I love empowerment. I love feeling empowered and I love to empower others. Education is the easiest way to be empowered, and I’m all about it! It’s important to go into an interview with a real estate agent knowing you have options and with critical questions that help you know more about them prior to signing any contracts.
There are some questions everyone asks me when we first meet, such as how much commission our firm charges, or how soon can they view properties. (Read more about my answers here.) Those naturally come to mind first. But, what about those questions that don’t come up as often? They’re equally important and are very telling, but most of my clients don’t ask these.
So the next time you’re interviewing me or another agent, be sure to ask these questions and listen closely to what they (we) say. The answers will reveal more about how the agent will work for you and the quality of service you’ll receive.
WHAT SHOULD YOU ASK ANY AGENT?
What support do you have from your firm? It takes a village, y’all. Every agent should at least have someone to go to if they have questions or need help working out a problem. If the agent works alone, who do they have in their professional life that offers this?
What are your strengths? This will tell you how self-aware an agent is, as well as the parts of themselves they have worked to develop. If they list attributes like strong communicator, skillful negotiator, or detailed project manager, they likely are those things. If they have trouble answering the question or tell you they’re good at selling, dig deeper.
Why should we choose you? When there are over 2,000 licensed agents in the Asheville-area board of REALTORS®, this should be something each agent can easily articulate. It’s so important for us to be able to differentiate from the others, and answering this question well means we’ve given it some thought. Answering well also means we’re striving to be better every day and we know how we can best serve our community.
What does your firm offer clients? Ultimately, the agent is person you’ll closely work with during your transaction and you may never interact with the office the agent works for. But what are they offering you via your agent? What services, connections, branding, etc., will help you buy or sell a home?
What did you do prior to becoming a real estate agent? Most real estate agents did not graduate high school or college and immediately become a REALTOR®. Many have had more than one career and bring so much valuable experience to being an agent. This is one field where having years of experience as an agent and having years of applicable experience in other fields are just about equal. Asking this question helps you understand how well-rounded the agent is and therefore, how great of an experience you may have with them.
How quickly do you respond to emails and phone calls? One of the biggest complaints we hear is that an agent is not responsive to a client’s calls or emails, and I totally get it. It’s frustrating for me when I can’t reach an agent when we’re working together. The right answer to this question is a specific time frame. For example, “I try to return phone calls within 30 minutes and emails within two hours, and if that’s not possible, I’ll send a text letting you know why.” Many times, if I’m in a meeting and I can’t email or call, I can still text and I let people know when to expect a response.
Do you work alone or are you with a team? If an agent works with a team, you may be working with more than one person. There are teams that have each agent specialize in a specific portion of the process. For example, one agent may secure the listing and another coordinates the rest of the transaction. I’ve heard of situations with more than two agents involved throughout the process, and the client never spoke with the initial listing agent again. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you need to know this up front. You can even request to interview the other members of the team who would be handling your transaction. You have every right to know!
SELLING-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
How will you market our property? The right answer should ALWAYS include more than “put it in the MLS”, and the better answer involves a tiered strategy.
Do you use a professional photographer? There are some properties that I don’t use a pro for, but those are few and far between. Professional photos make all the difference and a great agent knows this.
Do you hold open houses? Open houses are good for two things- exposure for the property and exposure for the agent. It’s uncommon that the right buyer for the home comes walking through the front door during the event, but it’s more likely that the buyer will see the marketing for the open house and inquire later. Holding an open house for a property also maintains the momentum that was created by it being first listed, or it can revive the listing if it’s been on the market for a while. Open houses allow us as agents to market ourselves through the event and meet new potential clients.
BUYING-SPECIFIC QUESTIONS
How will we know about possible homes to view? The answer to this question shows you two things: 1) how the general process for receiving the information works, and 2) how involved the agent is in looking for homes for you to see. Are they setting up a search and letting the automatic emails do the work, or are they also sending personalized emails and making calls about specific properties? You want to know that they’re actively engaged in your new home search.
What resources do you have to help us with lending, vendors, etc.? Every agent, whether new or experienced, should have access to contacts and resources for you as a buyer to use during the process. You’ll need inspectors, an attorney, contractors, and possibly lenders, depending on how early on you’re meeting with the agent. Your agent should be able to provide a couple of options per category!
How many other buyers are you working with? Typically, helping a client purchase a home takes much more time than helping a client sell a home. If an agent is working with more than five or six other active buyers, ask them how they manage the schedule and work load. Their answers can be a red flag to the level of service and attention you will (or won’t) receive.
Have you asked these questions before? Have you asked questions I didn't mention, but should be included? Let me know in the comments!
Comments