How to Interview a Realtor When Selling a Home

Selecting your real estate agent is a critical decision that could have a significant impact on your home sale. A quality agent will be able to identify the fair market value of a property, list it appropriately, and use their marketing and negotiation skills to navigate the sales process.

However, finding a quality agent requires you to interview multiple candidates to find the best fit for the job. 

Here’s how to interview a Realtor when selling a home so you ask the right questions and get the information you need. This information can increase the chances that you have a positive real estate experience and get the maximum value for your property.

Preparation Before the Interview

Hiring the best possible real estate agent starts well before you sit down for interviews. The first step is to review potential candidates whom you want to invite into your home.

Many people turn to friends and family when looking for Realtors. They want recommendations of quality agents who are easy to work with. However, you can also turn to objective sources where there are bigger pools of reviews, comments, and recommendations from clients. 

FastExpert is a great place to start in your real estate agent search. You can read profiles and reach out to candidates who have experience in your neighborhood and with your home type. Learning about the candidates beforehand by reading their profiles can help you find potential good fits before you even schedule interviews. 

No matter who you interview, check their license status to make sure it is active and research any disciplinary actions against the agent. This will alert you to red flags related to unethical behavior. 

Gather Your Thoughts Before the Interviews

Once you have your top candidates to interview, it’s time to get to work. Take some notes about your property and home sale goals so you can confidently answer any questions the agent asks. Here are a few questions to review that can help you communicate your needs to potential agents:

• What are your home’s unique selling points and challenges? 
• What are some recently sold homes in your area that are comparable to yours? 
• How soon do you want to sell your house and move? 
• How do you expect your agent to communicate with you? 
• What services matter most to you? 

Reviewing these questions can help you discuss your property and alert the potential real estate agent to any issues that could slow the home sale. They can also ensure your agent’s work practices align with your professional goals for them.

Essential Questions About Experience and Track Record

Once you have a selection of agents to interview, you can develop a list of questions to ask them. Start with some opening queries that help you learn about their experience, career, and professional goals. Here are a few options to get started: 

• Are you part of the National Association of Realtors (NAR) or any other professional groups? 
• Do you work as a full-time or part-time real estate agent? 
• Do you sell specific property types and have specialized certifications related to those properties? 
• How many transactions have you had? Of those, how many properties have you sold? 
• What percentage of your client base is buyers versus sellers in the past year? 
• How many clients do you manage at once? 
• What is the average time on market for your sales compared to local averages? 
• What is your list price to sale price ratio?

You can also ask about client satisfaction and retention rates to understand what other sellers think about the agent. A good real estate agent should provide you with references you can call or pages with objective reviews that you might not have seen already.

Questions About Marketing Strategy and Approach

Many homeowners invite potential real estate agents into their homes to see the property before listing it. You can host the interview in your living room or another gathering area. This provides an opportunity to identify opportunities and challenges related to the property. Once your listing agent candidates look around, ask them for their ideas on how to market the property. Here are a few questions you can use. 

• What are any potential challenges related to marketing this property? 
• How do you plan to promote the listing so buyers and their agents can find it?
• What social media platforms are you active on?  
• Do you use professional photography, video, and 3D tours? 
• How will you make the house stand out on the multiple listing service? 
• Do you recommend scheduling open houses to attract target buyers? Why or why not?  
• What do you recommend changing about the home before the sale? 
• Do you think the property needs to be staged? 
• What resources do you recommend for property improvements? 

Even if you want to move quickly, your listing agent candidates may have several recommendations to make the house more desirable. These can range from decluttering to investing in landscaping in the front yard. These projects will take time and effort, but they could pay off and help you sell your house faster.

Questions About Your Listing Agent’s Pricing Strategy

The listing price is one of the most important things you can discuss during your interviews. Each real estate agent you meet with should arrive with a comparative market analysis (CMA) that outlines similar homes in your area that have sold recently. The CMA provides an opportunity for each real estate agent to showcase their local market knowledge while explaining how they reached the recommended price point for your home. 

While your agent is reviewing the suggested listing price, ask them how they reached the number, the comparable homes they pulled, and what factors in your home caused them to increase or decrease the price. For example, if your home has an updated kitchen or a pool while the other comparable homes don’t, then you might ask the agent if they recommend listing at a higher price.  

This is also a good opportunity to discuss pricing strategies throughout the real estate transaction. For example, ask your agents what they will do if the home doesn’t sell quickly. Learn when they recommend dropping the price and by how much. Discuss how they will communicate this need with you so all parties are on the same page. 

This is also the right time to discuss what happens if you receive multiple offers. A good agent is happy to share their negotiation strategies to ensure you get the best price for your house. The real estate industry is tough, and the wrong agents can deter buyers or end potential bids. Make sure your listing agent is a good fit and able to encourage more offers so you find the best buyers.

Communication and Availability Questions

Once you have an agreed-upon selling price, you can move forward with learning about the agent’s communication methods to confirm they align with your desires. Here are a few questions to ask your seller’s agent candidates. 

• How do you typically communicate with clients (via text, call, or email)? How would you describe your communication style?
• What is the expected response time for various channels? 
• Are there times when I won’t be able to reach you (like Sunday mornings for church)?
• Will I work directly with you or with another team member (like an assistant)? 
• Is there a backup contact if you are unavailable? 
• How do you handle emergencies? 
• When will I receive feedback following a showing? 
• How will I receive that feedback? 

