If you’re buying or selling a home, you’re probably going to be working through a real estate agent. While these agents can be excellent allies when trying to navigate the complicated world of real estate, you should make sure that whoever you’re working with is also working for you to the best of their capacity. Here are some questions to ask your potential realtor to gauge how helpful they’ll be at finding you a new home or a buyer for the one you own.
1) What’s your ratio? The first thing you should ask any agent is what their list-to-sale price ratio is. This is one of the most common statistics for a realtor to monitor, and any agent with a good ratio of keeping buyers high and talking sellers down will be happy to tell you. If they try to avoid the question, this is your first hint that things might not work out.
2) What makes you different? This is an age-old question, but a good agent should still be able to come up with a creative answer. Not only will their response let you gauge their strengths and weaknesses, but you’ll get a good feel for their compatibility with your needs too.
3) How often do you hold open houses? If you’re selling your home or real estate investment, then hosting open houses should be a top priority. A good agent will know that every listing should be accompanied by several open houses, and they should be enthusiastic about hosting them. If they tell you otherwise, they might just not want to put forth the effort.
4) How do you advertise? These days, it’s not enough just to list your house in the newspaper and expect it to sell. With so many real estate listings available online, you need an agent who knows the digital frontier as well as they do the neighborhood.
If you make sure to ask these questions when interviewing your real estate agent, picking the right one for you should be quick and easy. Don’t worry about asking them how long they’ve been in the business. Experience doesn’t necessarily mean success, and if they answer all your other questions in the right way, it should be a non-issue.
