Kim Pellegrino at Cummings & Co. Realtors in Baltimore: A Listing Agent for Federal Hill and Canton
Kim Pellegrino is a listing agent at Cummings & Co. Realtors, a Baltimore-based firm with multiple offices throughout the city and region, operating primarily in residential real estate with a concentration in mid-market and upper-market properties.
What Pellegrino and Cummings & Co. actually do
Listing agents represent home sellers, not buyers. Pellegrino's role is to prepare a property for sale, price it competitively, market it to other agents and the public, show it to prospective buyers, and negotiate offers until closing. Cummings & Co. is one of several large independent brokerages in Baltimore; it competes with national franchises like Keller Williams and Coldwell Banker as well as smaller independent shops. Pellegrino's client base appears concentrated in Federal Hill, Canton, and nearby neighborhoods, where median home prices range from $350,000 to $550,000 depending on block and year.
How listing agents are paid and what to expect from Pellegrino
Listing agents earn commission only when a home sells. The commission is a percentage of the final sale price, typically 5 to 6 percent, split between the listing agent's broker and the buyer's agent's broker. This means Pellegrino earns nothing if the property does not sell, and has financial incentive to price competitively and market aggressively. The listing agent (or the broker) also pays for photography, virtual tours, yard signs, and ads on sites like Zillow and Redfin, so the upfront cost to Pellegrino and her firm is real.
A listing agent should provide a comparative market analysis (CMA), showing recent sales of similar homes in the same neighborhood to justify the asking price. Pellegrino should also help you stage the home for showings, advise on repairs that affect value, and coordinate the legal paperwork and title search with your attorney. The agent does not conduct inspections or appraisals; the buyer's lender does.
How to evaluate Pellegrino against other Baltimore listing agents
Cummings & Co. agents have access to the firm's network of offices and agents, which is useful for reaching buyers who are relocating within the region. A major national franchise like Keller Williams has a larger footprint nationally and more intensive training systems, but that may be overkill for a single-home sale in Baltimore. A small independent agent or boutique team may know your neighborhood better and have established relationships with local contractors and inspectors, but has no backup if the agent becomes unavailable.
The key variable is the agent's track record in your specific neighborhood. Ask Pellegrino for references from three recent sellers in Federal Hill or Canton, and call them to ask whether she priced correctly, communicated regularly, and closed on time. Ask about her average days-on-market (DOM) for listings; in Baltimore's current market, 25 to 35 days is typical for a well-priced home in a desirable neighborhood, and longer DOM often signals overpricing. Request a copy of her CMA to see whether she uses appropriate comps and whether she explains her logic clearly.
Who should work with Pellegrino and who should not
Pellegrino makes sense if you own a home in Federal Hill, Canton, Fell's Point, or another neighborhood where she has demonstrated sales history and local credibility. If your home is in a less-familiar area, ask her directly whether she has sold homes there recently, and if not, whether she will partner with an agent who has. Avoid any agent who promises to "test the market" at an inflated price and lower it later; that strategy wastes time and often costs you money.
Do not hire a listing agent based on a glossy brochure or a personal connection alone. Real estate commissions are large, and the agent's incentives (sell fast at any price) do not always align with yours (sell quickly at the highest price). Evaluate based on neighborhoods, comps, communication, and references.
First contact and logistics
To work with Pellegrino, call Cummings & Co.'s Baltimore office or request a listing consultation through the firm's website. Expect an initial meeting at your home, during which the agent will walk through the property, ask about your timeline and price target, and present a CMA. This meeting is free and non-binding. If you sign a listing agreement, it typically runs 90 days and specifies the commission rate and what the broker will pay for marketing.
Cummings & Co. operates during standard business hours; confirm current office phone numbers and locations before visiting, as office locations and hours in the real estate industry can shift.
Pellegrino is one of many agents in Baltimore, and your choice of agent will likely affect your net proceeds more than any other decision in the sale. Verify track record in your neighborhood before committing.
