An agent recommended I fix things before listing. How do I tell a real recommendation from an upsell?

A real pre-listing recommendation is tied to something a buyer's inspection would likely flag anyway, while an upsell often pushes a larger, more expensive project with a vague promise of a bigger sale price. Joel Boss explains the specific reasoning behind every repair suggestion, including what happens if you skip it. Ask any agent to show you comparable sales that support the return on a recommended project before spending money on it.