20 Questions You Should Ask Before Hiring a Real Estate Agent

Table of Contents:

Buying a new home is an investment that can last for years. Therefore, it is essential to research and know what questions to ask a realtor when buying or selling your house.

When you hire a real estate agent, they can make the home purchase or sale very easy for you or make it a terrible experience. Depending on the information provided to you by the agent, your time searching for buyers or purchasing a new home can be significantly reduced. Therefore, knowing what questions to ask a real estate agent is paramount.

Most buyers purchase their house with the use of a real estate agent. In 2021, that amount was 88% of buyers. Make sure you are working with the best. Here are the top 20 questions to ask a realtor before hiring them.

Hiring a Real Estate Agent

So, what exactly does a real estate agent do? With so much information available today on the internet, it may seem easy to do without an agent. This may be true when selling a home FSBO, but many buyers will still want to hire a real estate agent and ask the right home buying questions.

Agents act as advocates and guides for buyers as you work through the home buying process and are your resource for common real estate questions. They will know about your neighborhood and other information from the MLS and other sources. It is their responsibility to talk you through the process of homebuying, help with the negotiation of your house and make sure your contract works in your favor. They also do the paperwork and significant legwork to get a great deal on your home. Their job is to make homebuying simple without the pressure of a substantial investment.

Questions to ask Real Estate Agents Before Hiring Them

Many real estate agents offer certifications and titles to show they are reliable real estate experts. Here are several common ones.

Realtor certification is a certificate showing the agent is a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR). In addition, they must abide by the Code of Ethics set forth to ensure agents do their duty to their clients, the public, and other real estate professionals. Questions to ask a real estate agent might include if they have this certification.

Certified Residential Specialist (CRS)- This certification requires agents to complete a course on all details of residential real estate sales.

Accredited Buyer Representative (ABR)- This means an agent is specialized in working with buyers. They know the specifics and in-depth needs of homebuyers in the homebuying process.

Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES)- This is a designation for real estate agents specializing in helping homebuyers over 50 years old.

Knowing basic questions to ask a real estate agent and ones that pertain to their background and certifications is critical.

A smarter way to buy your home.

Buy your home and get up to 1% cashback.

Book a Call

20 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Buy a House

How many years have you been a real estate agent?

One of the most important questions you should ask a real estate agent is how many years they have been in business. A real estate agent who has several years of experience will be able to recognize issues before they arise and have better negotiation skills than veteran agents. They also have long-standing relationships with other real estate professionals.

How many homebuyers do you help every year, and how many homes do you help buyers purchase each year? What is your annual number of closes?

Another question you should ask a real estate agent before hiring them is how many buyers they help and how many closes they do annually. According to NAR, real estate agents close an average of 10 homes per year.

Are you a full-time or part-time real estate agent?

You should ask a real estate agent when buying a home if they work full-time or part-time. They will most likely be more dedicated to you as a buyer if they are full-time agents.

Do you represent both buyers and sellers?

Before hiring them another question to ask a real estate agent is if they have buyer and seller clients. Many specialize in just one client type.

How many clients do you have that are buyers?

The fifth question you should ask a real estate agent when buying a home is how many clients they have currently. Again, finding a balance between too many and very few is the best.

How many buyers do you represent versus sellers?

You should ask a real estate agent before hiring them is how many buyers versus sellers they represent if they represent both. Again, this will give you an indication of the agent’s expertise.

How long does it typically take from the time you get a new buyer client to when the house closes?

Another one of the top 20 questions you should ask a real estate agent is how long it takes them to close on homes. Again, the agent plays a significant role in facilitating the speed of the home buying process.

Do you have a copy of your real estate license I can see?

You should always ask a real estate agent about their license before hiring them to ensure they have a real estate license and it’s in copliance.

What other licenses and awards do you have for real estate?

Another question you should ask a real estate agent when buying a home is what other licenses they have. This will give you an indicator of what they have achieved and their knowledge.

What references do you have that I can call?

Another one of the most basic questions you should ask a real estate agent is their references. Do they have satisfied clients? Do they have any good online reviews?

Which areas do you specialize in for homebuyers looking for new homes?

When buying a home, you should ask a real estate agent is if they are knowledgeable about your community and the neighborhood where you are looking to buy. Every community is different and requires expertise.

What price ranges do you typically look for, for buyers when finding a new home?

Ask an agent about the typical price ranges of homes they help buyers purchase. This will tell you if they are familiar with homes in the market in that range and have experience negotiating homes at that price.

