Okay, let’s face it, buying or selling a house is probably the biggest financial transaction you’ll ever make so interviewing a real estate agent is the first of many important steps in the process. There are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. That’s a lot of money! And because buying or selling a house is so complicated (hello, paperwork!) and expensive, having a good real estate agent in your corner is a must.

You’re the boss here—and like any good boss, you’ll want to conduct a thorough interview. But what questions should you ask? And how do you know the right answers? We’ve got you covered with the ultimate guide to interviewing a real estate agent!

Questions for Interviewing a Real Estate Agents

❖ Do you work as a full-time Realtor®?
❖ Do you have a team or access to a team to help support your sales and marketing activities?
❖ What area and in what aspect of the market do you specialize?
❖ Do you have a written traditional and electronic marketing plan specifically designed to sell my type and style of property?
❖ How often do you market properties directly to buyers?
❖ How many properties have you personally sold in the last six (6) months?
❖ Will you produce a professional traditional and electronic brochure/flyers of my property with photos that will be disseminated through electronic and traditional media?
❖ What is your system for updating me after you list our property? How often should we expect to hear from you and in what mediums? (e.g. email, text, private web access, traditional mail, phone?)
❖ Does my listing have an automatic expiration date? Is there a minimum time I must list? May I cancel my listing at any time? Is there a cancellation fee? What is the cost?
❖ What software programs do you use to track prospect responses through specific mediums to market my property?
❖ How do you find potential buyers? Do you implement any electronic acquisition, incubation or drip systems to secure buyer leads?
❖ What unique marketing and e-marketing systems, services or techniques will you use to get my property sold?
❖ In what ways do you encourage other real estate colleagues to sell my property? Do you work with affiliates?
❖ Do you provide guidelines for me to help you help sell my property?
❖ How many listings do you currently handle at one time? How many are you currently marketing at this time? What percentages of them sell and in what average time frame?
❖ Do you have a full global Internet marketing plan? Does it include the premium levels of exposure thru multiple global ports?
❖ Do you have a personal website or blog site? Does it include automatic drip systems? What analytics do you implement to track responses?
❖ Do you employ any stealth marketing strategies to secure prospects?
❖ Do you have a permanent E-mail address?
❖ What brand or unique service opportunities do you offer buyers and sellers?
❖ Does your company have a website?
❖ How many website portals will my property be included on?
❖ Do you have a list of references I can call whom have used your services in the past?
❖ What automated communications tool do you use for 24-hour access and service? (Texting for signage? Call Capture Services? QR Programs?)
❖ Do you have a current database of qualified buyers for my property?
❖ Does your website or your company website offer automated services for feedback, activity reports, and updated market analysis information I can secure via an intranet on the web? Market Trend Reports?
❖ What cutting edge electronic programs, tools, systems, or systems will you use to market my property?
❖ Do you employ a tracking system on what marketing strategies are working?
❖ How many showings will I have before we get an offer based on your previous property showing averages?
❖ How often and how shall I respect to hear from you regarding:
➢ Feedback on property showings?
➢ Inquiries from the sign?
➢ Inquiries from Direct Mail?
➢ Inquiries from Marketing?
➢ Inquiries from various web portals?
❖ Do you have any recent specialized accreditations or certifications? What would help sell my property?
❖ What certifications have you earned?
❖ Do you offer the services of a staging professional as part of your service platform?
❖ Do you attend local, state and national REALTOR® meetings?
❖ Do you have a premium marketing plan with editorial and marketing calendar initiatives for high visibility?
❖ Do you use lifestyle marketing tools to profile the lifestyle of my property/area to prospective buyers?
❖ Do you have lead generation systems in place to measure and monitor the lead responses from marketing exposure?
❖ Do you high reflective for sale signs?
❖ Do you have in place strategic partnerships with strategic loan professionals?
❖ Do you have an effective timeline and system to meet TRID and other regulations to effect a smooth and timely closing?

When interviewing an agent, understand what services they offer and what services you are interested in. These questions are designed to help you select an agent that has a strong marketing strategy to get the property SOLD!