Questions to Ask When Choosing a Realtor

Make sure you choose a REALTOR® who will provide top-notch service and meet your unique needs. The questions below are a good starting point for buyers and sellers alike.

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.

How many homes did you and your team sell last year, and how many were buyers/sellers? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the practitioner has.

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. At Nest Realty, we don’t do “Single Agent Dual Agency”.  

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.

How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? Again, this is not a question with a correct answer, but it reflects your desires. Do you want updates twice a week or do you not want to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a personal visit?

Who is your back up?  The wise professional REALTOR® will be proactive about planning for back up.  Find out who is going to assist you if and when your agent is out of town, dealing with a professional or personal emergency or just unavailable for the moment. The Front Porch team is composed of three long time, full time real estate brokers who work in tandem to achieve your real estate goals.  As our client, you will be getting three for the price of one and you will never be handed off a a newly minted agent or an assistant.

Could you please give me the names and phone numbers of your three most recent clients? Ask recent clients if they would work with this REALTOR® again. Find out whether they were pleased with the communication style, follow-up, and work ethic of the REALTOR®.  You can get started reading testimonials from our past clients right now!

Can you recommend service providers who can help me find a lender or  get ready to sell, make home repairs, and help with other things I need done? Because REALTORS® are immersed in the industry, they’re wonderful resources as you seek home improvement companies, and other home service providers. Practitioners 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.

Some Post Content Courtesy of Realtor Mag.