Massachusetts New Law on Rental Brokerage Fees
Takes effect on August 1, 2025

My name is James Riel, I am the principal broker-owner of JR Associates, a residential real estate brokerage in Cambridge, MA. I have been in the real estate industry for over 20 years and have helped hundreds of landlords (most of who I initially connected with from a Craigslist posting) professionally position their rental units to attract market-rate rents and secure high-quality renters for their properties. As long as I've been in business, the status quo was that the incoming renter pays the brokerage fee, effectively making our services completely free to you, the landlord. However, effective August 1, 2025 Maura Healy's office has incorporated a new law putting a ban on "tenant-paid" brokerage fees. This is an attempt to try and remove some financial barriers to entry making it more affordable to secure rental housing for renters in Massachusetts. There are lots of pros and cons to this new law, but the reason it's important to YOU is because now, more than ever, it is important to engage with a reputable broker to handle all your leasing needs.  

The rental process will now become very similar to how the real estate sales process works, in that, if you as the landlord are now paying a brokerage fee, you're going to want an agent with a track record and deep experience in not only the market but as a landlord themselves to handle the entire leasing process and negotiate the best deal for your rental from start to finish. 

Following this major change to the rental sector, JR Associates offers professional landlord representation for all of your leasing.

Retaining JR Associates as a professional brokerage to handle your leasing includes:

• Professional photography and video of the property - Grainy phone photos just don't cut it anymore and tenants want video to help make their decisions quicker
• Floor plans for the property - helps reduce nuance questions about layout before touring in person + saves time
• Maximum Exposure- We have massive reach and syndicate across all major real estate platforms to reach thousands of renters
• Tenant Qualification - Handling inquiries is a a full time job, especially during the high season. Asking the right questions prior to showing is critical 
• In-person Showings - We accompany every showing to ensure all questions are answered and there aren't strangers roaming around the property.
• Access to sphere of industry professionals: From handymen, to attorneys, CPA's, 1031 intermediaries, architects, and tradespeople, you have access to professional services should you need them. 
• Lease Documentation & Signature - We draft all lease and addenda paperwork in accordance with your preferences and securing all signatures electronically
• Coordination of Cleanings, pre-move in - We communicate with you and your existing tenants on move-out and coordinate our cleaners to turnover the property
• Coordination of Keys & move-in - We meet the incoming renter to hand over keys and provide any other protocols to ensure a seamless transition 
• Ongoing support & renewals - We are always checking in with you and your tenants through tenancy to ensure things are running smooth, interest to renew, and all renewal lease documents. 

As a reminder - Our brokerage, JR Associates, is a full-service real estate brokerage. We handle sales, leasing, architectural design services, general contraction and construction services. We've been in business for over 20 years and have a collective industry experience of almost 90 years across our team of experts. We are generalists in the industry which has allowed us to transact across every asset class giving us a breath of experience in all forms of real estate, design and build. 

We look forward to educating you on the new changes in the rental sector and how we can help you best position yourself to secure high quality tenants at great prices.