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.)
What
designations do you hold? (Designations, such as GRI and CRSÒ,
which require that real estate professionals take additional, specialized
real estate training, are held by only about one-quarter of real estate
practitioners.)
How
many homes did you and your company sell last year?
How
many days did it take you to sell the average home? How did that compare to
the overall market?
How
close to the initial asking prices of the homes you sold were the final sale
prices?
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.)
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.)
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.)
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.)
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.)
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?)
Could
you please give me the names and phone numbers of your three most recent
clients?
