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Interviewing Real Estate Agents,
Part 1: The Basics
This two-part
series outlines ten questions you should ask every agent that you
interview. Although there certainly are other questions you should ask,
these ten questions—and your prospective agents’ answers—will help you
narrow your choice down to the one best agent for you.
First, let’s
look at the basic questions about the agent’s experience, knowledge,
background, and track record:
1) “How
long have you been a licensed agent?”
Some people prefer an agent with tons of experience who is familiar with
every type of situation, while other people prefer a newer agent who may
be more of a go-getter and who is looking to make a name for themselves.
Of course, length of service is not always an indicator of how good an
agent is, but you’ll want to get a comfort level in terms of experience.
2) “How
accessible are you?”
With the many complexities of the home selling process, you’ll
definitely want a real estate agent who communicates well with you and
will make you feel like you’re their only client. Make sure to ask your
prospective agent what their office hours are, how they can be reached,
and—most importantly—how often they plan on communicating with you. A
good agent will keep you updated on a regular basis, whether there’s
news about your home sale or not.
3) “Are you
a full-time or part-time agent?”
Although you certainly shouldn’t rule out an agent just because they
work part time in real estate, a part-time agent may not be able to
devote enough time to you. If they are part-time, you definitely want to
ask follow-up questions relating to the number of hours they work in
real estate a week and how they juggle their two careers.
4) “What is
your track record in terms of recent homes sold?”
The key to this question is the percentage of listings sold
rather than the total number of homes sold; an agent may have
sold a lot of homes recently, but you want an agent that sells a high
number of their total listings. Don’t be afraid to ask for specific data
about their recent track record.
5) “Could I
get a few recent references from home sellers you’ve worked with?”
Most agents will have a list of references ready for you, but you may
also want to contact other previous clients to get a better picture of
the agent’s abilities. Also, make sure all of the references are recent
clients. With the current housing market being the way it is, you’ll
want to talk to sellers who have experienced the difficult market
conditions firsthand with your potential real estate agent.
In the next
issue, we’ll look at the specifics of your home and how your potential
agent plans to market it. ∆ |
