Questions for Interviewing a Real Estate Agent

Asking the Right Questions Before You Hire a Real Estate Agent.

Consumers, on the average, will spend days, even months, before making a decision to buy a car or other high-ticket items.  An employer may spend an equal amount of time reviewing a potential employee's credentials and references before hiring them, and the same holds true for a company looking to hire an outside consultant.  Why does it take time to make a wise decision in these matters when a home buyer or seller may often make a decision to work with a Real Estate Agent within minutes of meeting them?  Many of these same home buyers and sellers hire the first Real Estate Agent they speak with, all based upon a friend's or another person's recommendation without ever speaking with another Agent.


As a home buyer, you're about to make one of the most important and often expensive purchases of your life.  As a home seller, you're about to entrust one of your most valued assets to another person.  Wouldn't reason, if not financial considerations, be the driving factor about which Real Estate Agent you choose to work with?  Shouldn't you show yourself respect by actually interviewing an assortment of Real Estate Agent  before working with one?  Your selected Real Estate Agent will be representing you and your property throughout the real estate transaction!  Thus, know who is representing you.

The challenge seems to be in how to conduct such interviews and walk away with insightful information that will assist you in determining which Real Estate Agent will be most suited to providing you with the type and level of service you desire.  We all have different personality types, different levels of communication, different needs and expectations, including the real estate professionals.  Since real estate is a service industry and relies heavily upon customer service and the development of sincere relationships as the foundations for success, then there are some key aspects to consider before hiring a Real Estate Agent   Work History, Communication Style, Transaction Success, Professional Networks, and their Personality.  

As the consumer, especially the home buyer or seller, it is important for you to be prepared before interviewing a Real Estate Agent, and conversely, it is even more important for the Agent to be prepared to answer your questions.  A Real Estate Agent should be capable of immediately providing you with detailed information to the questions you may ask, and if they cannot, then chances are they will not be prepared to deal with the various details of the real estate transaction and ensure your success.  This brings up an important point, one brought up in a discussion among several real estate professionals.  Is the Real Estate Agent working for you or for themselves, aka are they using you as a notch in their belt for success or are they sincerely invested into your success?

Part of the interview process is to also understand some simple and very important visual signals.  Does the Real Estate Agent look at you when speaking or away from you?  Do they cross their hands when they answer?  Do they answer immediately or pause before answering?  The Psychology of Effective Communication and Nonverbal Communication comes into play during an interview and these are some of the signs that someone may not be answering truthfully.  Watch their actions and listen carefully to their answers, then take some time to weight the information you obtain before making a decision.  You may be interested in a book by Gregory Hartley about Body Language.

To assist you in knowing what questions to ask a Real Estate Agent  we've provided a series of questions set in a specific order for the purpose of ensuring the agent's responses don't conflict each other.  Soon, we'll be providing the reasons behind these questions, along with possible follow-up questions to ask based upon various answers.

Before proceeding, remember that a Agent should and could use the interview to determine if you, the home buyer or seller, are the type of client they are seeking and will work with, as they also have the choice of who they represent.  Be wary of agents who don't ask you questions and that do not seek to fully know your motivation and goals.  Good agents are just as selective about their clients as you should be in selecting them.

Prior to the live interview request that the Real Estate Agent provide you with links to the following so you may preview them and prepare for the interview.  By reviewing these things beforehand you'll see first hand the type of information and services the Real Estate Agent provides, and advanced knowledge of these areas can assist you in developing more specific questions that meet your goals.

1. Personal Website
2. Professional Blog
3. Company Website
4. Websites that the agent advertises on.
5. Publications that the agent advertises in.
6. Professional Affiliations' websites
7. Social Media profiles/pages:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and others.

Set aside enough time to not be rushed, write notes, and don't allow interruptions such as phone calls.  Everyone involved (a partner, spouse, or key family members) should be present for the interview session, but always have one spokesperson leading the interview.

Interview Questions:

1. When did you obtain your Real Estate License?
2. What types of technology do you use in your business?
3. How many clients have used your services more than once?
4. Can you refer reputable Mortgage Lenders, Appraisers, Real Estate Lawyers or other real estate service providers?
5. In which neighborhoods do you primarily work?
6. How many clients have ended a contract with you to work with another Agent?
7. Is Real Estate your Full-time career?
8. Do you communicate via e-mail and text, and do you use a smart phone or other mobile devices?
9. How many clients have you represented in the last 12 months?
10. Will I be working with you directly?
11. Do you provide copies of any legal documents beforehand for review?
12. What do you enjoy most and least about your job as a Real Estate Agent?
13. Do you work alone or as a Team?  If as a Team, who else will be involved and what role do they play?
14. What percentage of your clients are buyers and sellers?
15. How quickly do you respond to phone calls and emails?
16. Will you personally handle contract negotiations?
17. Has anyone ever filed a complaint against you?
18. Will you provide references of previous and existing clients?
19. What are the last five real estate transactions you've completed?
20. Do you act in a Dual Agency capacity where you would be representing both buyer and seller?
21. Are you involved in Civic or Charitable organizations?
22. What is your commission and how is it split with other agents?
23. How long have you been with your current Broker?
24. What designations do you hold and what is their significance?
25. What percentage of your business comes from referral?
26. What method of communication do you prefer personally?
27. Did you have another career prior to Real Estate?  If so, why did you change careers?
28. How many sales have you personally handled in my local area?  
29. What kind of guarantees do you provide?
30. What is your average List-Price to Sales-Price ratio?
31. What other professionals will you be working with and why?
32. What are the Top Three things that separate you from your competitors?
33. What professional organizations are you affiliated with?
34. Do you work primarily as a Buyer's Agent or a Seller's Agent?
35. What haven't I asked you that I need to know?

Many years ago Yahoo conducted a poll and the public responses were a bit of a surprise, as the people who were happiest with their choice of agent did not choose their Real Estate Agent based upon facts or interviews.  The #1 reason people hired their Real Estate Agent is that they believed the Agent was someone that they could TRUST and that would "have their back" from start to finish.

So ask yourself this final question, "Is this a person I can fully Trust to represent me?"

Sign-up for email notifications of the upcoming additions to this series.  Next will be “Reasons behind the Questions”  Future articles will be “Questions for a Buyer's Agent” and “Questions for a Seller's Agent”

Read the first article in this series:  How to Find a Great Real Estate Agent.

Read second article in this series:  Ease of Use.

Written by Sebastian Barrett St.Troy

Real Estate Concierge Services previously Austin Market-Ready Services

Redefining Home Staging!  Preparing Homes for Market using our Unique Market-Ready Ontology, which includes Metaphysics, Feng Shui, Psychology, Design, Color and other disciplines that style the home towards its targeted buyer.  Targeted Home Styling for today's savvy home buyer and real estate consulting and services for Luxury Real Estate Professionals.