10 interview questions to ask a real estate agent or realtor before working with them
1) Can you give me the contact information at least 3 satisfied clients (buyers, if you’re buying and sellers, if you’re selling)
2) Describe the 3 most recent sales you helped clients — you can tell a lot from their recent assistance of other clients
3) What area do you know the best? An honest agent will tell you what they know the best…a less honest or one that’s a little unrealistic will tell you they can help you with anything. Unfortunately, unless they have a large team doing all the real estate data mining & constantly being fed about all the local markets, they are probably out of touch with many of the different areas in the local real estate market.
4) What are some advantages I will get from you other than commission discounts? The agents shouldn’t have to give you a commission discount — they work hard for their money. However, they should prove other intangibles or tangibles like “availability”, “technological experience or savvy” (it helps to be tech savvy these days for efficiency and pure real estate market knowledge), special methods they feel they can secure your needs better than other agents, pure honesty (you need an honest agent most of all — it’s almost impossible to find one that is 100% honest, but most try…it’s just really hard to be all revealing…but the ones that are almost 100% are the rare jewels in the field).
5) Who are you working with right now? Am I the only one(s) you’re working with? Well, it’s good and bad if they’re working with multiple people. It’s good that they are “in demand”, but of course, they may be less available for you. I’d say if they’re working with maybe no more than a 1/2 a dozen clients other than you, you’ll get the attention you need, but if they are working with like 50, I would probably question it. They have to work with multiple clients…because not all clients buy or sell that they are working with or the clients may take forever to buy or sell…and they do need to eat like any other normal person and feed their kids.
6) Ask them for the trends they believe will happen. You can tell if they are blowing smoke or not…if they promise you a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for everything or are too optimistic, they are probably unrealistic…like their real estate practice.
7) Ask them if they have a plan? Are they going to help you in a random manner…are they focused on your needs? Are they just going to just blow in the wind and hope for the best? You have to be organized, have processes and ready to take advantage of the industry — it’s too dynamic not to be.
What are your agents’ other priorities? Let’s be frank on this one. If they have several other businesses, the interests of other teamates, if they do it part-time (almost impossible to do a good job part-time in the real estate business), if they just had a child, are they a board member of a local real state committee, are they on the board of some condo association, etc. They should hopefully be honest with you on their abilities to give you attention beyond their clients.
9) If your agent is newer, don’t penalize them for being relatively new to the business…but make sure they have a mentor. So, ask them if they have additional support beyond their lack of experience. The other reason why you should ask if they have other elements beyond experience is because they’ll most likely have the most energy and motivation to help you in contrast to other agents who have succeeded or have a steady flow of clients. Just make sure they have additional support or advisors in the situations you both will face together. Contracts are tricky. Negotiations are tricky. Obtaining information is definitely something a more experienced agent usually has, but some of the newer professionals have strong abilities to take advantage of what the internet and technology provide many these days in the real estate profession.
10) Do they like what they do? This real estate business is a tough one. They need to love it…that’s why I left the business. I didn’t love it at all times. I believe you need to in order to deal with all the ups and downs — there are many. Ask them are they still as passionate as they were when they first in the business or at least close to it.
Make sure you interview your agent. You have all the right in the world to do so.
Hi Brandon,
Thank you for the very insightful blog! I was trying to reach you through your old email address with regard to the real estate market in your area. We are planning on moving up there this fall and I am in the process of taking my license there. Need advice, possible mentorship etc….not sure what your contact info is today. If you have some time on your hand, drop me a line. Thanks and hope to hear from you soon,
Alexandra