When asking these questions, state your requirements as a seller. There may be times when you are not available to talk to your listing agent or schedule showings. Discuss the minimal amount of time needed to prepare for showings. It’s not uncommon to request at least 24 hours’ notice before a showing, and a good real estate agent will respect that window.  You can also tell potential agents your preferred communication options so they aren’t calling you when you prefer texts or emails.

Listing Contract Terms and Commission Structure

You will also need to be prepared to discuss the contractual terms related to the real estate transaction. Your real estate agent should provide a sample contract that documents what you agree to when you work with them. This should include the length of the listing contract, the cancellation options if you’re not satisfied, and what happens if you decide not to sell. 

A real estate professional will want you to feel confident about what you are signing. They will discuss each section and what it means for your real estate journey. Feel free to ask questions and get clarification for whatever you need. 

This document should also outline the services provided by the Realtor throughout the selling process. It should highlight their expected marketing plan, any costs for photography services or staging, and the tasks that come standard when working with that Realtor. For example, if you expect your agent to be present for every showing, the inspection, and the closing appointment, the contract should outline those tasks. 

Understanding Agent Commission Structure

Along with reviewing the contract, your Realtor should go over the total expected commission rate and who is expected to pay it. The most common practice in real estate is for the seller to pay the commissions for both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent. This is usually around 6% of the final sales price, where each real estate agent receives 3%. 

You can ask whether these commissions are negotiable, and you might be able to offer 2% or 2.5% for both the listing and buyer’s agent. However, some potential Realtors might walk away from the job if they don’t feel like they are getting paid enough. 

Confirm that there aren’t any other fees associated with the home sale beyond the expected commissions. If so, these fees should be mentioned in the listing agreement.

Red Flags to Watch For During the Interview

Interviewing multiple candidates can help you find the right real estate agent while also avoiding low-quality Realtors that exhibit multiple red flags. If this is your first time selling a home (or if it has been several years since you last worked with a Realtor), here are some warning signs that your candidate is not a good fit. 

• They make unrealistic promises about the home sale. This could include an unbelievably high selling price, aggressive timelines, and other guarantees that are actually out of their control. 
• They try to pressure you into hiring them. They use pressure tactics to win the job, rush you into making a decision, and don’t want to go over the listing agreement. You should never feel forced to work with someone. 
• You have concerns about their professionalism. The Realtor is hard to reach, and scheduling an interview is difficult. They did not show up prepared and aren’t familiar with your real estate market.  
• They provide a generic approach to the home sale. Every house is unique, and your Realtor should outline specific strategies to market your home. They should prove that they thought about your house before they arrived to see it. 
• Their work is a mismatch with your needs. Not every homeowner wants to hire a part-time real estate agent with limited availability. You also might decide against hiring a Realtor who lacks experience with your neighborhood, property type, or price range. This doesn’t mean they’re a bad agent, just a bad fit for your home sale.

Also, consider the personality fit of the Realtor. The right real estate agent might surprise you with their preparedness and charm.

Evaluating References and Past Client Experiences

After the interview is complete, take the next steps and contact the references your potential real estate agent provided. Have a list of questions prepared for these previous clients to confirm that your candidate is a good agent. Here are a few things you can bring up. 

• Do you feel like the marketing plan helped sell your house effectively? 
• Did the agent set the right listing price for your home? 
• What was it like working with the Realtor? Was it a positive experience? 
• Do you feel like you had a successful home sale? 

You can also verify these answers by looking at the actual listing photos and marketing examples from past clients. These should be easy to find through an agent’s online presence and any resources your candidates provide. This research will verify the information provided by the referred clients. 

The right agent isn’t the perfect fit for every client. A Realtor who was an excellent buyer’s agent might not be ideal to sell your house. Discussing the sales process with other clients can confirm that a Realtor is a good choice or help you decide to work with someone else.

Why Interviewing Multiple Real Estate Agents Matters

There are several reasons to evaluate at least three candidates before hiring a real estate professional. Not only do you want to hire someone who has a proven track record and who can set a reasonable listing price, but you also need to find a Realtor who is a good personal fit for the job. You will likely speak with this person daily until your home sales, and you need to get along in a professional capacity.

Too often, sellers hire a Realtor because of a referral without formally vetting the agent for their experience. Some sellers don’t even read online reviews if the referral came from a trusted friend or family member. However, this is a risky move. You might end up hiring a Realtor who is not familiar with your home type or who doesn’t know how to attract potential buyers to your neighborhood.

There are many real estate agents to choose from in your area. Find the best one who can set a competitive listing price, develop a clear marketing plan, and bring prospective buyers into your home.

Find a Good Agent to Streamline the Home Sale

Once you have the right Realtor on your side, you can move forward with the sales process. You can start staging, photographing, and marketing the home. If you are ever unhappy with your agent, bring up your concerns. Provide clear feedback to your agent and offer solutions that will drive better results. Most Realtors will be flexible to their clients’ needs. If you discover that your agent isn’t a good fit, you can review the cancellation clauses in your contract and consider switching Realtors to someone better.

If you’re just starting the home sale process, turn to FastExpert. This is a great place to find Realtors who are on top of current market trends and who are ready to work with home sellers of all backgrounds. Sell your home for the best price with a Realtor you trust. Try FastExpert today.