Ready to buy a house? The first thing you’ll want to do is hire a real estate agent—the go-to pro whose sole goal is to help make your homebuying dream come true.
But not all real estate agents are created equal. It’s highly recommended by experts to interview at least three agents before deciding who you want by your side for this most important of all purchases.
Peggy Yee, a supervising broker at Frankly Realtors in Vienna, VA, agrees and even offers her input on some key questions to ask a real estate agent to help suss out which one is right for you.
1. How long have you been a real estate agent?
You want a professional who knows the ins and outs of the business, and that level of knowledge comes only with experience. Look for someone with at least a few years working of with buyers—bonus points if they are in the area you’re eager to move to.
That’s not to say that new kids on the block should be looked over. If the agent is a rookie, ask them if he/she will receive hands-on guidance from a real estate broker in their office. (FYI, a broker is someone who has taken real estate education courses beyond the agent level and often manages a team of agents). Remember: There’s something to be said for being young and hungry!
2. What neighborhoods do you specialize in?
Your agent should be well-acquainted with the areas you’re interested in, so search for someone who can rattle off key info about your desired neighborhood. In particular, they should be very knowledgeable about the current home prices in the area—both listing and final sale numbers.
They should also have solid knowledge of the surrounding schools, safety, public transportation, and cultural amenities in the neighborhood.
3. What’s your schedule and availability?
Many real estate agents work part time, which could present problems. Ideally, you want an agent who works full time or, if not, the agent should make it abundantly clear that urgent matters will be addressed promptly.
Additionally, make sure that their schedule aligns with your own. There’s no sense in hiring an agent who isn’t available to take you to showings on weekends.
4. Do you work independently or with a team?
Some people think real estate is a solo sport, but many agents work on a real estate team with other agents, an administrative assistant, and a team leader—and there are benefits to working with an agent who’s part of a pack.
For example, if your agent is tied up and you need to see a property ASAP, someone else on the team can step in and show you the home, or handle last-minute problems in lieu of your agent.
There are benefits in numbers!
5. What percentage of your business is working with homebuyers?
While most agents help both homebuyers and sellers, the very best tend to specialize in one or the other, since the specialities are quite different.
To buy a home, you should team up with a buyer’s agent—someone who specializes in working with homebuyers. A listing agent, by comparison, focuses on working with home sellers. Look for an agent with a buyer-to-seller client ratio of at least 7 to 3—or ideally, higher.
6. How many homes did you help buyers close in the past year?
This question is specific, because you want someone who successfully helps people buy homes.
“There’s a big difference between ‘working’ with homebuyers and actually selling people homes,” Yee points out.
However, there’s no magic number here. You’re really just aiming to hear from the agent that they’ve been successful.
7. How long does it typically take buyers you’ve worked with to find and purchase a home?
Even in a buyer’s market, buying a house takes time. In fact, sometimes it’s even harder to land in a place because houses go so quickly
In general, it takes an average of 30 to 60 days to shop for a house, and 14 to 60 days to go from contract to closing. However, this number varies widely from area to area, and it’s crucial that you have a handle on how long it’ll take you. Yet you also don’t want an agent who drags their feet unnecessarily.
Translation: If an agent says it typically takes six months to a year to buy a house, that’s a red flag you could end up frustrated.
8. How will you determine what homes may match my wants and needs?
A good buyer’s agent provides clients with a comprehensive questionnaire to help them pinpoint their homebuying criteria, so ask for this survey in advance. It will cover important information like how much house you can afford, where you want to live, and what features to prioritize when looking at properties.
Also, your agent should be able to tell you whether your list of “needs” is realistically affordable in your area.
9. How many clients are you currently working with?
You want an agent who’s busy—but not too busy.
Anyone juggling much more than 10 clients might be too busy to provide you with high-quality, one-on-one service. Then again, if they are part of a team, with someone available to tag in to make sure your needs are met, then amount of clients shouldn’t be a deal breaker.
10. How will you keep in contact with me during the buying process, and how often?
Does your agent prefer to stay in touch mainly by phone, email, or text—and how about you? Generally, it’s best if your agent’s preferred method of communication aligns with your own. If your agent is a texter while you prefer an actual conversation on the phone (or vice versa), that could drive you both bananas.
You should also ask how often you two will be touching base. Navigating the homebuying process requires good communication between you and your agent, so you want someone who will stay in touch and check in with you on at least a weekly basis. In a fast-moving market, your agent should be touching base with you daily, lest you miss out on your dream house.
Additional information provided by Dina Sartore-Bodo.
