Listing Agent Interview Guide
Many people think that all real estate agents do the same things to sell homes.
This could not be further from the truth!
Interviewing an agent is not something you should take lightly. Your home is one of the biggest financial transactions that you will ever make. You owe it to yourself to hire someone that will treat it that way.
There are many questions that you might want to ask a listing agent, and whatever those may be, you should not hesitate to ask them. A good agent should be willing to take the time to answer any of your questions so that you can feel confident in the person you are hiring.
No matter what you choose to ask a potential listing agent, the questions below should be included in your interview in some form or another. In many cases, you will find that the best agents will answer most of these questions before you even ask them.
In the end, remember that the best indication for whether an agent is a good fit for you boils down to one simple thing – your gut! No matter how great the agent may be, never let credentials or experience take precedence over whether you feel like an agent is trustworthy and someone that you can have a good working relationship with.
You can download this guide, including the interview Evaluation forms using the link!
here are the questions you should be asking a potential listing agent:
1. HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SELLING REAL ESTATE?
Experience is very helpful but doesn’t necessarily mean that a newer agent couldn’t be a rising superstar. This question is really more about creating an opportunity for you to gauge their negotiating and sales skills. A good agent, regardless of how much experience they have, will recognize this question as an opportunity to demonstrate these skills in their response.
2. DO YOU LIVE AND WORK IN THE COMMUNITY?
While it is certainly not a requirement that your Listing Agent live in the same town as you, this question opens the door to gaining insight into how familiar the agent is with the market in which your home is located. This is crucial for both pricing your home right and whether the agent will be available when needed. If an agent has to drive 45 minutes to collect your signature on a form or do an open house, that might not be ideal, no matter how well they know the market.
3. OF THE HOMES YOU SOLD LAST YEAR, WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF DAYS FROM THE ORIGINAL LIST PRICE TO THE ACCEPTED OFFER?
This is a very important statistic because it speaks to how well the agent did their job from day one when they recommended a list price to a client. Don’t get caught with an agent that gives you an inflated home value just to get your business. “Buying a listing” is a very common tactic that agents do when competing with other agents. Homes that are priced right from the onset will sell in just about any market.
4. WHAT WAS THE AVERAGE RATIO BETWEEN THE LISTING PRICE AND THE FINAL SELLING PRICE?
This question boils down to two things; An agent’s ability to price a home correctly from day one and the agent’s negotiating skills.
5. WHAT KIND OF MARKET SHARE DO YOU AND YOUR COMPANY HAVE?
Everyone can rattle off the real estate signs they see most often when they drive around their town. While it’s not imperative that your agent have the #1 market share in the region, remember that brokerages with more market share have it for a reason.
6. DO YOU HAVE AN ADMINISTRATOR OR PERSONAL ASSISTANT?
Busy agents can have a hard time doing everything well on their own. When an agent invests in their business to hire a personal assistant you know they care about personal service. An agent can’t be in two places at once so an investment in a helping hand and great teamwork speaks volumes about a skilled agent. You should also find out how you will interact with an agent’s support staff and to what extent.
7. TELL ME ABOUT THE LAST THREE HOMES YOU SOLD.
Any agent will be able to provide you with references that you can get in touch with. But beware, they are going to want to provide you with a hand-picked list of people that they know will say wonderful things about them. So instead, ask the agent for the last three homes they sold and look up the owner’s names and try to call them yourself. This will give you a better understanding of the client’s real satisfaction level.
8. HOW WILL YOU MARKET MY PROPERTY?
This is probably one of the most necessary interview questions you ask the agent! You want to align yourself with an agent that has a strong understanding of marketing. Any marketing strategy should include both print and online advertising, regular open houses and a system for measuring and reporting the results of these marketing activities you.
9. DO YOU USE SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING IN YOUR BUSINESS?
Social media is an incredibly powerful tool for marketing real estate. Your agent should have a solid social media presence and a marketing plan that includes social media marketing.
10. WILL YOU BE USING VIDEO AND VIRTUAL TOURS TO MARKET MY HOME?
Buyers love to see a video tour of a property they may be interested in viewing. A video tour can be especially helpful to a relocation buyer. Virtual Tours are gaining in popularity every day and can provide a unique marketing opportunity for your home.
