Critical Questions to Ask A REALTOR® Before You List

Because Finding the Right Real Estate Agent Can Make All the Difference in the Success or Failure of Your Home Sale. Selling a home involves many critical and personal decisions. However, one of the most important decisions is the first decision you need to make—a decision that impacts your entire home sale:

Which real estate agent should you work with?

Unfortunately, many people make this decision based on the idea that all real estate agents are basically the same. They are not. There are vast differences in experience, knowledge and expertise. This information is designed to help you avoid that mistake by equipping you with what to look for in selecting your agent.

Here are the questions you should ask each agent…

“Could you send me some information about yourself?”

You can often get a good idea of which agents are most professional and most committed by looking at their personal marketing materials—brochures, direct mail, listing presentation book, etc. Are the materials they presented professional?

If not, you might ask yourself, “If they don’t have the wherewithal to properly market themselves, how will they market my home?”

“How do you approach your work?”

What you should be looking for, first and foremost, is an honest and knowledgeable individual, who works full-time, represents a solid and reputable real estate agency, and will treat your best interests as paramount. Length of time in the business, track record of success, previous experience, expertise in and knowledge of the local real estate market—all of these are factors to consider. While the right agent to market your home may not be number one in every aspect, you want to make sure that the person you hire is a well-rounded individual whom you can trust and respect as a professional.

“How many homes have you listed in the past six and/or 12 months?”

Look for an agent who is active in your area and has experience dealing with homes and situations like yours. This is especially critical if your home or transaction has special features or terms that may make it more challenging than the typical home sale.

“How many homes have you sold in the last six months?”

Beware of agents who simply gather listings and let them sit and wait for someone else to sell them. Your agent should have a good track record getting homes sold, which is, after all, your ultimate goal.

“What is the average length of time your listings are on the market?”

You may automatically assume the shorter time on the market, the better. But take note:

If an average length of time on the market is significantly faster than the average for homes in the area, is it because this agent is more effective or because he or she likes to low-ball the asking price in order to get homes sold more quickly?

Also, take a look at what the original asking prices are for homes the agent lists versus what the homes finally sell for. This “swing” number will tell you how effective the agent is at helping clients determine the right asking price and doing what it takes to help them get it.

“How long have you been in the business?”

Depending on the agent’s background and track record, there is no hard and fast rule for what to look for here. An agent may have been a licensed real estate professional for 15 years, but only selling part-time and never really an active seller—maybe only handling one or two transactions per year.

Whereas another agent may have only just become licensed one or two years ago, but has a background in real estate finance, worked in real estate law for a number of years or has been a private real estate investor and has bought and sold more than 20 homes himself in the last 10 years.

Either way, you need to find someone who has an in-depth knowledge of the legal ins and outs of the business as well as the characteristics of the local market, and has demonstrated competence and professionalism in getting homes sold.

“What marketing approach will you use for my home?”

Despite having the same basic marketing tools at their disposal—Multiple Listing Service, company tours, Board of REALTORS® tours, fliers and brochures, for sale signs, MLS lock boxes, public open houses, advertising, direct mail and personal networking—every real estate professional has a different marketing strategy.

Learn each agent’s marketing philosophy, and determine what will work for you. Make sure the agent you choose doesn’t rely on the same marketing tool for every sale. What worked for yesterday’s seller may not get the results you want. The key is to find an agent who will use all the tools available to your best advantage.

“What is your advertising plan for my home?”

Most people believe that advertising a home in the newspaper is the way a home gets sold. Unfortunately, this is simply not the case. The truth is: Good real estate agents sell homes. And they do this through their own personal advertising, networking, skill, and creative advertising online methods that give potential buyers 24-hour access to information about your home.

Don’t be concerned with traditional methods of advertising houses. Make sure your agent uses innovative, cutting edge methods that make your home stand out from the rest.

“How else will the property be exposed to other agents?”

Exposure is the key to any home sale. In many cases your home will be sold because another agent knows a buyer who is looking for a home like yours. Beyond simply listing your home in the MLS, your agent should be using a wide variety of techniques to let those other agents know about your home and keep them aware of it until it is sold.

“Are you going to help me in staging my home?”

Preparing a property for sale, or “staging” it, is very important in maximizing the value and minimizing the time on the market. If a prospective agent does not mention this aspect of the sale on his own during the listing presentation, he probably has no plan to offer this service to you.

Or he may be afraid of bringing it up for fear of offending you by telling you about negative aspects of your home that should be changed—or positives that need to be highlighted—to increase its appeal to potential buyers.

A confident and competent agent will find ways of broaching the subject and let you know of specific ideas—beyond baking bread and putting out fresh flowers for open houses—to make your home more salable.

“What will you do to keep me informed?”

Do you want weekly, daily or hourly reports from your agent? Are you comfortable with emails, phone calls, or do you want to discuss matters in person or by Zoom conferences? Determine how much communication you want, then find an agent who will give you the attention and time you deserve.

“What listing price do you recommend for my home and what is that price based on?”

Pricing your home is the most critical step to selling it, and you should choose a REALTOR® who has the knowledge to price your home wisely.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

Don’t go with a “yes man” who will promise a high price in order to get your listing—your home may languish on the market.

Don’t let an agent talk you into an artificially low price designed simply to sell as fast as possible.

Do have each agent justify the price through comparable properties and facts about the market.

The selling price should attract prospective buyers to your home, get you top dollar in the current market and reflect the condition of your house. Be realistic. A good REALTOR® will be honest with you about the value of your home and have the cold, hard facts to justify that value—both to you and to prospective buyers.

“Can you provide me with further resources that I may need?”

Most agents work with a team of professionals in many fields, including title, escrow, mortgage, home inspection, pest control, carpet cleaning, etc. While you are not obligated to work with an agent’s team, often you may find it is the optimum way to go.

The best agents have built strong relationships with their “teams,” and can often get expedient service or be able to “-cash in a favor” for your transaction should a crunch or problem arise.

“Can you give me some references from other clients you have worked with?”

Don’t be afraid to ask for references. This is not confidential information, even though many sellers would never think to ask for it. Real estate transactions are a matter of public record, and if you want to take the time to go down to the courthouse, you could compile your own list.

However, any agent who provides good service and is proud of his or her work will be happy to provide references. If possible, contact a few of these references directly. Check to see how well the situations described by these previous clients fit your situation, particularly if you have a complex transaction or special circumstance that requires specific expertise.

What’s the best way for me to get in touch with you?”

You should know exactly how to get through to your agent, when you have a simple question, or a major concern. Whether by phone, email, Zoom Conference, or in person (safely socially distanced), have an agreed upon process for communicating with your agent.

Your agent should not only provide you with prompt responses to your calls, but also should have a step-by-step plan regarding how he or she will keep you informed about the status of your home sale, including daily, weekly or monthly written reports on the actions that have been taken to sell your home and the resulting response from prospective buyers and other agents.

Please feel free to call me if you would like further explanation on any of these topics, or if you have any real estate questions at all. I simply see my mission as striving to be as helpful as I possibly can to area home owners. I hope this information has been helpful.