I want to sell my house and need to interview a few agents - what types of questions should I ask?

Answer 1

All the above answers are good and there are plenty of questions to ask. One that I think is important is hoe long is their average listing on the market. I am sure they can produce documentation that show they typically can sell you home in a certain time frame. If they are averaging 6 months and over you may want a different agent.

Answer 2

There is no need to ask questions of more than 2 agents, either you want their company to sell your house or you don't. They all work the same way and under your directives. If you want a sign in your yard then say so. If you want your ad in a magazine or newspaper then say so. If you want to take your washer and dryer with you, then say so. If you want to stay in the house until it's sold, then say so...Everything is negotiable.

No one can say there is a set commission because it's against the law to say it's set. However if you are a return client or if your relatives have purchased from them, or if your house is quickly salable you might be able to lower the commission a point. And the commission depends on your area as well, what other agents are charging. Remember that any commission is split into 4 and then of the 1/4 your realtor or agent gets she/he has to pay your bills first before they pay their own bills in real estate, before they have any of that as take home income. So in no way are they out to cheat you. The laws are strict for licensees and if something was wrong with them (a cheat, their broker didn't supervise their deals, etc.) they wouldn't have a license any longer.

No need to ask an agent how many homes they have sold as sometimes it's a combined effort, but since it's "their broker" who determines if they will take on your property or not and promote it, it's not all about the agent.

You can tell your agent not to interview anyone (waste your and their time) unless the prospective buyer has already been pre-approved by a bank. You can also ask if you need to be present when the home is shown. These days you have to specifically ask for an open house if you want one. If there is an open house you need to clear out all your important papers and anything that's worth any money from the house so it doesn't get stolen by visitors (sometimes too many visitors come in at once and no one can keep an eye on everyone through all those walls). You need to ask your agent for their cell phone (ask for a business card). Tell your agent if you would accept a "rent to own" situation or a "lease" situation.

An agent, when they come to your home, will do a "real estate presentation" for you....probably takes 15 minutes, then a question and answer session follows. If you are single and selling your home then only you and the agent need to talk. However if there are more names on the mortgage then all of you need to be there to talk with the agent. If you're nervous and can't think, then ask them "what should I ask you?" They will give you the info you should know about them. Choosing an agent is usually done by hearing the info they present, and seeing how relaxed you are with them and the way they work.

I am a licensed RE salesperson/agent.

Answer 3

What specifically will you do to sell my property? How are you going to make certain that interested target buyers find this property?

What do you believe is correct pricing on this property? How do you justify that using recent sales and other available properties in the vicinity? Are you willing to put it in our contract that you will release me from this listing contract if you suggest a price drop? (This prevents the standard trick of promising a high listing price and pressuring you to drop it a couple weeks later).

Asking about experience is often counterproductive. You don't want someone experimenting on their first listing, but the folks with twenty years in the business may be less aggressive than relative newcomers. They may also delegate way too much as they are trying to handle a large volume of transactions and don't have a lot of attention for yours. A Receptionist is good, particularly if it's a large office, but if they talk about "If you need anything, just call my Assistant, Joe (or Jane)" it's a bad sign. You want them to deal with your issues themselves. Even if they turn around and tell Joe to take care of it, that's much better than you have to call Joe and the agent themselves never get into it. It also says that they have the time and desire to stay up to date on their clients issues.

Asking how many properties they've sold may also be counterproductive. Discount brokers were going gangbusters when the market was hot and a monkey could sell the property in a week - but a very large proportion of these sold for a price such that the purchaser could immediately turn around and make a large profit selling. That's money you should have gotten, not the person who buys from you. I love taking my clients to discount broker listings, because if they want it I'm going to get them such a bargain they'll recommend me to every one of their friends and I'll sell many more houses, but the outcome isn't so hot for the sellers.

Answer 4

Selling a house is daunting! In this market, my best advice to you after recently selling a home is to ensure this agent is willing to help you set up the home in such a way that makes it attractive to buyers. That's it! My house sold because the agent got stagers to set up the home. The house looked like a model-home afterwards. This helps you stand above the fold. The agent paid this out of her pocket (it was ~$350). So if your agent doesn't do this I STRONGLY recommend you hire stagers. They don't need to paint or knock down walls. What they will do, is rearrange everything and add some plants, paintings etc.

Answer 5

You really want their marketing plan for your house. Remember, they are getting a percentage, and that percentage is buying you a marketing plan. Does what they say make sense? Do the things they say sound like things you respond to? Think about the kinds of things that attract you? Would you go to an open house? Or would you explore a virtual tour online? The people who buy your house are going to be similar to you or your neighbors, and you need to think about the marketing plan in real, human terms.

Sometimes, you can be too involved with your home to really judge the marketing plan objectively. All the realtor has to say is "I love what you've done with the decorating," and you might agree with everything he/she says. So, have a trusted friend sit in on the presentation. You are hiring someone to market your home, and you should make a very careful decision.

Answer 6

Don't involve an agent! Find a reputable auction company, advise them what will be the minimum price you will settle for and ensure you add their commission on to your selling price. It seems a better idea to have a group of prospective buyers all together as they usually compete with each other which results in pushing up the price. Good luck!

Answer 7

1.does the agent know the specific real estate "area" you live in? does he/she live very far from that area--?
2. can you see the details of the contract? can you make changes or add some conditions!
3. is the contract --exclusive or you can assign a second agent?
4. what are the specifics of the marketing plan -- can you have it in writing, please? how much do they plan to spend?
5. can you "annul the contract" for reason or no reason (both sides) with a 15/30 days notice?
6. all potential visitors/buyers have to have their credit checked before they visit the property.
7. the agent (himself/herself) has to be present -- in all showings of the property. No substitute acceptable.
8. a monthly report -- who visited, advertising, marketing schemes have to be reported to the seller.
9. can you see an initial report of how much similar properties sold/in the same area? what is the suggested sale price of the property?
10. have coffee with the agent and see how you relate to him/to her..on human scale --do give a few calls before and see how she/he responds!
good luck

Answer 8

Don't know. But don't use an agent who takes 3, 4, 0r 6% commission. That is too much money out of your pocket. I strongly recommend Help U Sell. Their commission is 1%.

Answer 9

Why should i hire you as an agent? How much experience do you have? How well do you advertise? How much will this cost total? What is your average successful and unsuccessful sales? How many days would you expect my house to be sold? How would you advertise my house? In your experience, how does my house rate in your terms from a one to ten?

Answer 10

1) what commission do you charge?

2) are you on the MLS service in the area?

3) is there a web site listing service?

4 ) are they affiliated with a national listing network.?

5 ) do you do a free market analysis?

6 ) you you have a handyman available from your agency
to make minor repairs needed to successfuly market
my home, at a reasonable cost?

If yes to all the above, you have found your realtor!

good luck!