Questions to ask when hiring a real estate agent.
There are several very good questions that you should ask any real estate professional before you consider hiring them to sell your home. The responses to these questions will give you loads of insight about the real estate professional you are interviewing, the company they work with, and what they are going to do for you. In my opinion, there isn't one single question that will give you clarity, but rather the sum of all answers given that provide a good overview of the real estate professional you are interviewing. You will probably find certain questions here that are more important to you than the others. If the tally between a couple of agents is close, you might want to review how they scored on those specific questions. If one real estate agent has scored higher than all of the others, hire them. It's that easy
Rate each answer given 1-10 with 10 being perfect.
____ 1. How long have you been in the real estate industry? This question should give you a good idea of how knowledgeable an agent is about the real estate market and if they know how to sell homes. Generally, inexperienced and inactive agents will wash out of real estate sales within two years. Conversely, some of the real estate agents who have been around for 15+ years are not keeping up with new sales techniques. These agents might be unsure how to utilize the technology and tools that are available to them in today's real estate market.
____ 2. What are the top 3-4 things that separate you from other real estate agents? This question is pretty easy to analyze by yourself; either you like their answers or you don't. You might be asking yourself, "What if they don't give me at least three?" Answer - Don't hire them.
____ 3. Why have you chosen to work with ________ Realty? Most real estate professionals have a very profound reason for choosing their specific real estate company, money. The question for you is, "What does your real estate company have to offer me?" Every real estate professional should have several good reasons why their real estate company is better for you than all the others. You decide if you want what they're selling.
____ 4. How are you going to market my home? If the real estate agent you're interviewing is stumbling on this question, Run Forrest RUuuuunnnnn....
____ 5. How many homes have you sold this year? If they haven't sold at least 6 in the last calendar year, what's the problem? If they have sold more than 52, do they have the time to give you the attention you need?
____ 6. Do you work with other people who can help me sell my home? It is highly advantageous for your real estate professional to have some professional contacts who can help you stage, update, or repair your home. You've seen the shows on T.V. Can your real estate agent do that?
____ 7. How many homes have sold in this area recently? You have to make sure that your potential real estate agent knows the market in which they are going to be working. This should also include list/sold ratios, days on market, and average sales prices for homes.
____ 8. Can I contact some of your past clients? This works real well if you use the third and fourth persons on their list. Reason being - Most real estate agents realize that a potential client might call one or two people they provide. With that in mind, most all real estate agents will give you their best references on the top. Once you get down a little ways on their list, you might get a little more candor in the responses to your questions.
____ 9. How much do you charge? Chew on this thought for awhile - REAL ESTATE COMMISSIONS ARE NEGOTIABLE. You might want to start negotiating early to try and get yourself some lower closing costs. Think about it - the real estate agent you're interviewing is now negotiating their own money. If they aren't very good at negotiating for themselves, how good are they going to negotiate for you when it's your money at stake?
____ 10. Can I review your contracts before I sign them? Give yourself a chance to review the information that you have gathered about the real estate agents you have interviewed. Don't let a savvy salesperson force you into making a hasty decision.
____ 11. Go with your gut. Sometimes it's best to just go with what you believe is true. If you feel like you have a connection with the real estate professional you are interviewing, you might want to seriously consider hiring them. Maybe at the expense of experience, knowledge, and sales history... or maybe not.
TOTAL SCORE: ___________
I look forward to any of your questions, comments, or concerns regarding hiring a real estate professional, please post them here for answers and review.
Jason Tangen
www.stcloudedina.com/blog - REAL ANSWERS for REAL ESTATE in St. Cloud, MN
