What to ask your Real Estate Agent?

It does not mean how long a broker has been in the business. Instead, similar questions will help you understand how well they know the industry, market, and property. Ask them what they have sold in their area in the last three or six months, the price, and after how long. Again ask, “What are the prices of comparable properties?”

You can also ask how often they have had to reduce a property’s price to make a sale because the best agent will not agree to market a property if they consider it overpriced. An experienced agent should have all this information at their fingertips and back it all up with data. They should have to be multi-tasking and understand the market. Also, don’t be deceived by a pitch that has a celebrity agent may have helped. That has no merit for your sale. You have to know what they can do for you.

Tell the agent which method you use to communicate: phone, text, or email. Note: texting is not the better option for any critical, legal-related communication. Ask your agent if they can commit to a regular schedule of detailed written marketing and activity reports (every two weeks is a reasonable expectation).

Be sure that they can easily reach you when you have questions or need an update.
Also, ask them to have a skilled colleague to cover for them if they are ever unavailable. Make sure that they will never let anyone view the property unless they or their representative is present.

The standard commission rate is 6% for real estate brokers, usually split between the sales agent and the buyer’s agent. Although it first goes to the listing agent, the agent personally receives a cut between 60% and 90% of that commission. However, the commission’s amount is never set in stone, and there may be room for negotiation.

Ask about the budget, and be clear about which sales-related expenditures will come out of the broker’s commission and what they will pay to themselves.

Don’t overlook this one. Be sure to get the names of their recent clients. It is always helpful for the agent to have a page or two of quotes from clients for the first meeting, but don’t rely solely on that. Make the calls.

That doesn’t mean that you want to know how many friends the broker has on Facebook. Instead, it means that you care how well connected they are within their firms and in the real estate field.

A seasoned broker will have reliable connections to other real estate-related professionals: real estate lawyers, staging companies, photographers, and even moving companies that you can trust.

You want a defined description of everything the broker will do to put your property “out there.” Does the agent have innovative ideas to prove their work, like blogs or special events, like an invitation-only cocktail party for a select agent and considered buyers? How will they make the property stand out from the field of other stuff a buyer will encounter?

After digital marketing becomes crucial more than 90% of buyers search online for their home. And the agents have them show you sample web listings and be sure that a professional photographer is included the marketing budget. Not a photographer who will shoot ho-hum wide-angle photos, but one who can capture the detail and the critical and exciting aspects of your property. The spectacular view from your balcony, perhaps, or a unique feature of one of the rooms.

Also Read: What is more important than the size or location of a home?