Want to know the top questions to ask real estate agents when selling your property? When you sell your home, you want to be supported by the best team possible, so it’s crucial you find a real estate agent that does a fantastic job and understands your needs. Yet, when you’re choosing a real estate agent, how do you separate a great agent from the not-so-great?
Selling your home is one of the most important times in your life, and can also be one of the most stressful. A fabulous real estate agent will support you and act in your best interests at all times to make the process as seamless as possible. They’ll do everything they can to achieve the best price for your property. Real estate agents are born salespeople, so it’s easy for them to avoid tricky questions. But you don’t want to encounter any unexpected surprises when you’re handing over the keys to your property!
So, keep reading to discover the top questions to ask real estate agents you’re interviewing to sell your property.
Question 1: How long have you been working in real estate?
The first question to ask real estate agents that you’re considering is to find out about their experience working in real estate. Sure, some sales skills are transferable, but it takes time to develop a deep knowledge of the real estate industry and understand exactly how to facilitate negotiations with buyers on your behalf.
Experience doesn’t mean everything. You also need an agent who you can build a relationship with, communicate well with, and trust to follow up leads and achieve the best sale price. The ideal agent will be experienced yet still motivated and enthusiastic to sell your home.
Question 2: How well do you know the local area?
When choosing a real estate agent, it makes sense to choose someone who is intimately familiar with the local area. Agents in the area will have the best understanding of price, meaning that they won’t price your home incorrectly. Obviously, this is a critical part of the process. Pricing your home too low means you might sell it for less than it’s worth, while pricing it too high means it may take too long to sell.
Question 3: What do your real estate fees include?
This is arguably one of the most important questions to ask real estate agents! Understanding your agent’s fee structure is the key to avoiding any nasty surprises when you come to sign on the dotted line. These days, some agencies will charge a set commission and then add marketing costs on top of this. Ask to see a full breakdown of any fees so you can compare agents and confirm whether or not you’ll need to cover any additional costs.
Also, keep in mind that it’s not just about the fees! If you find an agent that could potentially sell your home for more, or more quickly, then you could be saving money anyway.
Question 4: What price do you think you can achieve for selling my property?
This is one of the most important questions to ask real estate agents. An agent’s price range for your property can reveal a lot about their knowledge, as well as their selling tactics.
When they provide you with pricing, be sure to ask them exactly why they think it should be priced within that range – because you can bet that prospective buyers will be asking them this, too!
It can be tempting to settle with an agent who is pricing your property higher, but ask yourself how realistic achieving this sale price might be. Speak to different agents and see how their opinions differ.
Question 5: What is your plan for selling my property?
When choosing a real estate agent, ask them what their strategy would be for selling your property. Their plan might vary depending on a few factors, such as the demand for properties in your area, the rarity of the property, and how quickly you need to sell.
The strategy the agent chooses should take into account your needs – and it should show you that they’ve been listening!
So, there you have it! Remember – selling your property can either be a breeze, or it can be a long, stressful journey. Whichever way it goes will be heavily dependent on you choosing a real estate agent that’s up to the task. But that should be super easy if you save this list of questions to ask real estate agents you might be considering.
If you’re ready to sell your property, contact us to start the discussion. The process of preparing your property, taking photographs, and getting your affairs in order can take some time, so the earlier you start, the better!
Or, explore more advice on selling your home to find out everything you need to know to get prepared and achieve the best sale price possible.
