Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Listing Agent

Agent Experience

• How long have you been selling real estate?
  
• How many homes did you sell last year (as a seller's agent)?
  
• Of the homes you sold last year (again, as a seller’s agent), what was the average number of days between the original listing and an accepted offer?
  
• What is the average ratio between the listing price and the selling price?
  
• What is your experience with my particular neighborhood?
  

Marketing Plan

• How do you propose to market my house? (open houses, previews for agents, yard signs, MLS listings, etc.)
  
• At open houses: will ***you*** be there to interact with potential buyers, or will you just send an assistant?
  
• What sort of advertising will you do?
  
• What sort of Web marketing can I expect? (photos, virtual tours, links to other Web sites, etc.)
  
• Do you take professional-grade photographs (or work with actual professional photographers)?
  
• How often do you expect to communicate with me regarding inquiries and other buyer interest?
  

Personal Info

• Do you consider yourself readily accessible? (evenings, weekends, by cell phone or beeper)
  
• Do you expect to be out of the office while my home is listed? (vacation, etc.) If so, who will be handling the listing in your absence?
  
• Can you provide (at least) three references?
  

Money Matters

• What do you think my home is worth, and how do you determine your valuations?
  
• What is your fee structure? Commission, flat-fee, a la carte? Do you recommend one or another?
  
• What do the fees include and, perhaps more important, what don’t they include (e.g., document preparation, etc.)?
  
• “That’s a hunk of change” (or something to that effect). Why do you believe you’re worth it?
  

Source: zillow.com