14 Questions to Ask a REALTOR® (for Buyers and Sellers)
Finding a REALTOR® to work with can be tough - or maybe I should say, finding a REALTOR® you really like and trust to work with can be tough! There’s no shortage of real estate agents out there to work with, but finding one that you genuinely connect with and trust to help you through the home buying or selling process isn’t always easy. I put together a list of some questions to ask a REALTOR® to help you find the perfect one to work with!
I’m going to break this up into three sections (click to jump to each section!):
1. General questions to ask your REALTOR® to find a great agent you connect with
2. Questions to ask a REALTOR® when buying a house
3. Questions to ask a REALTOR® when selling your home
General Questions to Ask Your REALTOR®
1. What is your typical availability/schedule like?
Here’s the thing: I get it. We’re all people with lives outside of work, families we want to spend time with, and activities we want to enjoy. But honestly, as a REALTOR®, it’s important that you work on the weekends or outside the normal business hours, because the home buying/selling process doesn’t stop during those times! (And in reality, weekends are our busiest times!)
Working in real estate isn’t really something you can just turn off for long periods of time. Personally, I try to take half a day off on the weekends for family time - but if clients want to see houses or have questions, I shift that time so I’m available for them.
It can be so frustrating working with other agents who are hard to get in touch with, so I know it’s even more so for home buyers and sellers who can’t contact their own REALTOR®!
2. Are you familiar with the area?
Not that your REALTOR® needs to be a total expert on every neighborhood in town, but if you are looking in a specific area, it’s helpful to have someone who can help point out information about schools, grocery stores and other nearby amenities, public transportation, and more.
3. What should I know about the market right now?
I’m a firm believer that it’s your REALTOR®’s job to educate you about the home buying/selling process and guide you through each step. Part of that is being upfront and setting expectations with you early on in the process.
For example, we’re in a pretty crazy seller’s market (if you’re curious, I just wrote a post about what a seller’s market is and what it means for you here) right now. I won’t sugarcoat it: it’s tough out there for buyers with the market the way that it is. But that just means that it’s important to be honest and define expectations early with clients from the start, so we can create a solid plan to get them into a home that’s right for them.
Going into buying or selling a home, you may not know what’s currently happening in the market (and even if you do, your agent likely has more knowledge that can help you out), so this is a great question to ask your REALTOR® from the beginning!
Questions to Ask a REALTOR® When Buying a House
1. What’s your opinion of the asking price?
Your REALTOR® should conduct a CMA (comparative market analysis) of the home you’re interested in to get a complete picture of how accurate the seller’s asking price is. Although it’s not uncommon for homes to sell for over list price in the current market, it’s still good to get an accurate idea of the home’s market value before you go in.
2. Is there an HOA?
This may not be a big deal to some buyers, but it’s still a good question to ask! Whether or not the neighborhood a home is in has an HOA can mean that there are specific rules and regulations you would have to follow and maintain as a homeowner there, so it’s an important answer to have before you commit to buying there.
3. How do we present a strong offer to the sellers?
In today’s seller’s market, having a plan for writing strong offers is more important than ever! A good REALTOR® should have a plan for how to strengthen your offer to put your best foot forward in competitive offer situations.
4. What happens if something comes up in the home inspection?
This is a common concern for buyers, so it’s important to ask your REALTOR® what would happen in the event something came up in the home inspection, as well as what that would mean for you and what options you would have.
5. What do we do if the house appraises for under/over our offer?
This can be another concern, but even in the event that the house you’re in the process of buying appraises for under or over your offer price, that doesn’t mean you’re out of options! There’s usually some negotiating that needs to happen in either of these situations. Ask your REALTOR® what they recommend doing if this happens.
6. What are closing costs, and how much are they?
This is a great question to ask your REALTOR® when buying a house so you have an accurate idea of how much closing costs on a particular house would be. Your agent should be able to give you a netsheet for closing costs that break down what expenses you would pay, and how much, for a specific home.
Questions to Ask a REALTOR® When Selling
1. How did you come up with the listing price?
For most sellers, the most important factor in selling their home is the listing price. Your REALTOR® should complete a CMA (comparative market analysis) and be willing to go over the data with you to show you what comparable homes in the area have recently sold for, and what that means for the list price of your home.
Keep in mind that a good REALTOR® will be upfront about what they think your home will sell for (with the data to back it up, of course) - even if it might not be exactly what you were hoping to hear. I’ve seen sellers get their hopes up about a list price, and it can be frustrating to them when you have to break the news that that’s probably not a reasonable price to list at. But the thing to consider is that if their home is listed at too high of a price, it will sit on the market - and the longer it sits for, the more potential buyers will think something is wrong with the house, which just turns them off even more.
Long story short: be open to what your REALTOR® has to say (and show you to back it up) when they come up with the listing price for your home, but it’s okay to ask questions to see how they arrived at that price, too!
2. What’s your marketing plan?
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: selling a home is a lot more than just sticking a sign in the ground and calling it good! Your REALTOR® should come prepared to share their marketing plan with you that details how they’re going to get exposure to your home, attract qualified buyers, and sell for the most money possible. Generally, this is part of a listing appointment, but is a good question to ask your REALTOR® as early on as you want!
3. How should I prepare to sell my house?
Your agent should be able to tell you their tips for getting your home ready to list to attract the most buyers. This could look like making cosmetic fixes (such as paint touchups), repairs around the house, or organizational tips to keep your home as neat and tidy as possible for professional listing photos and showings.
(If you want to read more on this topic, I have a post about How to Sell Your House Fast here!)
4. How long do you think it will take to sell?
Of course they can’t guarantee exactly how long it will take to sell your house, but this is still a good question to ask your REALTOR® to get an idea of what a reasonable timeline in the current market is. (For example, in January 2021, the majority of homes here in Las Vegas are selling in 30 days or less.)
5. How much will it cost to sell my home?
Sellers pay different closing costs than buyers do, so it’s important to ask your REALTOR® what you can expect in terms of closing costs and any other fees. Your agent should be able to give you a net proceeds sheet breaking down what you would pay and how much money you would end up with at different sale prices, so that can be helpful to ask for as well!
I know that was a long one, so if you’ve made it this far, thank you for sticking with me through all of this! I hope all of these were helpful to give you an idea of what questions to ask a REALTOR® no matter what situation you’re in. If you have any other questions, or want to know more about the buying and selling process, feel free to send me a message here!
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