing agent. This article focuses on one specific factor within that larger decision: how much agent proximity should matter, when distance should rule someone out, and what buyers and sellers should ask before deciding.
Quick answer: Your agent does not always need to live close to the home, but they do need the right MLS access, contract familiarity, showing support, lockbox setup, local marketing ability, and backup plan when they are unavailable. If they lack the primary MLS, do not understand the local contract, cannot arrange timely showings, or cannot market the area well, distance becomes a serious problem. If they have better systems and coverage than a nearby agent, distance often matters less, where it's more important to look at other factors when comparing agents/brokers.
For simplicity, I'll use “agent” throughout this article to refer to either a real estate agent or broker.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Local or Non-Local Real Estate Agent:
Do they have solid Multiple Listing Service (MLS) coverage for my area, and how does their MLS coverage compare to that of locals?
MLS Coverage: If the agent doesn't have the primary MLS coverage for your area, rule them out immediately. However, in some cases, that "out of area agent" happens to have the best MLS options available for the best coverage, where they have an asset rather than a liability. For instance, in Middlesex County, many Middlesex County agents have CBRAR, CVR, & WBG MLS, but they may not have REIN, BRIGHT, or Northern Neck MLS. If that's the case, that means that they don't have around 34% of active listings in Middlesex County per some numbers I pulled in 2025. I run into having better MLS coverage than locals often since I have such high standards on MLS coverage & due to areas in Central & Eastern VA sometimes having such a high volume of substantive MLS variance.
In Virginia & some nearby states, I can help you answer this question because I've run the data in a way that I haven't seen any Virginia agent or anyone else do it. Here is that data visually on what Multiple Listing Service You'll Need in Virginia, as well as Appx %s in much of my primary coverage area in the map below:
The next question for agents is which MLS (whether 1 or more than 1) the property will be in if you list with them. Even if an agent has access to more than 1 MLS, they might not put you in all of the pertinent ones, and the answer may depend on the price of your property and the commission package/a la carte options that you choose.
Adam's response as an example:
While many agents have access to 1 or 2 MLS, I have direct access to 4 and indirect access to 2 more. Those MLS are:
Direct Access:
CBRAR (Middle Peninsula Based)
REIN (Hampton Roads)
Williamsburg MLS
Northern Neck MLS
Indirect Access:
CVR (Greater Richmond - via CBRAR)
BRIGHT (NOVA/DC/MD/Surrounding Area, but its reach is far, i.e., 23.5% of listings in Essex County on the Middle Peninsula & 67.3% of Westmoreland County in the Northern Neck when I checked - via WBG MLS)
Do they know the local contracts? How well?
If the local contracts aren't the primary ones they use, how familiar with them are they?
Have they done a class on them (& how long was the class)?
Have they read through the full contract, word for word?
How detail-oriented are they?
Example: I've corrected a buyer's broker who had around double the experience that I had in terms of years in business and much more than double the experience with the contract she was using, but who wasn't as detail-oriented as me, who was initially convinced that I was wrong even after the correction.
Have they done any writing with the contract based on the contract terms?
Do they integrate AI into their systems, including form uploads?
MLS by Region:
Northern Virginia uses primarily NVAR contracts,
Greater Richmond uses primarily CVR Contracts,
Hampton Roads uses primarily REIN contracts,
Elsewhere in Eastern & Central Virginia primarily use the VAR Residential Contract of Purchase
Adam's response as an example:
1 & 5. While I'm most familiar with the REIN contract, I have done writing regarding 5 contract types (REIN, CVR, VAR, HUD, VA) in my Comprehensive Home Purchase Offer Spreadsheet & I've also done a focus on REIN & VAR in (Adam's Client Exclusive) Responsibilities & Inspector Options Including Deadlines Template for REIN & VAR Offers?
I also took a 6-hour class on VAR offers. I took a few hours of class on CVR contracts.
I have also read &/or listened to each of the following contracts/forms in full at least once:
REIN
CVR
VAR
HUD
I'm unusually detail-oriented, as a brief view of my area guide, seller guide, and buyer's guide can attest, each of which is arguably the most comprehensive of its kind in Central & Eastern VA.
6. I not only integrate AI into my systems (cited for attribution when substantial input is present in articles), but also have a paid GPT business account where I have created over half a dozen custom real estate GPTs, some of which are geared toward forms and allow form uploads.
Will they include area photos (especially area aerials), aerials of the house, & 1 or more than 1 3D tour? What are the details of the marketing that they will do? For instance, what 3D tour platform(s) will be used, & what will be covered in the 3D tours?