Do you have a team I will also work with or primarily you?

Another question to ask when buying a home is if you will be working with them solely or if they have a team that will support you in your home purchase. Again, this will set expectations to be prepared if you are handed to an assistant.

Do you have recommendations for other services surrounding the purchase I may need?

A common real estate question you should ask a real estate agent before hiring them is if they are connected to other companies that support the sale of a home. These might include a mortgage broker, appraiser, inspector, real estate lawyer, general contractor, moving companies, and anything else involving homes should all be things your agent can recommend.

What is your commission structure?

Price is important. Another question to ask a real estate agent when looking at a house is how they structure their compensation. How much commission do they expect and when? What other costs are involved?

What do you do to help buyers compete when buying a house?

It would be best to ask a realtor about their strategy in competing in the market to get you the best deal. For example, how will they ensure you purchase a home at a reasonable price?

Can you explain the homebuying process?

You should ask a real estate agent when buying a home about their entire process. This helps you to better understand what to expect and how well the realtor understands the process. If they can explain it clearly, they are more likely to be experienced.

How do you go about conducting your market study? What should we expect from it?

You should ask a real estate agent before hiring them about how they will build a competitive study of the neighborhood and property sales to determine how much to sell your home for. What should you anticipate gleaning from the study?

How do I contact you?

Of course, another one of the top 20 questions you should ask a real estate agent when buying a home is how you will communicate with them. What is the best way to reach them- via text, email, or phone call?

When is your availability during the day and week, typically?

The final question should ask a real estate agent before hiring them about their availability. Will they be available to show homes when you have them available? If they are not available on weekends, that may be an issue for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

What questions do I ask a realtor once we have found a house?

There are several questions to ask a real estate agent before buying a house.

1. Is there a comparative market study (CMA) for this house?

The study shows the surrounding ten properties on average to determine if the house is priced reasonably.

2. Are there any red flags of major concerns you see with the house?

The agent should know if there is anything to be concerned about.

3. How do we guarantee we get this house? What offer should we propose?

In competitive markets, initially putting in the right offer to get negotiations started is paramount when competing with several other buyers.

4. Are there concessions I should ask for as part of the offer?

Concessions request a seller pay for something as a compromise on the price to the buyer.

5.How much earnest money should I offer?

Earnest money is a deposit you pay when entering into a purchase contract.

6. What should I expect if the inspection does not show good results?

There’s nothing worse than finally finding your dream home and finding out that it has pests or other issues. Talk with your agent about how they plan to handle unforeseen problems.

7. What do we do if the appraisal comes back lower than the price of the house?

Your real estate agent should have options for you if this occurs.

8. How much will closing costs be?

Closing costs are not included in the house price and will be expensed separately. Understanding how much they will be is part of the job of your realtor.

What questions should I ask a realtor when renting out my house?

1. Who will be looking over my property when it is rented?

2. How long have you and your agency been in business? What is your experience in managing properties in this area?

3. How does your agency process rental payments?

4. How will urgent home repairs and maintenance requests be managed?

How do I ask a realtor what their commission is?

When asking questions when hiring a realtor, there are several pointers to negotiate their commission.

1. Ask the realtor questions to see how much leverage you have to negotiate their commission.
2. Find the average commission rate for your area.
3. Question several realtors to get the best deal.
4. As a seller, do updates to make your house easier to sell.
5. Provide value for the agent.
6. Offer the agent a full buyer’s agent fee.
7. Work with a new agent that has done well but is still unknown.
8. Sell your house and buy a new one with the same agent.

A smarter way to buy your home.

Buy your home and get up to 1% cashback.

Book a Call

What do I ask when buying a house from an owner?

When asking questions when buying a house from an owner, there are several pointers to learn about the home.

1. Ask them why they are selling.
2. Ask them how long the house has been on the market.
3. Ask them what they bought the house for.
4. Ask them what is included in the sale.
5. Ask them if there are any problem neighbors.
6. Ask them if there are any hazards in the home and the ages of the appliances.

Summary

Hiring the right agent is an important decision. Ensure you ask the real estate agent the right questions so you can find the perfect home. You should trust your agent and know they have your best interest in mind. Your agent could become your best resource for real estate for years to come.

As an alternative to a traditional agent when buying a home, you can earn 1% back when you buy with Richr. Richr combines Richr Loans, Richr Title and Richr Insurance into Richr One, giving you the benefit of all three services in One place!