{"id":28982,"date":"2026-04-25T06:21:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-25T06:21:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/finprosalerts.com\/?p=28982"},"modified":"2026-04-25T06:21:48","modified_gmt":"2026-04-25T06:21:48","slug":"questions-to-ask-an-agent-before-you-hire-them","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/finprosalerts.com\/?p=28982","title":{"rendered":"Questions to Ask an Agent Before You Hire Them"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Buying or selling a house is probably the biggest financial transaction you’ll ever make—after all, there are hundreds of thousands of dollars at stake. That’s a lot of money! Because buying or selling a house is so expensive and <\/em>complicated (hello, <\/em>paperwork!), having a good real estate agent in your corner is a must<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Remember this: When you’re buying or selling, you <\/em>are the boss. And like any good boss, you’ll want to interview at least three <\/strong>real estate agents before deciding who will represent you. But what if you don’t know how to interview a real estate agent? Or what if you don’t know what to ask an agent? And how do you know the right answers?<\/p>\n

No need to worry! Here’s a look at 10 questions you can ask potential agents—and the answer you’re looking for.<\/p>\n

10 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent<\/h2>\n

1. How long have you been a full-time real estate agent in my market?<\/h3>\n

This isn’t the time to give a big break to your buddy’s cousin who just got his real estate license or someone you barely know from a small group. A great agent usually has been working full time in your market for at least four years. So if the agent’s response is, “Well, real estate is my side job. My day job is selling encyclopedias,” then you can politely inform them you’re going with someone else.<\/p>\n

An agent with four years of experience has learned things you can only learn on the job as a full-time real estate professional. If you find someone who’s been working in your market for 10 years or more, that’s even better. You know you have someone with a track record of success.<\/p>\n

Location is also important. If you’re looking to buy a house in Nevada, it does you no good to have an agent who specializes in Wisconsin. That’s just common sense, right?<\/p>\n

2. How many homes do you close each year?<\/h3>\n

This is another important question to ask your real estate agent about their job. Not to pick on your buddy’s cousin again, but it’s key that your agent has a track <\/strong>record of actually closing homes sales<\/em>. You want someone who closes more homes than 90% <\/strong>of the agents in your market—in most markets, that means at least 35 closings per year. Don’t forget: Experience usually means an agent has learned lots of important lessons they couldn’t get from a book.<\/p>\n

3. Who will be my primary point of contact?<\/h3>\n

Communication is important, and bad<\/em> communication is one of the most frustrating parts of dealing with a so-so agent. Who will you be able to contact and when? Home sales happen very quickly and taking three days to respond to a text message or email is unacceptable—especially if you’ve been led to expect a three-hour response window.<\/p>\n

Many top-notch agents have a team that supports them, so make sure you’ll have one dedicated person who will answer your questions whenever you have them—and make sure you get a guaranteed response time.<\/p>\n

4. What qualities or certifications set you apart from other agents?<\/h3>\n

An awesome agent stays on top of changes in tax and zoning laws that may affect the area where you’re trying to buy or sell. As part of an agent’s continuing education, they may have a number of certifications. Here are some credentials they might have:<\/p>\n