Interview With Real Estate Brokers

Choosing the right person to sell your home is very important. It can affect everything from the selling price to the time and effort invested in selling your home.

Let's say a family member or friend introduces you to an acquaintance, a real estate agent, to help you sell your house. As things progress, the agent is late for showings, fails to complete all the necessary paperwork, and is generally not very accessible. These behaviors and habits can make selling your house even harder than it already is.

This article provides pointers on how to select a real estate agent and broker. It is important to do some research. Check for reviews from previous sellers and your state real estate commission.

Options for Meeting With Brokers

Know that you can set up meetings to be either online or in person. Remote meetings became far more common during the pandemic. But they continue even today. Everyone is very busy, and a remote meeting with brokers can be the best option for saving time and convenience.

To set up and schedule phone or remote meetings, you'll want to call the brokers. Often, however, on many brokers' sites, you can also schedule meetings digitally without having to use the phone or speak to anyone.

Options for Finding Real Estate Brokers

The real estate industry is vast. It can be hard to find the right broker. If you're struggling to find a real estate broker, organizations like the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAERB) and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) can provide referral services. You could also check social media related to brokers, which could help in your search.

Questions To Ask Real Estate Brokers

The following is a list of questions that may be helpful to ask prospective real estate brokers. It's wise to ask the interview questions covered below during any interview with a broker. Treat this like a job interview.

These five questions will allow you to assess the brokers' level of experience, generally speaking. They will help you understand whether the broker possesses the qualifications to sell your house, regardless of whether they are listed as licensed or qualified.

• How many years have you been in business?
• For how long have you sold houses in this area?
• How many houses did you sell in the past year?
• Is your real estate license current?
• How long have you worked as a salesperson in the housing market?

The next set of questions will help you figure out if you can afford the broker you are interviewing. It will also help you understand whether, when compared with other brokers' answers, the broker is charging fair prices.

• What is your commission? Or do you use commission splits?
• Do you charge an hourly rate?
• Is there a lump sum due at any point prior to the selling of the house?

Remember that you also should figure out whether a broker will serve your needs and interests. You may have special wants and needs for the selling of your house, and they could pertain to many different things. Your wants and needs might pertain to how the house is marketed. They might also pertain to how the house will be presented to buyers. So, it's important to ask these questions.

If I were to work with you, how would you market my house, what is your marketing strategy, and do you have a general marketing plan?

• What listing agents will you use?
• Will you be using Zillow to list my house?
• How will you conduct open houses? How often will you hold walkthroughs?
• Do you regularly engage in real estate market research to properly evaluate home values?
• Do you function as a seller's agent in any way that deviates from standard practice?
• What are some of the more significant challenges you've faced in selling a home during your real estate career, and how did you handle those challenges?
• Will you organize meetings with potential buyers, and will you coordinate them personally?
• What is your track record in terms of success percentages when it comes to home sales? What was that success rate last year, and what has it been over a five-year period? How often have you sold a house at a sale price that matches the seller's original listing price?
• Will you be in touch regularly with the buyer's agent?
• Have you attended continuing education programs and classes to keep yourself current with brokerage job responsibilities? Or have you been a part of mentoring programs?

Finally, if you can't find reviews of the brokers, you might ask if they can give you the names and telephone numbers of other families that have used their services. It's always important to find experienced agents. These questions can help.

Even if a real estate broker or real estate brokerage firm appears to have much experience, it's always a good idea to ask questions to see if they can meet your needs. Real estate professionals are vetted by regulatory agencies, but they also need to be vetted by their clients. It's always a good idea to vet them on your own. Top agents are only an interview away.

Reflecting on Interviews

After the interviews, you should reflect on the brokers' answers. You should reflect on the following:

• Were the brokers responsive?
• Did they make things easier for you?
• Were the brokers personable, and did they seem competent?
• Did they give the impression of taking you seriously?
• If you did get phone numbers for other families they've helped, did those families give positive reviews of the brokers?

All these things can help you avoid difficult legal situations later in the process. Reflecting on answers during the real estate interviews can be the difference between finding the right broker and ending up with the wrong one.

Related Resources

For more information on selling a house, review the following from FindLaw:

• Home Selling Basics - This resource breaks down pointers for what to do as you're selling your house.
• Home Selling Process - This resource provides useful information on the processes involved in selling a house.
• Top Ten Reasons To Have a Real Estate Agent Sell Your Home

Need More Help? Contact an Attorney

Interviews with real estate brokers are important in selecting the right professional to help you sell your home. Speak with a real estate attorney if you have additional questions. It's possible legal issues could arise. If they do, it's important to speak with a real estate attorney. Real estate transactions are complicated enough. Get the help you need.