When it comes to selling your home, finding the right real estate agent is essential to ensuring a smooth and successful process. The National Association of Realtors has compiled a helpful guide for sellers to better understand what questions to ask when selecting an agent. This guide offers valuable information to help you feel confident in your decision and find a professional who will work in your best interest.

Below are some key points from NAR’s “Consumer Guide: 10 Questions to Ask a Seller’s Agent.”

Are you a real estate agent?
When you work with an agent who is a real estate broker, you are working with a professional guided by ethical duties under the Code of Ethics for Realtors, including a commitment to protect and promote the interests of his or her clients.

What types of services can you provide me?
Your agent can help you market your property, interact with buyer’s agents, handle showings and open houses, negotiate the purchase agreement on your behalf, assist you throughout the closing process, and more.

Do you know the market where I am selling my house?
Your agent must be licensed in the place where you are selling your home. But they should also have the market knowledge to facilitate a successful transaction. While it’s not a requirement to have prior experience in the market where your property is located, local knowledge could help your agent develop a strategy that resonates with local buyers.

What will be included in our listing contract?
At the beginning of your relationship, you and your agent will sign a listing agreement that states that the agent can represent you and market your property to potential buyers and their agents and sets the sales price of your home. It will also establish the type of professional representation your agent will provide and how much you will be paid for those services. Please remember that agent compensation is entirely negotiable and not set by law.

How did you arrive at the suggested list price for my home?
Setting a solid initial sales price based on your agent’s knowledge of the market is important to capturing buyer interest and securing the best possible deal. Your agent should conduct market research to determine an appropriate price that will attract potential buyers and ensure you receive fair market value for your home.

How will you market my house?
Agents can use a variety of marketing methods to reach potential buyers and should explain the pros and cons of each option. For example, one tool that agents use to market properties is a Multiple Listing Service, an online platform that compiles listings of homes from brokerages in a given market, to reach the largest possible group of buyers and potentially attract the best offer.

How do I attract potential buyers?
There are many strategies that can help attract potential buyers. For example, offset offers (when you or your agent compensate another agent for leading a buyer to a successful closing of the transaction) and seller concessions (when you cover certain costs associated with purchasing a home for the buyer) They can lead to a better or faster offer by reducing potential buyers’ out-of-pocket and out-of-pocket expenses.

What do I need to do to get my house ready?
To prepare your home for listing, your agent may suggest investing in any necessary repairs or other improvements that may help increase buyer interest in the property.

How will you vet potential buyers?
An important part of selling your home is making sure potential buyers are financially prepared to move forward with their offer. Talk to your agent about how they plan to screen potential buyers, which may include requesting that a pre-approval letter be submitted with the offer.

Do you have references I can talk to?
Many agents will be happy to put you in touch with satisfied clients they have worked with in the past who can talk about their experience.

Choosing the right agent can make all the difference in your home selling experience. By asking the right questions and understanding what to expect, you’ll be able to confidently navigate the process and achieve your real estate goals. #That’sWho