5 Questions to ask a Realtor BEFORE you Hire Them!
Julia Neal
Positively impact my community by helping my clients have a great experience buying and selling homes!
Next to buying a home, selling a home is one of the most important investments of your life, and you really do want to make sure that the person or team of professionals you choose are really the best for you and your family. Whether your Realtor is a friend of yours, family member, or someone you found online, it is important to ask them the right questions so that you know your investment is in the right hands! Here are just a few of our suggested questions or conversation topics when you interview an agent to sell your home.
Is your Realtor a full-time or part-time agent?
Are you putting your home sale in the hands of someone who may not have a lot of experience? There are over 35,000 licensed real estate agents in the state of Maryland. The average agent sells 4 houses a year. That is one home every season!
Just like any other profession, if you don’t practice your trade or skill frequently, you lose it. It’s the same in Real Estate. Realtors must be on top of local market trends and other niche factors that might not be as obvious. Make sure the Realtor you hire has knowledge of local markets and is not only experienced, but also has experience in the area in which you are buying or selling!
Does your Realtor know your area?
Does your real estate agent know your area and did they do the proper research on the area? In some areas, like Baltimore City for example, one block over in any direction could make a $50,000 price difference. School Zones also make a huge difference when it comes to pricing a house effectively. A school district that is highly desirable may bring in a substantially higher price point. Is your Realtor knowledgeable about these elements and others that could make or break your home sale?
Does your Real Estate professional have a home marketing strategy?
Strategy is everything, starting with your home's staging and photography.
Is your Real Estate professional providing professional photography as part of their commission? Have you ever seen the photos on Zillow or Trulia with the half naked guy taking a picture of his bathroom? Yeah, we all have! It doesn’t help with the overall presentation of your home. Professional photography creates that initial WOW factor to potential home buyers. Make sure that your agent is taking it one step further than the iPhone camera, it's 2017.
Is your Real Estate professional making recommendations on the styling of your house or improvements you should make before putting the for sale sign in the front yard? At a minimum, decluttering of your home should be a major talking point. Buyers want to envision themselves in your home. Don’t make it difficult for them to see the beauty of your home, just because it’s cluttered with too many keepsakes.
Is your Real Estate professional promoting and advertising your home, or are they just taking photos and putting the for sale sign in the ground? Do they have a presence on social media? Are they in contact with other real estate professionals who may have buyers looking for your particular home? You want to make sure your Realtor has a plan to market your home to potential home buyers.
Does your Realtor have a communication strategy?
Communication is huge. The lack of it is usually the biggest complaint we hear from our clients. Whether you have experienced it first hand, or dread to even think about a lack of communication, have a plan or strategy already sought out. Your Realtor should have heavy communication with you (the client), other real estate professionals involved in the transaction, the lender, settlement agent, or anyone else who is making the transaction go through. It matters. No one should be left in the dark.
For example, if you are listing your home for sale, showings happen, and those agents leave feedback. We want to communicate what others are thinking about the house. Is the price too high? Is there an odor? Do they love the updates, but don’t like the neighborhood? These are all valid pieces of information, and if your agent isn't sharing them with you how will you and your Realtor team make productive updates and changes to get your home sold in a timely fashion?
Does your Realtor have any reviews?
In today’s day and age, technology allows us to research anything and everything before making a commitment. The Real Estate industry is no different, and you should be able to view many reviews of the Realtor you are interviewing to sell your home.
When it comes to the most expensive purchase or sale of your life, why wouldn't you spend some time researching on your own? It’s important to see what past clients have to say regarding their experience and services provided.