Typically, especially for mid to lower-end properties, if no owner's association exists, there are no area photos other than ones that might be taken from the vantage point near the house with a drone if a drone is used at all. This mistake is a seriously missed opportunity, but it's a sad industry typical situation that is part of a trend to chase quantity over quality and to keep marketing budgets low.
Most real estate photographers don't have any portfolio of area photos to choose from, and those that do often have a relatively limited portfolio.
Most real estate agents won't venture out of an association for photos and won't pay photographers for the extra work either.
When real estate photographers have area photos, it's mostly shots from on the ground, when in reality, the majority of my best area photos are from the air, even though there are certainly some good ones from the ground as well.
3D tours, and the cameras that can be used for them, vary substantially in quality, accessibility on more than one platform, user experience, and more. See Adam as an example for a best-case scenario & this article on why Matterport is best if one has another 3D tour available that is compatible with Zillow/Trulia (especially a Zillow 3D tour).
Adam as an example:
Adam's standard marketing package, even for 2.5% listing packages, includes area photos, including both aerials and sign photos, & starts in associations but always goes beyond associations.
For listing packages 2.75% & up, Adam includes photo captions on his area photos which are superior quality to any agent or broker he has seen, including proximity to the house, the name of the area amenity, & typically more details.
Adam's 3% packages include the highest volume of area photos as well as captions.
3D Tours: If not bringing any neighborhood amenities into the 3D tour, the best combination in my opinion as of 6/22/26, which is available in my 3% listing packages, is a combination of:
Zillow 3D tour on Ricoh Theta Z1 camera (the best compatible camera with Zillow 3D tours) for use on Zillow & Trulia (which ban Matterport due to a legal dispute filed against Zillow by Costar, which owns Matterport)
Matterport 3D tour on Matterport Pro 3 (the best compatible camera with Matterport 3D tours)
including at least the full exterior of the home
including at least 1 aerial 360 for properties $300k+
For properties in associations, and in some cases when a nearby area amenity is substantive, Adam's 3% listing side commission packages may include neighborhood or neighborhood nearby amenity 3D tours, which are relatively unheard of.
Do they have the right lockboxes?
The right lockboxes can mean the difference between whether the property is shown or not. There are some cases where listing agents exclusively use a single contractor lockbox, with no electronic form, and don't use a showing service. In those cases, if the agent or assistant that buyer's agents and buyers reach out to isn't available when they need to be, or is simply slow on the draw, a buyer may not see a property at all.
Electronic lockboxes are often tied to 1 or more than 1 local MLS that are being used. If no electronic lockboxes are used, and something goes wrong, such as theft, it's much more difficult to determine who is at fault. On one occasion, I toured a house with a buyer's family, only for the property to be stolen from in the next 24 hrs. In my case, my clients were not at fault, but a contractor lockbox opens up the door to misconduct in a way that an electronic lockbox is much safer. For that reason, while I have a contractor lockbox on every listing, I am hesitant to give out the code unless it is actually needed.
For examples of how a slight delay can mean all the difference, see "Do they use a showing service" below.
Adam as an example:
Adam has lockboxes with CBRAR MLS (compatible with CVR members also), Williamsburg MLS, REIN MLS, & contractor lockboxes.
Do they use a showing service, & if so, is it Showingtime (the best)?
A great showing service can also mean the difference between whether a property is shown or not.
A bad showing service can be worse than no showing service in some cases. For instance, some showing services only offer 1 set amount of time to show a house, rather than giving them options to choose from for various amounts of time needed. That means that those who show a property for a short amount of time vs the designated time will fill up the time more than needed, potentially cutting out options for another showing, especially for a hot, newly listed house. Conversely, giving a buyer too little time can diminish the probability that a buyer is confident enough about a property to make an offer, and can increase the probability of the contract falling through.
Some listing agents are very fast, while some tend to be very slow. Some even request an email rather than a call or text for showings.
Not having a showing service means that if a listing agent is in a listing appointment, or on a long drive, it may be 1 hr, 2 hrs, or more before they see a showing request to respond to.
If a showing is requested by someone for under an hour away, which happens more often than many sellers expect, there might not be a response before it's too late.
In some cases, if an initial request is missed or responded to too late, you don't get a second chance.
A common example is if a buyer is in town for 1 day only. In that scenario, sometimes they see signs to properties while they are driving that they didn't notice before online.
In other cases, a buyer may be seeing 5 or more homes one day, and may make an offer that night rather than waiting to come back another day to a property that wasn't available.
Adam as an example:
Adam uses Showingtime with an article he wrote for occupant sellers on best practices to utilize.
While some listing agents are very slow on the draw to answer questions if they have a showing service, relying too heavily on the showing service, Adam's agent remarks include that agents/brokers may text Adam 24/7. Keep in mind that these same agents that are slow on the draw with inquiries with agents may be fast on the draw with inquiries with prospective clients.