11. DO YOU HAVE A PROFESSIONAL REAL ESTATE PHOTOGRAPHER?
There is nothing more off-putting to potential buyers than poor photos of your home. Your agent should have a professional photographer. In addition, your agent should be paying for this expense. An agent unwilling to spend $200 on proper photos should raise a red flag.
12. CAN YOU SHOW ME HOW TO MAKE MY HOME MORE MARKETABLE?
An agent should be able to give you some simple advice on how to make your home as presentable as possible. Things like whether or not it would be worthwhile to make an improvement or properly staging a home for sale. The general rule on improvements is to make them when they are really going to enhance the marketability or give a significant return on the money spent.
13. WHEN A BUYER INQUIRES ABOUT MY HOME WILL YOU BE THE ONE THEY COMMUNICATE WITH?
It makes sense that the agent you hire is the one who has direct communication with the buyer when an inquiry is made. At many Real Estate offices this is not always the case. Often times there is an agent who answers the phone on a particular day and they get the buyer lead. This is not ideal if the agent has never seen your home before and the buyer is asking specific questions about the property.
14. HOW WILL YOU COMMUNICATE WITH ME REGARDING YOUR EFFORTS?
One of the biggest complaints nationally towards agents is a lack of communication. You will want to find out how the agent will keep in contact with you and how they will update you about their marketing efforts. Additionally, an agent should be flexible and communicate in the manner the client desires. Above all else there should be regular communication.
15. DO YOU HAVE A FEEDBACK SYSTEM FOR LISTINGS AND IF SO, HOW DOES IT WORK?
One of the most important insights you will get when selling our home will be feedback from potential buyers. The agent you hire should be prepared to call the buyer’s agent after the showing to find out if the buyer has any interest and if not what their impression were both positive and negative.
16. HOW READILY ACCESSIBLE WILL YOU BE? IF I CALL/EMAIL, WHEN CAN I EXPECT A RESPONSE?
Real Estate is a business that people should be able to reach the person they hired to sell their home. It’s impossible for an agent to be available 24/7, but if you attempt to reach out to your agent and leave a voicemail or send an email, your agent should be able to give you a reasonable timeframe that you can expect a response.
17. ONCE THE OFFER IS ACCEPTED WILL YOU BE ATTENDING THE INSPECTIONS ON MY HOME?
A full-service agent should be at the home inspection, bank appraisal, etc. You are paying this person a lot of money. Make sure they earn it! They have a fiduciary responsibility to you and as such, they should be present for major events such as these.
18. HOW WILL YOU VERIFY THAT THE BUYER IS QUALIFIED TO PURCHASE MY HOME?
The agent should be checking that the buyer is qualified by making sure that there is a legitimate pre-approval letter accompanying the offer and speaking with the buyer’s lender. Under no circumstances should you accept a pre-qualification letter instead of a pre-approval letter. There is a huge difference! A pre-qualification letter tells you very little about the buyer’s ability to get a loan.
19. HOW MUCH DO YOU CHARGE TO SELL MY HOME AND WHY?
Contrary to popular belief, there is no universally-accepted amount or percentage that all agents charge for their services. However, no matter the amount, an agent should be able to explain why they charge that amount and how that amount is split up amongst parties. As the seller, you are traditionally paying the commission of the buyer’s agent as well, which is part of the fees charged by your listing agent. Just remember, whatever the fee charged, only a portion of that money actually goes to your listing agent.
20. WILL YOU ALLOW ME TO TERMINATE THE LISTING CONTRACT IF I AM NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED?
An agent that is confident they will get the job done should have no problem agreeing to terminate a listing agreement with a client who is unhappy with their services.
21. ARE YOU A MEMBER OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATE OF REALTORS®?
A real estate agent is someone licensed to buy or sell real property in their state. A REALTOR® is a real estate professional who is member of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics, designed to ensure that the interests of the client are always placed above all else. If your agent isn’t a REALTOR® you might want to ask why.
22. WHY ARE YOU THE BEST PERSON TO SELL MY HOME?
If an agent can’t answer this question succinctly, it’s time to move on.