Make sure you choose a REALTOR® who will provide outstanding service and meet your individual needs.
1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is it your full-time job? While experience is no guarantee of skill, it does provide a higher level of knowledge.
2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as e-Pro® and CRS®, which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training, are held only by about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.
3. How many homes did you and your real estate brokerage sell last year? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the agent has.
4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market? The REALTOR® you interview should have these facts on hand, and be able to present market statistics from the local MLS to provide a comparison.
5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices? This is one indication of how skilled the REALTOR® is at pricing homes. Of course, other factors also may be at play, including whether it’s a buyers or sellers market.
6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? Look for someone who has aggressive and innovative approaches, and knows how to market your property competitively on the Internet. Buyers today want information fast, so it’s important that your REALTOR® is responsive.
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 practitioner’s obligations lie. Your REALTOR® should explain his or her agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.
8. Can you recommend service providers who can help me obtain a mortgage, make home repairs, and help with other Real Estate related issues? Agents should generally recommend more than one provider and let you know if they have any special relationship with or receive compensation from any of the providers.
9. 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 and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business emphasis mesh with your own.
10. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? This question you need to ask yourself. Do you want updates twice a week or do you prefer not to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a personal visit? Once you’ve decided on your preference then make sure your agent is aware of your preferred method of contact.
2. What designations do you hold? Designations such as e-Pro® and CRS®, which require that agents take additional, specialized real estate training, are held only by about one-quarter of real estate practitioners.
3. How many homes did you and your real estate brokerage sell last year? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the agent has.
4. How many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to the overall market? The REALTOR® you interview should have these facts on hand, and be able to present market statistics from the local MLS to provide a comparison.
5. How close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale prices? This is one indication of how skilled the REALTOR® is at pricing homes. Of course, other factors also may be at play, including whether it’s a buyers or sellers market.
6. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? Look for someone who has aggressive and innovative approaches, and knows how to market your property competitively on the Internet. Buyers today want information fast, so it’s important that your REALTOR® is responsive.
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 practitioner’s obligations lie. Your REALTOR® should explain his or her agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.
8. Can you recommend service providers who can help me obtain a mortgage, make home repairs, and help with other Real Estate related issues? Agents should generally recommend more than one provider and let you know if they have any special relationship with or receive compensation from any of the providers.
9. 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 and determine how closely the agent’s goals and business emphasis mesh with your own.
10. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? This question you need to ask yourself. Do you want updates twice a week or do you prefer not to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a personal visit? Once you’ve decided on your preference then make sure your agent is aware of your preferred method of contact.
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