Questions for Your Listing Agent

Your agent and you are partners in the process of selling your house. While you rely on your agent for many things, you are an integral part of the success of the transaction. Here is a list of questions to ask your agent as you go through it all.

1) Questions to ask when choosing an agent

How many homes did you sell last year, and what was the average ratio between the listing price and the selling price?

What would your marketing plan for my house entail?

Why should I sign a listing contract with you vs. a competing agent?

What is the length of your listing contract?

How long have you been selling real estate in my neighborhood?

How are your fees structured? Do you and/or your company offer a single type of service (commission-based, flat-fee, etc.), or is there a menu of á la carte services?

Will you accept a lower commission if I do some of the work you’d normally do, such as providing photography, producing flyers, or handling open houses?

If you accept a lower commission, what effect will that have on the commission to the buyer’s agent?

Has anybody ever terminated a listing with you? If so, how was the situation resolved?

See more questions to ask when choosing an agent

2) Questions to ask when preparing your house for sale

Would you recommend staging?

What improvements do you see that could tip the balance for a buyer?

Should I have a pre-listing inspection ?

Can you provide me with my state law regarding disclosure?

3) Questions on pricing your home

How will you arrive at a price for my home ?

Will you do a comparative market analysis?

How long will it take to sell my house?

What is the average length of time houses are currently on the market in this neighborhood, by number of days?

How many houses in my neighborhood are on the market now?

The market is hot; would a low selling price result in a bidding war ?

What are the risks of initiating a bidding war with a low price? How do I know how high the bidding will go?

What do you think my home is worth?

See more questions to ask when setting the price

4) Questions to ask about listing and marketing your home

Will you list my home on non-MLS Web sites ?

Do you have a personal Web site where you’ll feature my home?

Will you build a separate page just for my home?

How can I be assured my home will stand out among the other listings?

Can I see my ad before it’s published?

How are you going to keep the flyers on my sign fresh?

Do you recommend a Virtual Tour?

5) Questions to ask on showing your home

How many open houses are you planning? When will they occur?

What are the hours agents can use the lock box?

Will you call ahead of time before bringing a buyer?

Can you suggest anything else that would help my home be attractive to buyers at an open house?

6) Questions to ask if the house isn’t selling

What would you recommend to speed up a transaction; if I need to lower the price, by how much?

My home doesn’t seem to be generating any offers. When I call your office, it's difficult to reach you. Why is that?

Do your contracts include a protection clause, and if so, how long is it?

7) Questions about buying and selling at the same time

What sort of experience do you have with simultaneous buying/selling transactions ?

Do you have any leads on reasonably priced bridge loans, or if necessary, will you work with the buyer’s agent to negotiate a rent back?

Are you willing to provide a break on your fees if I agree to let you list my current home and help me find my new one?

8) Questions on negotiating a purchase contract

Can we negotiate any closing costs ?

Is the disclosure complete and correct?

Related links: Home Sellers' Fearbusters Resources for Sellers