Hiring Realtors: Asking Questions That Matter

If you want to sell your house successfully, most real estate experts advise looking for an agent to help you with the process. Realtors can have a big impact on your ability to get your house sold quickly and efficiently, for the best price possible. While nothing's stopping you from listing your home on your own, you won't have access to the resources, experience, and methods of a professional in the game. With a housing market that has seen better days, most homeowners realize they could use any help they can get. Before you hire someone, however, here are some questions you should ask.

How much experience do you have?

This is an important one. It has long been known in professional circles that experienced realtors can run circles around newcomers, regardless of how much training is involved. Selling real estate is one of those things where only so much can be taught in the classroom. Until you have a few years of experience under your belt, you can't hope to know the tricks that will maximize results. If the agent you're thinking of hiring just received their certification last month, you might want to think about finding someone with a bit more to offer.

How close to list price do you typically get?

Realtors know this number. They know what their average ratio is when it comes to list price versus sale price. If they tell you they don't, press the issue. This is an important number to know if you want to get the most out of your sale. Anyone at all can sell just about any house out there, with absolutely no experience. Lower the price enough and you can sell a house to a kindergartner. The key is to sell it for as close to market value as possible. This is where talent comes into play, so if you don't have that information you can't hope to make a good decision about whom to hire.

How will you market my home?

If you're interviewing an agent, you deserve to know what they will do if they are hired. How will hiring them differ from attempting to sell the house on your own? Are you going to get more for your money than a listing in their company's book? Ask them specifics about how they plan to sell your house. Not all realtors believe in a heavy advertising campaign. Contrary to popular belief, some don't even bother with paid advertising at all. If you can find an agent who is so plugged into the community that she can sell your house without spending a dime, so much the better. Of course, this is relatively rare. Still, you should make sure your agent has a plan.