real-estate

Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before Hiring Them: What Good Answers Sound Like

The questions to ask a real estate agent before hiring them, from recent sales and fees to buyer agreements, plus the answers that should make you walk away.

Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before Hiring Them: What Good Answers Sound Like

Most people spend more time comparing refrigerators than comparing real estate agents. They call the name on a yard sign or the friend of a coworker, then sign paperwork after one pleasant conversation. That agent goes on to handle the largest purchase or sale many of them will ever make.

A short interview fixes most of that. Twenty or thirty minutes with two or three agents, a notebook, and the right questions will show you who knows the market, who explains things clearly, and who mostly wants a signature. The questions below are grouped by what they reveal, along with the kind of answer you should hope to hear.

Start With Their Recent Work

A license tells you someone passed an exam. It says nothing about whether they closed a deal in your price range last month. Your first round of questions should pin down what the agent has done lately and where they did it.

Ask for specifics instead of career totals. An agent who says "I've sold over 300 homes" may have done most of that a decade ago in a different market. What you want is a clear picture of the last 12 to 24 months.

How many transactions did you close last year, and on which side?

A part-time agent with three closings a year and a full-time agent with thirty will run your deal differently. Neither number is automatically right, but you should know which one you are hiring. Ask how many of those deals were buyer-side and how many were listings, because the skills overlap less than people assume.

Which neighborhoods and price points do you work most?

Good agents answer this quickly and narrowly. If you are selling a three-bedroom ranch at around $400,000 and the agent mostly handles $1.5M new construction, their pricing instincts may not fit your home. Ask them to name a few streets or subdivisions where they closed recently.

Can I talk to two or three recent clients?

Online reviews help, but a phone call with a past client is harder to fake. Ask the references what went wrong during their deal and how the agent handled it. Every transaction hits a snag somewhere, and that answer tells you more than a five-star rating.

Questions About the Agreement and How They Get Paid

Commission conversations changed after the 2024 National Association of Realtors settlement. Offers of buyer agent compensation are no longer advertised on the MLS, and buyers now sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes. Buyers and sellers both have more room, and more reason, to talk openly about fees.

Plenty of people still feel awkward asking about money. Get past that. The agent will ask detailed questions about your finances, and you are entitled to the same clarity about theirs.

What is your fee, and is it negotiable?

Commissions have always been negotiable, and no law sets a standard rate. Ask the agent to state their fee as a percentage and as an approximate dollar figure at your likely price. On a $450,000 sale, the gap between 2.5% and 3% is about $2,250.

Sellers should also ask whether the agent recommends offering compensation to buyer agents and why. That decision now belongs to you. A thoughtful agent will walk through the tradeoffs instead of treating it as automatic.

How long is the agreement, and how do I get out of it?

Listing agreements often run three to six months, and buyer agreements vary widely. Ask what happens if you are unhappy after 30 days. Some brokerages will release you with short written notice, while others hold you to the full term.

What does the buyer agreement cover?

If you are buying, read the written buyer agreement closely before signing it. It should spell out the compensation amount or rate, the length of the agreement, and the area or property types it covers. Ask what happens if a seller offers less compensation than the agreement promises and who pays the difference.

Questions That Show How They Would Handle Your Deal

This is where agents separate themselves. Anyone can recite sales volume. Fewer can lay out a clear plan for your specific home or search.

Sellers and buyers need different things here, so the questions split below. Listen for answers built around your situation instead of a canned pitch.

For sellers: How would you price my home?

A solid answer draws on recent comparable sales, current competition, and an honest read on condition. Be wary of the agent who quotes the highest number in the room with no data behind it. Overpricing is a common way to win a listing and a common reason homes sit, then sell for less.

For sellers: What is your marketing plan?

Ask what goes into the listing beyond the MLS entry. Strong listing agents bring up professional photography, floor plans, video, pre-listing repairs, and staging advice without being prompted. Ask how they schedule showings and how quickly they pass feedback along to you.

For buyers: How do you find homes before other buyers do?

Good buyer agents watch new listings closely, know the other agents in the area, and sometimes hear about homes before they go public. Ask how fast they can get you into a new listing. When inventory is thin, a same-day showing can decide whether you get a shot at a house.

For buyers: How do you write a competitive offer?

Price is only one lever. Ask how they think about earnest money, inspection terms, appraisal gaps, and closing dates. An agent who can explain those tradeoffs will help you win without giving away protections you need.

Questions About Communication and Availability

Poor communication is the most common complaint people have about their agent. It is also the easiest thing to screen for during an interview.

Ask how they prefer to communicate, how fast they usually respond, and who covers for them on vacation. If they work on a team, ask who you will talk to day to day. Many clients hire a well-known agent and end up working mostly with a teammate they never met.

A simple test helps. Send a follow-up question by text or email after the interview and note how long the reply takes. That response time is often a preview of the whole transaction.

Questions About Local Rules and Paperwork

Disclosure requirements, agency relationships, and even who runs the closing vary by state. Some states rely on attorneys at closing, and others lean on title companies. Some require detailed seller disclosure forms, while others put more of the burden on the buyer to investigate.

Ask the agent to explain the disclosure process where you live and which forms you will see. Also ask about dual agency or designated agency, where one brokerage represents both sides. You want to know ahead of time whether that could happen and what it would mean for your representation.

An agent who explains these rules plainly will probably explain everything else plainly too. You can find more practical guides like this in our real estate advice articles on the blog.

Answers That Should Make You Pause

Some red flags show up in the interview itself. These patterns come up again and again with agents who later disappoint their clients:

• They promise a sale price well above what comparable homes support.
• They cannot name recent deals in your area.
• They dodge questions about fees or push you to sign the same day.
• They talk mostly about themselves and ask little about your goals.
• They are vague about who on their team will handle your file.

None of these alone rules someone out. Two or three together usually do.

Pay attention to who asks you good questions, too. The best agents want to know your timeline, your budget, what worries you, and what a good outcome looks like from your side. If you want a head start on your shortlist, you can compare local professionals in our directory of real estate agents.

How to Compare Agents After the Interviews

Write your notes down the same day, while the conversations are fresh. A simple scorecard works: market knowledge, pricing or offer strategy, fees and terms, communication, and how comfortable you felt asking hard questions.

Then compare the numbers side by side. If one agent suggests a list price $40,000 higher than the other two, ask them to show the comparable sales behind it. The agent with the best-supported answer is usually a better bet than the one with the most flattering number.

Trust matters as much as any statistic. You will share financial details, make fast decisions, and lean on this person during stressful weeks, so pick someone you can talk to honestly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many agents should I interview?

Two or three is usually enough. That gives you a basis for comparing fees, pricing opinions, and communication styles without turning the search into a second job. If the first two feel wrong, keep going.

Is it rude to ask an agent about their commission?

No. Agents talk about fees every day, and since the 2024 settlement, fee discussions are a normal part of signing a listing or buyer agreement. A professional will give you a clear number without getting defensive.

Should I hire a friend or relative who is an agent?

It can work if they are active and experienced in your area. The risk is that pushing back or switching agents gets awkward if things go poorly. Interview them with the same questions you would ask a stranger.

What if I sign with an agent and it isn't working?

Read the termination terms in your agreement first. Many brokerages will release a client or assign a different agent after a written request. Raise concerns early, because a problem at 30 days is easier to fix than one at 90.

Do I need a written agreement before touring homes?

Under the practice changes that followed the 2024 NAR settlement, MLS participants working with buyers need a written buyer agreement in place before touring a home. The agreement states the compensation and terms. Ask about anything unclear before you sign.