34 Questions to Ask a Realtor When Selling

Whether it’s through pricing your home, marketing it, or negotiating a killer deal, your choice of listing agent (an agent who lists homes for sale) will have a major impact on the outcome of your home sale. 

Finding the right real estate agent could make a difference of up to $79,000 in your pocket. So it’s important to have a game plan for how you’ll make the right choice. 

This article, edited by a former realtor with hands-on experience, provides 20 essential questions to ask a listing agent.

What to look for in a listing agent

When selling your home, your listing agent will be your temporary business partner to guide you through a complex real estate transaction, from competitively pricing and aggressively marketing your home, to negotiating with buyers. You’ll spend a lot of time consulting with your agent over the next few months, so working with someone you feel comfortable with is important.

Remember: a better listing agent can get you a better deal on your home, which means more money in your pocket. In fact, our recent home seller survey found that sellers who use an agent earn nearly $79,000 more on average than those who don't, outweighing the potential commission savings.[1] The most recent Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) found that for-sale-by-owner homes sold for $55,000 less than homes listed with an agent.

Ideally, you’ll want to find a real estate agent with the following qualifications:

• Full-time, selling several homes each year
• Reliable and communicative
• Friendly and easy to work with
• Experienced in your local real estate market
• Successful track record
• Eager to understand your need and priorities
• Able to show you recent sales

Choosing an agent with these key qualities will set the foundation for a successful home sale. 

Questions to ask potential real estate agents

Once you know the criteria, you must figure out how to determine whether a potential agent fits the bill. Here are a few questions you can ask to get a better read on an agent.

1. Can you tell me about your career in real estate?

All real estate agents have different career paths: some are part-time, some full-time, some have been working for 20 years, and some just got certified three weeks ago. The National Association of Realtors reports that agents with at least six years of experience sell a median of 12 homes annually, compared to just two homes per year for those with two years or less in the industry.[2]

2. Are you a full-time or a part-time agent?

For your best chances of a successful sale, you’ll want to work with an agent who’s been working full-time for at least a few years.

Remember that a full-time agent will be more immersed in the real estate market than a part-time one. They spend every moment of their working life researching market trends, negotiating deals, and closing on properties. An agent working full-time for even just a few years has a tremendous amount of experience to draw upon.

Part-time agents can also be a good choice, but you’ll want to see a few more years of experience in the industry to make up for the lost time.

3. How many homes have you sold in my area this year?

Real estate markets are incredibly regional. A marketing or pricing strategy that works in one city may be completely ineffective, just two towns over. If you want to ensure your sale is successful, working with an agent with specialized experience in your area is essential.

The more homes a realtor has sold in your area, the more they’ll understand the nuances of the market: how are comparable properties priced? What are the sale-to-list ratios? And what are the demographics of the area?

These factors will affect how they price the property, how they market it, and how aggressive they’ll be when negotiating. In a seller’s market, for example, they’ll be able to push more on negotiations, while they’ll have to lay off more in a buyer’s market. Having hands-on experience in your market will affect their strategy significantly.

4. Can you show me a few of your most recent listings?

When interviewing a realtor, ask them to pull up their most recent closed listings to see how long it took them to sell and what they ultimately sold for.

Ask specifically about their list-price-to-sale ratio, or sale-to-list ratio. The sale-to-list ratio is calculated by dividing the closing price of the home by its original listing price and multiplying that figure by 100 to express it as a percentage.

If their sale-to-list ratio is over 100%, the realtor consistently sells homes for above the list price. If it’s under 100%, the opposite is true. Try to find a realtor with a ratio over 100%.

5. What's your recommended listing price for my home?

A true real estate professional can clearly explain their pricing strategy for your home, including providing a comparative market analysis (CMA). Using data from the multiple listing service (MLS), they’ll compare your home to other open, pending, and recently closed listings to arrive at a listing price that’s placed competitively within the local market. 

The agent may also give you a seller net sheet. This one-page document gives you an estimate of how much money you could make after factoring in the selling price, listing expenses, and closing costs. 

6. Can you provide multiple pricing scenarios?

This will be especially important if your house isn't quite move-in ready. Homes that won't require any repair or upgrades before the new buyer moves in can sell for more money than homes that might need a little bit of TLC.

Your agent should be able to offer suggestions for what to update if you're in a hurry, and what you might want to tackle if you have the luxury of waiting for a sale. Either way, make sure you're getting a few different pricing scenarios for homes that might need some work before you list for full price.

7. How familiar are you with my price range?

All realtors have their specialties: some focus on multi-million dollar mansions, while others focus on more moderately priced homes. Always ask a potential realtor whether they have experience in your particular price range. Working with an agent who’s only sold mansions doesn’t make much sense if you’re selling a home that’s worth $200,000.

