10 Questions to Ask a Realtor

Published 17 September 07 01:08 PM | Rob Johnstone 

Are you selling your home? Have you decided to use an agent? Contact a few. It is important that you find one that is right for you and will be serve your needs. You also want to have someone you are comfortable with as they will be with you during the most important sale of your life.

1. What makes you different? Why should I list my home with you?

You want to sell your home as quickly as possible and for a good price. So are hundreds of others in the city and you need to stand out in the pack. You need someone with experience who will take a unique approach to selling your home.

2. What is your company’s track record and reputation in the market place?

As stated above, you want the person who will sell your home for a good price, and fast. That person is going to be someone who sells A LOT of houses.

3. What are your marketing plans for my home?

Not all homes are created equal and as such, they should not all be marketed the same. Ask them about how much they spend on advertising and where they advertise.

4. What has your company sold in my area?

Agents should come prepared with lists of the sales in the area.

5. Does your Broker control your advertising or do you?

If the brokerage controls the advertising you have more competition for advertising space.

6. On average, when your listings sell, how close is the selling price to the asking price?

This information is available from the Real Estate Board. You want to judge the agent against the performance in his field.

7. On average, how long does it take for your listings to sell?

This information is also available from the Real Estate Board. Again, look at the average and how your agent compares.

8. How many Buyers are you currently working with?

Obviously, the more buyers your agent is working with, the better your chances are of selling your home quickly. A bidding war can sometimes happen on a home that is represented by an agent who has many buyers.

9. Do you have a reference list of clients I could contact?

If they provide you with references, check them.

10. What happens if I’m not happy with the job you are doing to get my home sold?

You want to make sure that the contract cancelable in reasonable circumstance. You also do not want to be locked in for a long period of time. These things can indicate who confident the agent is in selling your home.  

Comment Notification

Subscribe to this post's comments using RSS

Comments

No Comments

Leave a Comment

(required)
(optional)
(required)