Questions to Ask When Choosing a REALTOR®
1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time
job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate, like many other
professions, is mostly learned on the job.
2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as GRI and CRS, which
require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training, are held
by only about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.
3. How many homes did you and your company sell last year?
4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare
to the overall market?
5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final
sale prices?
6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell
my home? Look for someone who has aggressive, innovative approaches, not just
someone who’s going to put a sign in the yard and hope for the best.
7. Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both the buyer and
the seller in the transaction? While it’s usually legal to represent both
parties in a transaction, it’s important to understand where the agent’s
obligations lie. A good agent will explain the agency relationship to you and
describe the rights of each party. It’s also possible to insist that the agent
represent you exclusively.
8. Can you recommend service providers who can assist me in obtaining a
mortgage, making repairs on my home, and other things I need done? Keep in mind
here that agents should generally recommend more than one provider and should
tell you if they receive any compensation from any provider.
9. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office provide to
you? Having resources such as in-house support staff, access to a real estate
attorney, or assistance with technology can help an agent sell your home.
10. What’s your business philosophy? While there’s no right answer to this
question, the response will help you assess what’s important to the agent—fast
sales, service, etc.—and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business
emphasis mesh with your own.
11. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How
frequently? Using what media? Again, this is not a question with a correct
answer, but that one reflects your desires. Do you want updates twice a week or
don’t want to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone,
e-mail, or a personal visit?
12. Could you please give me the names and phone numbers of your three most
recent clients?