8. How long do you think it will take my house to sell?

A listing agent should have insight into the current market, including: 

• The number of active listings in your area
• Average days on market
• Average list-price-to-sale-price
• Recent sales outcomes from comparable listings

If time is of the essence, they should also offer ideas for how to speed up your home sale and educate you on factors that could make sit on the market. 

9. What's your track record vs. market average for days on market?

When homes are sitting on the market for longer and may even undergo multiple price reductions before finally selling, it's important to check with the listing agents you're interviewing about how they measure up against market average, and why.

Tip: If your prospective listing agent doesn't know what the average days on market is in your area off the top of their head, that's a signal that they might not be the best agent for you.

10. What's your pricing strategy in today's market?

Real estate markets shift and change over time, depending on available inventory (homes for sale) and interested buyers. When there are lots of buyers and not many homes available, pricing a home on the higher end can be a good strategic move, but when there are lots of homes available and not many buyers, it's better to price a home lower so it gets more attention and (hopefully) sells faster.

This question can help you assess how the agent adapts to buyer behavior, interest rates, and seasonality in your area.

11. What questions do you have for me about the property?

Marketing is a large part of an agent’s job description, and like any good marketer, they should be interested in learning as much as they can about your home. Any decent realtor should ask whether there are any hidden features, past issues, or other points of interest that may affect your home sale.

If they don’t ask any questions, that’s not a good sign: no matter how experienced they are, no realtor can know a home’s full story on first sight. The lack of curiosity and initiative doesn’t bode well for their ability to create a great angle for your home.

Ideally, agents will ask you about any available documentation around upgrades, your utility bills, and pre-listing inspections.

12. How will you market my home?

Every real estate agent will have their own unique marketing strategy: some will be more tech-savvy and invest in 3D walk-throughs and virtual tours for each listing, while others will rely on more traditional methods of photographing and staging your home. Generally, you’ll want to work with an agent that makes use of both and understands the strengths and weaknesses of each.

Keep in mind that marketing goes beyond great photos. Real estate professionals know how to highlight your home’s best features, attract the right buyers, and get the word out through multiple marketing channels. 

A realtor should be able to offer different ideas for marketing a home in poor condition vs. a turnkey property. Ask for examples of current and recent listings. Seeing their marketing strategy in action will help you better understand how they’ll work on your home sale.

13. Can I see sample marketing materials?

Agents should be able to show you examples of how they'll market your home as a follow-up to the previous question. They should have flyers, online listings, Instagram and Facebook ads, and other materials that can help give you an idea of what the marketing plan will actually look like.

14. What platforms and tools do you use to market homes?

Different agents have different levels of comfort and ability with digital marketing tools, but given how many buyers start their home search online, it's absolutely critical that your listing agent knows the big players and can explain how your home will appear on them after listing.

You'll want an agent who's familiar with not just the MLS but also Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, social media (Facebook and Instagram at least) and paid ads. If they are depending on a yard sign to tell the world your home is for sale, that's a red flag.

15. What will it cost to list my home?

The average realtor commission for a seller's agent or listing agent ranges from 1.00% to 4.50%, with a national average of 2.82%.

On a $363,505 home sale, the listing agent would get $3,635 to $16,358.

However, typical listing commission rates can vary by as much as 40%, depending on where you live. Plus, commissions are almost always negotiable, so it’s worth asking whether a lower fee can be arranged.

If you want to save on listing fees, you might consider looking into a low commission brokerage like Clever. These companies pair sellers with top-rated agents who offer pre-negotiated commission rates through their network, saving you thousands of dollars in realtor fees.

16. Who pays the buyer's agent?

Previously, home sellers were responsible for paying both their listing agent's commission and the buyer agent commission — resulting in an average of 5–6% of the home sale price paid in realtor fees. But a recent NAR lawsuit settlement has resulted in significant changes to how commissions work. 

As of August 2024, buyers' agent fees are no longer automatically covered by sellers. Instead, buyer's agents must sign an "agency agreement" before providing services to a buyer. This agreement specifies what services the agent will provide and how much they will earn — incentivizing competition and potentially lowering consumer costs.

Most buyers will still ask sellers to pay their buyer's agent fee as a concession from their sale proceeds, so the buyer doesn't have to bring more cash to closing. You'll want to talk with your realtor about the best strategy for negotiating agent fee coverage with the buyer.

17. What should I do to get my house ready for showings?

Your real estate agent should do a walkthrough of your house and recommend minor repairs and touchups that will help it show in its best light. They should also offer suggestions for decluttering and staging to ensure it appeals to a wide range of potential buyers.

