10 Questions to Ask
Your Realtor about
Selling a House
1. Are you a
full-time professional
real estate agent? How
long have you worked
full time in real
estate? How long have
you been representing
buyers? What
professional
designations do you
have?
Knowing whether or not
your agent practices
full time can help you
determine potential
scheduling conflicts and
his or her commitment to
your transaction. As
with any profession, the
number of years a person
has been in the business
does not necessarily
reflect the level of
service you can expect,
but it is a good
starting point for your
discussion. The same
issue can apply to
professional
designations.
2. Do you have a
personal assistant, team
or staff to handle
different parts of the
purchase? What are their
names and how will each
of them help me in my
transaction? How do I
communicate with them?
It is not uncommon for
agents who sell a lot of
houses to hire people to
work with them. As their
businesses grow, they
must be able to deliver
the same or higher
quality service to more
people.
You may want to know who
on the team will take
part in your
transaction, and what
role each person will
play. You may even want
to meet the other team
members before you
decide to work with the
team. If you have a
question about fees on
your closing statement,
who would handle that?
Who will show up to your
closing?
3. Do you have a
Website that will list
my home? Can I have your
URL address? Who
responds to emails and
how quickly? What’s your
email address?
Many buyers prefer to
search online for homes
because it’s available
24 hours a day and can
be done at home. So you
want to make sure your
home is listed online,
either on the agent’s
Website or on their
company’s site. By
searching your agent's
Website you will get a
clear picture of how
much information is
available online.
4. How will you keep
in contact with me
during the selling
process, and how often?
Some agents may email,
fax or call you daily to
tell you that visitors
have toured your home,
while others will keep
in touch weekly. Asking
this question can help
you to reconcile your
needs with your agent's
systems.
5. What do you do
that other agents don't
that ensures I'm getting
top dollar for my home?
What is your average
market time versus other
agents' average market
time?
Marketing skills are
learned, and sometimes a
real estate
professional's unique
method of research and
delivery make the
difference between
whether or not a home
sells quickly. For
example, an agent might
research the
demographics of your
neighborhood and present
you a target market list
for direct marketing
purposes.
6. Will you give me
names of past clients?
Interviewing an agent
can be similar to
interviewing someone to
work in your office.
Contacting references
can be a reliable way
for you to understand
how he or she works, and
whether or not this
style is compatible with
your own.
7. Do you have a
performance guarantee?
If I am not satisfied
with your performance,
can I terminate our
listing agreement?
In the heavily regulated
world of real estate, it
can be difficult for an
agent to offer a
performance guarantee.
If your agent does not
have a guarantee, it
does not mean they are
not committed to high
standards. Typically, he
or she will verbally
outline what you can
expect from their
performance. Keller
Williams® Realty
understands the
importance of win-win
business relationships:
the agent does not
benefit if the client
does not also benefit.
8. How will you get
paid? How are your fees
structured? May I have
that in writing?
In many areas, the
seller pays all agent
commissions. Sometimes,
agents will have other
small fees, such as
administrative or
special service fees,
that are charged to
clients, regardless of
whether they are buying
or selling. Be aware of
the big picture before
you sign any agreements.
Ask for an estimate of
costs from any agent you
contemplate employing.
9. How would you
develop pricing
strategies for our home?
Although location and
condition affect the
selling process, price
is the primary factor in
determining if a home
sells quickly, or at
all. Access to current
property information is
essential, and sometimes
a pre-appraisal will
help. Ask your agent how
they created the market
analysis, and whether
your agent included For
Sale by Owner homes,
foreclosed homes and
bank-owned sales in that
list.
10. What will you do
to sell my home? Who
determines where and
when my home is
marketed/ promoted? Who
pays for your
advertising?
Ask your real estate
agent to present to you
a clear plan of how
marketing and
advertising dollars will
be spent. If there are
other forms of marketing
available but not
specified in the plan
ask who pays for those.
Request samples or case
studies of the types of
marketing strategies
that your agent proposes
(such as Internet
Websites, print
magazines, open houses,
and local publications).
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