What to ask your estate agent: 20 questions when selling a house

What to expect from your estate agent depends on your personal situation as well as your own experience of selling a home. Asking these 20 questions will give you an idea of how skilled an estate agent is.

How to find the right estate agent

• Ask your friends and family for recommendations and check the online reviews of the estate agent of your choice.

• Find out which estate agents operate in your area. Local estate agents know your market.

• Contact your chosen estate agents. Ask them the following 20 questions. This will give you a good idea of which estate agent best suits your needs.

• Use this opportunity to obtain professional insights into the unique features of your market and get an idea of prices. Compare the estimates provided by the estate agents.

Below you will find 20 questions and possible answers that you can discuss with potential estate agents.

1. What is the maximum asking price for my property?

Ask the estate agents to provide a written comparative market analysis. Request a thorough and reasoned analysis of the condition of your property and any extensions.

If one estate agent quotes a much higher price than the others, this does not necessarily mean that this is the best estate agent. Occasionally, estate agents inflate asking prices in order to win business. Properties originally marketed at an inflated price usually end up selling for less than properties with a more realistic opening price.

2. How long will it take to sell my property?

It is impossible to predict the duration of a sale with any precision. However, experienced estate agents can provide a realistic estimation of how long the sale of a property might take.

3. What challenges do you expect when selling my property?

What renovations are recommend to help sell faster or for a higher price? On the one hand, answers to these questions indicate verifiable investments. They also provide an indication of how honest and straightforward the estate agent will be with you. Let’s say you have painted your walls an unusual colour; a professional estate agent should advise you to repaint them.

4. Are you a full-time or part-time estate agent?

Full-time estate agents usually have more selling experience and a wider network that those working part-time.

5. How long have you been selling properties?

Generally speaking, the longer estate agents have been operating, the greater their expertise. One rule of thumb is that estate agents with less than four years of professional experience should be supported by a more experienced colleague or team member.

6. How many clients are you working with in my area?

You can assess the quality of an estate agent in a similar way as you would a restaurant. Busy restaurants offer good food at reasonable prices. Estate agents with plenty of clients deliver excellent service for typical market prices.

7. How many properties have you sold in the last 12 months? How many of those were in my price category?

A high number of sold properties may sound impressive. What is more relevant is the number of properties sold in the same segment as yours. Experts in selling commercial properties and condominiums might not be the right choice if you are selling a detached house.

8. What is your marketing strategy for my property?

There’s more to marketing a home than putting up a sign in the garden and posting a listing on a property website. Professional estate agents arrange for professional photos to be taken. They organize drone photography to show off your home and the surrounding area. Analyze the marketing material produced by the estate agent for other properties. Pay attention to the layout and check for spelling mistakes. Visit the website to see how the properties for sale are marketed online. Properties with plenty of high-quality pictures and video tours attract more attention online.

9. Will you use a home stager to present my home? Who will pay for that?

Home stagers present your home in a way that increases the chances of a sale. It is the seller who normally pays for this service. Sometimes, estate agents also offer staging services to help them win business. Usually, no separate fee is charged for staging if the estate agent helps you do this.

10. Will you organize an open house day for potential buyers?

In some markets, open house days will help attract potential buyers. Look for an estate agent who knows how effective these events will be.

11. How long is the tie-in period?

If the selling process is not going according to plan, you need to know for how long you are tied in to a mandate agreement and under what circumstances you can terminate it early.

12. What is your fee and is it negotiable?

Prices are always negotiable. Estate agents do their work in advance of payment. This means you only pay their fee once the property is sold. Make sure that there won’t be any additional charges and that the agent fee covers everything – you can find out more in our article on estate agent commissions.

13. How often will I hear from you?

Professional estate agents will give you regular updates on how the sale is progressing. They will provide feedback straight after a viewing by potential buyers.

14. What’s the best way to contact you?

You need to be able to contact your estate agent via text message, telephone and email. Ask when it is most and least convenient for you to get in touch.

15. Roughly how much will my net profit be?

Experienced estate agents will be able to estimate how much of the proceeds you will be left with. For this, they will need information such as the price you paid for the property and details of the current mortgage. They will also need to know how long you have owned the property to work out the property gains tax.

16. What rights and obligations are defined in the mandate agreement?

Read through the mandate agreement carefully. Ask about anything you do not understand. If in doubt, do not sign the agreement.

17. Can you provide references?

Online reviews are great, but you should also speak to the estate agent’s previous clients.

18. Can you guide me through the selling process?

Estate agents should inform you about each step of the selling process and address any problems as soon as they arise. They should be able to explain matters using language that is easy to understand.

19. Do you have a website?

Visit the estate agent’s website. Pay attention to the design, layout and ease of navigation as well as the standard of writing. The way estate agents present themselves reflects the quality of their work.

20. Why should I hire you?

First and foremost, estate agents should be experienced and talented salespeople. This question will put their sales skills to the test.