Questions to Ask When
Choosing a REALTOR®
1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? Is
it your full-time job? (While experience is no guarantee of skill,
real estate, like many other professions, is mostly learned on the
job.)
2. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will
you use to sell my home? (Look for someone who has aggressive, innovative
approaches, not just someone who’s going to put a sign in
the yard and hope for the best.)
3. Will you represent me exclusively, or will you represent both
the buyer and the seller in the transaction? (While it’s usually
legal to represent both parties in a transaction, it’s important
to understand where the practitioner’s obligations lie. A
good practitioner will explain the agency relationship to you and
describe the rights of each party. It’s also possible to insist
that the practitioner represent you exclusively.)
4. Can you recommend service providers who can assist me in obtaining
a mortgage, making repairs on my home, and other things I need done?
(Keep in mind here that real estate professionals should generally
recommend more than one provider and should tell you if they receive
any compensation from any provider.)
5. What type of support and supervision does your brokerage office
provide to you? (Having resources, such as in-house support staff,
access to a real estate attorney, or assistance with technology,
can help a real estate professional sell your home.)
6. What’s your business philosophy? (While there’s
no right answer to this question, the response will help you assess
what’s important to the real estate practitioner—fast
sales, service, etc.—and determine how closely the practitioner’s
goals and business emphasis mesh with your own.)
7. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction?
How frequently? Using what media? (Again, this is not a question
with a correct answer, but that one reflects your desires. Do you
want updates twice a week or don’t want to be bothered unless
there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a
personal visit?)
8. Could you please give me the names and phone numbers of your
three most recent clients?
Reprinted from REALTOR® Magazine Online by permission of
the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®. Copyright 2005. All rights
reserved. www.REALTOR.org/realtormag
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