Bob Bruss has some great questions to ask Realtors when interviewing them prior to the sale of your home. From Inman news,

Ask the 10 key questions each agent hopes you don’t ask:

1.) How long have you been selling homes in this area?

2.) What are the names, addresses, and phone numbers of your five most recent home sellers?

3.) What is your writing marketing plan for my home?

4.) Do you sell real estate full-time (dismiss any part-time agent unless you want part-time service)?

5.) How many listings do you currently have (watch out for agents who have too many listings and won’t have personal time to devote to your home sale)?

6.) Do you have any office assistants (if so, inquire if you will be dealing with them or the agent)?

7.) What day of the week do you take off and which agent covers for you when you are gone?

8.) Do you plan to take any vacation during my listing period?

9.) Will you be able to sell my home within the 90-day listing period?

10.) What is your sales commission fee schedule?

And I’ll add #11: Are you a Realtor®? Realtors® subscribe to a whole different level of ethics and take required training far beyond what a normal real estate licensee would have taken.

These are all great questions and ultimately can give you insight into whether you’re hiring someone who will do the job or not. Even if you have worked with one agent on other transactions, it never hurts to speak to at least one, if not two, other agents. You might be surprised what you learn from the others, even if you continue to work with your original agent.

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