18. How will you evaluate offers?

Offer price is important, but it isn't everything. When fielding offers, a good real estate agent will also encourage you to consider:

• The deadline for inspections
• The closing timeframe requested by the buyer
• The strength of the buyer's financing, including the lender and type of loan
• The earnest money deposit set down by the buyer
• The contingencies included in the offer

19. Will you create a net sheet comparison for each offer?

A seller net sheet is a document that clearly outlines the costs of selling a house, the net proceeds (total amount of money made from the sale), and the net profit (the total amount left after all home purchase and home selling expenses are deducted from the net proceeds).

It can be useful to see a seller net sheet for every offer buyers submit so that you can make a more educated decision based on your actual take-home profit.

20. What approach do you take to negotiating the highest price?

Top real estate agents are comfortable negotiating. They understand what you want to get out of your home sale and know how to finesse a deal. They should be able to describe successes they’ve had with hard-to-win negotiations and offer strategies for various scenarios, such if a buyer makes unreasonable requests after a home inspection. 

21. How would you handle a low appraisal or a buyer requesting a large credit?

After offers are accepted, there are two big events that could influence the final sales price: The appraisal and the inspection.

If the appraisal comes in low and the buyer is using a mortgage loan to buy the house, their mortgage lender might not approve the sale; this will depend in part on the amount of the buyer's down payment and how much lower the appraisal is than the sales price.

After the inspection, if the purchase agreement includes an inspection contingency and the inspector found major issues with the home, the buyer might request either that you repair the issues before they complete the purchase, or that you provide a credit so they can make those repairs themselves. A credit would reduce the amount of money you earn from the sale.

A good agent will have dealt with both of these situations before and should be able to give you a rundown of their action steps if either one rears its head between accepting the offer and closing on the house.

22. Do you have a checklist for preparing a home to sell?

From curb appeal to deep-cleaning to minor repairs to staging, there's a lot to do before listing a home to get it into top condition (and get the best price for your house).

Quality listing agents have been through the process many times with their sellers, and the best will have an actual document they can share with you that explains exactly what you need to do and when.

23. How will we communicate?

As you navigate the home selling process, you’re bound to have quite a few questions that you’ll want to ask your agent. For most sellers, finding an agent who’s responsive and easy to talk to is a priority. Every realtor has their own preferred communication method, so you’ll have to decide for yourself whether you’d rather work with someone who prefers phone calls, texts, or emails.

When gauging how quick your agent will be to respond, be sure to ask how many clients they currently have. Agents with many clients will generally take longer to respond, while those with only a few other clients will typically be able to answer your phone calls, texts, and emails much more quickly. Make sure you ask what the agent’s average response time is when interviewing them.

24. Will I be working directly with you or a team member most of the time?

Some agents work as part of a team, and some agents work independently. Teams involve multiple agents who specialize in different parts of the transaction, so when working with teams, sellers should expect to have contact with multiple agents.

Real estate teams can be highly efficient and effective, but some sellers prefer to have direct contact with the same person throughout the transaction. It's a good idea to know what you're getting into with every agent you interview.

25. Can you provide me with references?

Anytime you’re hiring someone, it’s important to get references before signing a contract. Deciding on a realtor is no different: always make sure the realtor you’re considering can provide at least three references from past clients.

These can tell you two things:

1. Whether the agent’s past clients were happy with their experiences
2. Whether they’ve had past clients with similar needs

If you’re in a unique situation, such as needing to sell your house as is, ask your realtor for references from clients who sold under similar circumstances. This will give you a good idea as to how they’ll work with you.

Online reviews provide more experiences than you can get from references but usually don’t go as deep into them. It’s a good idea to use reviews as a preliminary screening method and references as a deciding factor. You can go more in-depth and ask specific questions when contacting a reference.

27. Do you have review pages on Zillow and Google that you can share with me?

References are great, but they'll typically only include people who loved their experience with the agent. To do your own research, you'll want to check any and all online reviews available.

If the agent says they don't have online reviews available, or are hesitant to send you the links to their review pages, that could be a red flag.

28. Who do you recommend for photography and staging?

A good agent will help you find quality photographers, stagers, inspectors, contractors, and other professionals who can help you get your house ready to sell. 

29. How will you handle showings?

Be sure to discuss how an agent will handle showings and open houses, including their plans for ensuring access to buyers and keeping your home safe and secure. 

Ask whether they plan to be present themselves or have an assistant available during showings. While it may not be necessary for an agent to be on hand for every viewing, they should be readily accessible for follow-up in case buyers have questions or requests for information.

30. How do you screen buyers?

You don't want to waste your time with buyers who can't actually afford to buy your home.

Buyers viewing your home should at least be prequalified for a mortgage loan, or ideally preapproved. And cash buyers should be able to prove they have the cash ready and available. Your agent should be able to explain how they will assess each buyer's ability to purchase your home.