Adam includes a high level of details within Showingtime about the showing experience itself, & also includes a link to even more details for the showing and has a separate link for details on offer preferences.
What will happen when the agent is unavailable for unrepresented buyers?
Some agents have much better policies than others on unrepresented buyers when the main listing agent is not available. This question is especially important for distant agents. Some of the key follow-up questions here are:
Will you typically be the one to show the house?
Do you pay for agent fill-ins, & if so, how does what you pay compare to other agents/brokers at your firm? (if they pay a typical amount, that often means that newer agents will be more likely to show your property)
How many agents are there at your firm, & are some of them closer to where I am looking to buy/sell vs you?
Do you have any minimum requirements about who you would ask to fill in for you, i.e. by career sales volume (& by camera used for virtual tours)?
Adam as an example:
For more details on how I typically use experienced agents (most often with >100 past transactions) for showings when available, & how I have a higher median pay than any other agent at my firm than I am aware of in order to fund higher quality, see:
If Selling, 2 Key Questions to Research in their Former Listings:
Do they always include area photos, even when properties are not in an association? How good do their area photos look across their past 5 listings, and is it easy for someone outside of the area to identify the location being observed with the name of that location in the photo?
A major factor when considering area amenities outside of an association is the identification of these locations to those who may have no idea about their names or the proximity to the subject property:
MLS rules can play a big role in this question. Some MLS, like REIN, the dominant MLS of Hampton Roads, don't allow captions to be embedded in photos. That means that someone might have no idea the name of something and the proximity of it to the subject property on most public websites. A workaround that I've found to be helpful that I haven't seen any other agent in Eastern or Central VA is to use the collage feature to frequently include a picture of the sign of the location so that locations can be easily identified while not breaking these rules.
Another factor to look at is MLS picture captions, which are more important for area amenity photos off-site & outside of an association than for other photos. Look for the following in their photos:
The name of the location
The proximity of the location to the subject property
A description of what you can do there
Adam as an example:
Yes, I always include area photos, including areals, and on 2.75% + packages, include photo captions. I also include pictures of signs if the name of a location isn't visible directly in the photo.
Do they consistently pitch the area in remarks rather than just talking about the house? How well do they do that across a large area?
Some agents rarely mention anything about the area, even if they know if very well, & if they do, give little detail.
That said, this question is nuanced based on:
MLS limits on character count, with some having over 4x the characters allowed vs others
Size of the house
Acreage of the house
Volume of nearby area amenities
Some MLS (i.e. REIN MLS, which limits character count to 1,000) set tight limits on character count on public remarks in ways that don't make much sense in my opinion. In that scenario, especially for a large property in terms of square feet and acreage, there isn't much room for many area details.
For MLS like REIN with severe limits on public remarks character count, area photos, labels or signs of the location names, and captions on the photos in MLS, are even more important than typical.
Adam as an example:
I consistently pitch the area in the remarks. While not available on 2.5% listing packages, for a listing I have at the moment that is listed in both REIN (which limits characters to 1000) & Williamsburg MLS (which limits character count on public remarks to 1200 characters), the public remarks on my Williamsburg MLS listing are long, with the area section of the remarks substantially expanded on Williamsburg MLS.
With Online Information Substantially Increased Since 2000, Public Remarks Now Matter a Lot More About the Agent's Quality than About Their Proximity. Be Sure to Check Their Former Listings to See How They Pitch the Area in Remarks
Online Information on Areas Has Drastically Narrowed the Gap in the Ability for Distant Agents to Effectively Write Public Remarks, Including Remarks Specific to Area Highlights
Online information today on various areas is substantially greater than it was before 2000. Here are some examples of resources that have come out since then:
In 2000, TripAdvisor came out.
In 2007, Google Maps began including Google Reviews.
In 2024, my Guide to Move to East & Central Virginia came out. In it, I highlight dozens of publicly available resources on areas that go far beyond the 4 above.
Today, Great Agents Can do a Better Job Marketing an Area than Those who Live in the Neighborhood
My Guide to Move to East & Central Virginia is a prime example. It includes a high volume of information that locals that are living in various locations throughout Eastern & Central Virginia don't even know about their own neighborhoods. A seller recently told me that he didn't even know about some of the locations that I highlighted in my nearby area amenities, which I included pictures of in marketing his house. He said that despite having lived there for over 15 years.
