Kathleen Finnegan

be picky! what questions to ask before you hire a realtor

What should you consider when shopping for a broker? There are a few essential questions that you should ask a broker before hiring them:

“How much experience do you have with properties such as mine?”

Any broker should be able to show you what they have done in the past. You should find out how many deals they have closed in your price range and in your neighborhood over the past few years and whether they typically represented the buyer, seller or both. You can further gauge a broker’s success by how quickly their comparable homes have sold, how many price reductions were necessary and how close the final price came to the original asking price.

“How much attention can you pay to my property?”

It is critical to know how many listings or clients the agent is currently handling. There are only so many hours in a day and if an agent is spread too thin, there will be conflict and compromise. Knowing whether the agent represents closer to three or 30 clients, you will be able to gauge how much attention they can pay to representing your deal and whether their time is spent showing houses or trying to acquire new clients.

“How familiar are you with the neighborhood where my property is located?”

Ask the agent to be specific and give you a list of other homes in the area that he or she has sold or represented. There is nothing worse than an agent who is working outside his or her comfort zone and misrepresenting his or her knowledge of nearby schools, shops, police services and other neighborhood characteristics. An agent should be able to immediately answer most questions a buyer asks.

“What tech savvy methods will you use to market my property?”

Over the last decade — particularly in the last three years — the internet has become an essential tool in selling a house. A tech savvy agent knows that most buyers (and sellers) look online for information before contacting their broker. The quality of your broker’s website is incredibility important.

Your broker should use “search engine optimization” tactics to ensure the site ranks high in search results. Once the site is found, it must be easy to navigate, contain compelling high-resolution photos and video tours, and provide your broker’s direct cell numbers and email addresses.

You should also ask how many other websites will include your listing and whether they’re local, national or international in scope.

Buyers and sellers will also have a better experience if their agent’s firm has the latest business tools, such as pdf scanning and electronic document signing. All of these pieces of technology make the buying and selling process faster and more efficient.

How often will you communicate with me?

Ideally, your Realtor should communicate with you regularly, updating you with any new information/concerns. They must inform you of all offers. They should have email and be reachable most of the time should you have a question or concern. Ask when they are not reachable.

Thanks for reading, if you are thinking about buying or selling a home or know someone who is, please connect with me for up to date information on the real estate market.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 3rd, 2015 at 4:20 pm and is filed under Homeowner Misc. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.