Interviewing A Realtor

There are hundreds of real estate licensees in our area. Choosing the” just  right” agent for your home can be confusing. It is especially difficult when you speak with several  agents. They all seem so convincing. There is a way to determine who is the most likely to succeed in getting your price and terms. The key is knowing the right questions to ask.

The following list provides you with questions to ask your prospective Realtor. The list will not only help you select the right Realtor, but will also get you the very best from the one you choose.

If the REALTOR you are interviewing falls short, can’t substantiate or hedges in any way, you’re interviewing the wrong REALTOR! Make sure the REALTOR can back up any and all statements. Take a “show me” attitude! Don’t be shy, this could be the most important business decision of your life!

1. How long have you been consulting in the real estate business? 25+ years
2. How many homes do you sell a year? 30-36
3. How many families have you helped in your career? 800+/-
4. What is your average time on the market versus the Multiple Listing Services (MLS)? 113 days
5. What is your average list to sell ratio, and how does that compare to the rest of the MLS? 97.2% vs. 97.9%
6. What additional real estate designations do you have? MO & KS license, GRI, RBAC
7. Where does your office rank in the Northland KC MLS? For how many years? #1, 25+ years running
8. What percentage of the entire marketplace does your company control? 25% +/-
9. What is your marketing plan? 30 day marketing plan
10. Do you have a professional marketing division by referral or advertising agency assist you in the marketing of your listings? Yes, BRO – ByReferralOnly.com, Re/Max International
11. Where and how often will you advertise our home?  All Internet Web Syndications, including Realtor.com, Remax.com, Zillow, Craig List, Facebook, Proquest Call Capture.
12. Will you have a professional style photos and video virutal tours taken of our home? Yes
13. Will you provide us with a professionally produced four-color property flyers of our home? Yes
14. Do you use the call-capture feature  to contact potential buyers who call about our listings? Yes, Daily

15. What lead generation system(s) do you have to develop an inventory of buyers for your listings? Where are they? Who manages them? 1000+/-  Past & Current Clients, Buyers Leads & Sphere of Influence

16. Will you advertise our listing on the Internet? Yes NiceGuyWorksHard.com,
www.realtor.com, remax.com, heartlandmls.com, Craigslist, Zillow.
17. Do you have a listing coordinator, a closing coordinator, a team coordinator that handles routine calls? Yes, Robin, Erin, Jennifer
18. In what ways will you encourage other REALTORS to show my home?MLS, Professional staging, pre-sale inspection, e-mail, weekly meetings, Hotsheets
19. Do you provide us with weekly activity reports of the showings? Yes
20. How often can we expect to hear from you personally? Every 7 to 10 days
21. Do you have a personal and team mission statement? Yes, Provided (see “How We Work”
22. Will you give us your professional opinion on how to prepare our home for showings? Yes, see 20 Steps to Sell your Home.
23. Do you have a list of references that we may call? Yes.