Example of Bad Public Remarks by a Local Real Estate Agent in Another State
I've added some highlighting to point out some of the flaws:
"LOCATION,LOCATION,LOCATIONPRICE REDUCTION CALL NOW BEFORE IT'S TO LATE ! Great homeConveniently located minutes from shopping ,medical facilities ,and all that the Pocono's has to offer yet still have a quiet peaceful environment around you. This home features many upgrades modern kitchen and baths ,beautiful Brick fireplace, The perfect home as a primary or vacation home. BONUS A WARRANTY INCLUDED! NOT IN A COMMUNITYCall for an appointment don't wait !"
Good Public Remarks from an Agent in Another State of the Same House at the Same Time
Here's an example of good public remarks that are much more explicit & lacking the grammatical, punctuation, & all caps issues:
"Well kept, updated, 3 bed, 2 full bath rancher conveniently nestled on .84 acres in the Poconos Mountains with a 504 sq ft 2 car attached garage w/ electric opener & fenced in backyard. 2023 quartz kitchen countertops & paved driveway. 2022 kitchen cabinets w/ soft close & stone walkway. 2021 granite countertops in bathrooms & GE Energy Star stove. 2017 updates include roof, all windows, all doors, whole house generator, fence, water heater, well tank, gutters w/ gutter guards, wood shed, & shiplap in mud room. 2017 GE microwave, fridge, dishwasher, washer, & dryer. Impressive wood-burning fireplace w/ 12' brick wall. Ceramic tile floors in kitchen, formal dining room, & bathrooms. Complete w/ a seller-paid home inspection available for your review & 1 yr home warranty. Excellent option for your new home, 2nd home, or short-term rental! 5 exterior light locations including 3 motion sensitive. 5 fan/light combos including 1 in each bedroom. Plenty of shade on the home & yard from trees help to keep you cooler in the Summer. 126 sq ft enclosed room behind garage not counted in 1516 sq ft home nor in 504 sq ft garage. Painted 252 sq ft back deck.154 sq ft covered front porch. No homeowner's association. Propane tank & propane for generator owned by seller conveys. Pull down attic stairwell. 2017 plumbing freezing mitigation option present in attic.
2.2 mi to restaurants & shops, 3.4 mi to grocery store, 5.5 mi to Shawnee Mountain Ski Area, 6.2 mi to I-80 & Delaware River, 6.3 mi to East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania. 6.3 mi to ForEvergreen Nature Preserve w/ trail, garden, pond, catch & release fly fishing w license, bird watching including eagles, & Brodhead Creek Heritage Center. 8.6 mi to New Jersey. 9.5 mi to Worthington State Park including Sunfish Pond, "1 of the 7 natural wonders of New Jersey" & the following free: entry, parking, fishing for fishing license holders, boat ramp open every day, paddleboarding & cross country skiing (for those w/ paddleboards & skies). Rentable amenities include canoes/kayaks & campsites. 82.5 mi to NYC & 102 mi to Philadelphia."
More Details on The above Scenario
These public remarks are actually regarding the exact same house.
The 1st is by a listing agent who was a friend of the owners, whose 1st recorded closing on Zillow was over 14 years prior.
The second public remarks were by me, in a completely different state, in the absence of a max character count, since the agent wouldn't answer my question on character count limits when I sought to help the owners with redone public remarks. The agent never made any edits to her public remarks, if I recall correctly.
Full context:
I made an offer with buyers of a property in VA that had a home sale contingency. They were trying to purchase with me contingent on the sale of their own home & the purchase was dragging due to the delays on their sale. While I shared about the importance of professional photos before seeing the bad photos that the agent did herself, the sellers didn't insist on professional photos until after they were having problems selling the house for what it was worth. I made additional suggestions, such as changes to what was in their home in the photos and what wasn't. The public remarks above that I suggested were part of my efforts to get their house sold from afar. I even seriously considered using frequent flyer miles & flying there to do a Matterport 3D tour and aerials myself. That's how frustrating it was. Also, I have never been to the Poconos.
FAQs:
Does my real estate agent need to live in the same city as the house?
Not at all. The more important question is whether the agent has the right MLS access, contract familiarity, showing support, lockbox setup, marketing plan, and backup coverage. A nearby agent can still be a poor fit if those systems are weak.
When should I rule out a non-local real estate agent?
Rule them out if they lack the primary MLS coverage for the area, do not understand the local contract, cannot explain how showings will work, lack a reliable backup plan, or cannot demonstrate strong area marketing.
Can a non-local agent market a property well?
In 2026 & beyond? Absolutely. A non-local agent with strong research habits, area photography, aerials, 3D tours, MLS knowledge, and detailed public remarks may market some properties better than a nearby agent who relies only on basic photos and generic listing remarks.
What should sellers check before hiring an agent who is not nearby?
Sellers should check the agent’s MLS coverage, past listing photos, use of area photos, public remarks, showing service, lockbox access, backup showing plan, and whether the agent has successfully marketed properties across a broad area.
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