Ron Henderson & Associates

10 Questions to Ask When Choosing Your REALTOR®

This list is provided to you so that you can choose a REALTOR® who will provide top-notch service and meet your unique needs.

1. How long have you been in residential real estate sales? While experience is no guarantee of skill, real estate — like many other professions — is mostly learned on the job. At minimum, it’s best to choose an agent that has at least 3 years of experience in the Kansas City market.

2. Is it your full-time job? Believe it or not, of the over 10,000 licensed agents in the greater Kansas City area, less than 25% of them are considered full time agents. This is critical information you should know, considering you’re about to sell one of your largest financial assets.

3. How many homes did you sell last year? By asking this question, you’ll get a good idea of how much experience the practitioner has. As a minimum requirement, choose a real estate agent that sold more than 10 homes last year.

4. Statistics show that most home buyers begin their new home search online.  What will you do to market my home online? If 95% of the buyers begin their home search online, wouldn’t it make sense to choose an agent that understands how to get your home the maximum online exposure it deserves?

5. What types of specific marketing systems and approaches will you use to sell my home? You don’t want someone who’s going to put a For Sale sign in the yard and hope for the best. Look for someone who has aggressive and innovative approaches, and knows how to market your property competitively on the Internet. Buyers today want information fast, so it’s important that your REALTOR® is responsive.

6. 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. Your REALTOR® should explain his or her agency relationship to you and describe the rights of each party.

7. Can you make recommendations about staging my home and/or making home repairs, and help with other things I need done? This is the true test of an experienced agent. An experienced agent should be able to walk through the house and point out potential problems. They know what buyers are looking for and should be capable of making suggestions to the current homeowner. The agent should also have “approved vendors” they work with for staging, painting, carpet, handyman or just about anything else you’d need to prepare your home for putting it on the market.

8. How will you keep me informed about the progress of my transaction? How frequently? This is not a question with a correct answer, but how you judge the response will reflect your own desires. Do you want updates once a week or do you prefer not to be bothered unless there’s a hot prospect? Do you prefer phone, e-mail, or a personal visit?

9. Would you be willing to give me the names and phone numbers of your three most recent clients? Ask recent clients if they would work with this REALTOR® again. Find out whether they were pleased with the communication style, follow-up, and work ethic of the REALTOR®.

10. Why should I list with you rather than any other agent who is calling?  As I’m sure you’re aware, there is no right or wrong answer to this question, but an open ended question like this might give you some insight as to their real motivation and their personality.