So you want to hire a real estate agent to either help you buy a home or sell the one you already have. With so many real estate agents out there, it can be really hard to decide who will help you through the whole process and be the middle man between different people and negotiations, so it isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly. But the big question is, HOW do you know when a particular real estate agent is the right one for you? Keep on reading and we will tell you what you need to ask to help you decide on whether or not to sign that contract.
So you generally want to go over these three sections: general information and getting to know who they are, then understand how they do what they do, whether you’re a seller and you want to understand how they market homes or if you’re a buyer and you want to know how they will go about narrowing down home selections for you, this information is vital to making that decision; and lastly, next steps. After you get all of this information, you can either let them know that you will ponder on the idea and get back to them, or if you like what you hear and you’re ready to start working with them.
GENERAL QUESTIONS
- How long have you been in real estate?
- Do you do real estate full time?
- How will you go about communicating with me about your efforts and how often will we communicate?
- How can you help me?
- What sets you apart from other real estate agents/ Why should I hire you?
- Do you have any testimonial videos or reviews from previous clients?
- How will you negotiate on my behalf?
- Do you work on a team or are you solo?
- Do you specialize in any areas?
- Anything else that I need to know?
FOR THE SELLER
- How long have you been in real estate?
- How will you market my property and ensure that it gets sold? Will you using video and virtual tours?
- What are your realtor fees?
- What are the selling features of my home, and what are the downsides?
- How do you vet a buyer?
- What do I need to do to get my home ready to be sold?
- Have you sold homes in my area before?
- On average, how long are your listings on the market?
FOR THE BUYER
- Do you need a pre-approval before looking at homes?
- How do you go about narrowing down home selections for me to look at?
- How will you negotiate on my behalf if I find the home I want and it already has multiple offers on it?
- How long does it typically take for you to help a buyer close on a home?
- How many buyers have you worked with in the past year?
Now that you have all of these questions to interview a potential real estate agent, get out there and start looking! Buying and/or selling a home can be a long and strenuous process, and you deserve the best of the best to help represent you every step of the way!