31. How do you handle lowball offers or difficult buyers?

Some buyers like to "test the waters" by offering significantly below listing price, and others might have unreasonable expectations or demands about unnecessary repairs or seller credits.

A good listing agent will have a way to manage these buyers. They should be able to explain to you that they are obligated to present all offers to you (even lowball ones), and they should also have a standard response to buyers who are asking for too much.

32. What should I expect during escrow and closing?

A real estate agent should set clear expectations for what to expect during the closing process — including who else will be involved in coordinating inspections, handling the paperwork, and facilitating requests for items like seller's disclosures and HOA documents. 

33. What is the duration of our listing agreement?

Be wary of real estate agents who try to rope you into an unreasonably lengthy listing term. A typical listing contract lasts anywhere from 3–6 months and gives your agent the exclusive right to sell your property during that time. However, the terms are typically negotiable and should align with your preferred timeline for moving. 

If your home hasn't sold by the end of the listing period, you can decide whether you want to keep working with that agent or cut ties.

Hopefully, you won't need to cancel before the end of your listing period, but knowing the cancellation terms is a good idea just in case. You don't want to be stuck with a realtor who isn't keeping you up to date or getting the desired results. 

34. Can I see a copy of your listing agreement?

Make sure you understand the listing before you sign it. A listing agreement is a legally binding contract.

Here are some the key details you need to understand and agree on before signing:

• The listing price and how the agent determined it
• The length of the listing term (e.g., 3 or 6 months)
• The realtor commission for the listing agent and buyer’s agent
• The agent’s responsibilities, including what services they'll provide
• Your responsibilities as a seller
• Who gives you updates on the sale and how often
• Guidelines for terminating the relationship if either party isn’t satisfied 

Red flags to avoid in a listing agent

Selling your home is a high-stakes decision. You need someone you can trust to help you establish a selling strategy and navigate the process. 

Here are some red flags to watch out for to avoid a bad selling agent.

• Lack of experience. Newer agents aren’t necessarily bad. They often work hard to earn your business. But you'll want to interview them to make sure they understand the local market, your needs, and the selling process. Steer clear of agents who provide vague answers to your questions about their selling strategy and the state of the market.
• Overpricing or underpricing the home. Some real estate agents will overprice a home to earn your business. But if you're home is priced too high, there's a huge risk that it'll sit on the market for a long time. And an agent who underprices your home can cost you money compared to an agent who does a careful comparative market analysis.
• A lack of openness about their commission rate. It can be a red flag when an agent fails to discuss their rates. Real estate commission is negotiable, and plenty of fantastic realtors offer competitive commission rates well below the national average. If a realtor's rates aren't up for discussion, you may be getting a sour deal.
• Weak online presence. Realtors who have an outdated or minimal online presence may not have the drive to effectively market your home. Conversely, if they market their brokerage and current listings well, chances are they’ll do the same for your home.
• High-pressure tactics. Avoid real estate agents who are impatient or create a false sense of urgency. You don't want an agent who tries to push through a sale at all costs just so they can collect their commission. You need an agent who uses thoughtful strategies to help you reach your goals.
• Lackluster communication. A real estate transaction requires regular and open communication. You want to avoid realtors who are slow to return your calls or provide insufficient answers to your questions.
• Not offering professional photography or staging. This is a cost-cutting maneuver that can hurt your sale. Not every home will require staging, but professional photography is a must in today's sales environment.

How to choose a realtor when selling

The benefits of finding a great agent are clear: they’ll price your home competitively, market it aggressively, and negotiate a great deal for you.

Be sure to screen multiple realtors before deciding who to work with. Make sure they're full time, experienced, and highly rated.

Next, meet with your top picks. Agents will tour your home, give you a free home value estimate, and discuss the local market, their sales strategy, and their commission rate.

Only sign a listing agreement if you fully understand the contract and you're ready to move forward with the agent.

To save yourself some time, we recommend starting with a free agent matching service like Clever Real Estate. Clever has a large network of top local listing agents who have already been screened for experience, sales performance, and customer ratings. They also offer pre-negotiated listing fees of just 1.5% — a huge savings over the typical seller's agent commission.

Get in touch with us to learn more about how our Partner Agents can make your sale a success.

Frequently asked questions

Related links

Article Sources

^[1] Clever Real Estate – "New Data: Home-Selling Trends in 2024".

^[2] National Association of Realtors – "NAR Member Profile 2024".

^[3] Clever Real Estate – "Average Real Estate Agent Commission Rates in 2024".

Why trust Clever?

Hiring a real estate agent is one of the most important decisions you’ll make. Clever has helped thousands of people just like you find great agents and save money on commission during the buying and selling process. We know the hallmarks of a high-quality agent because we vet them and support them through transactions every day. Plus, we have high standards—many real estate agents apply to work with Clever but only a select few are chosen.