A property, whether it’s your family home, first home, investment or something in between, is often your most valuable asset. As a real estate agent is responsible for the sale of your home, choosing the right one is a big decision.
Their connections, local market knowledge and real estate expertise play an important role in ensuring you get the sales results you desire in the shortest time possible.
To ensure you're choosing the best agent for the job, it pays to ask pertinent questions. You'll need to feel comfortable with whomever you select when selling real estate.
10 questions to ask when interviewing a real estate agent:
1. What have you sold recently?
This will enable you to not only see their success rate, but also the kinds of homes they're selling. For example, if you're selling your two bedroom house, you won't want an agent that has predominantly been selling units.
2. How long have you been selling real estate and do you have any references from previous clients?
A good real estate agent will happily provide you with a list of previous clients that you can speak with. If not, then you know that something might be amiss.
3. Can you show me your licence and registration?
Sounds like something an American cop would say in a tacky TV show right? Only ask this if you're unable to find their licence details online with your relevant state authority. All real estate agents must go through a stringent licensing process before they are legally allowed to practice - the penalties for working without one are worse than being caught operating a car without a drivers licence.
4. How would you sell my house and why?
There are several ways to sell a home, and all have their strengths and weaknesses depending on the local market. Asking this question is a good way to gauge the agent's knowledge of the property market, with your area in particular
For example: "I would sell your home by auction, as figures from last week show that homes in your area sold with an 80 per cent success rate."
5. What advertising and marketing do you recommend?
Most of the time, the marketing of your home comes out of your pocket so you want to be clear on what you're actually paying for. Discuss the different options available, how they would like to advertise your property and how much this will cost.
6. How much do you think my home is worth?
This is probably the question you're most interested in! Be wary of agents that give you an unrealistic price - if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Ask what their opinion of market value is based on, as well as some examples of similar homes that have sold.
7. How long do you think it will be on the market?
This will give you an idea of the agent's expectations. You can compare it to the current average market time in your area to gain a better understanding.
8. What's your commission?
Find out how much the agent will charge you for their services, and then ask them to justify their fees - especially if they're more expensive than other agents. Remember that you're not looking for the cheapest, but the one who will offer you the most for their costs.
9. What makes you different?
With this question, you leave it to the agents to seal the deal and sell themselves. They'll be able to tell you why they're better than their competition, both as an agent and agency.
10. Do you host open for inspections?
This will show you how committed they are to selling your property – which is important
For nearly 90 years LJ Hooker has excelled at selling real estate right across Australia. Our local agents are regarded as experts in their area; passionate, knowledgeable and motivated to sell your property for the best possible price.
