FOR A SELLER TO ASK AN AGENT

1. Is this your full-time career?
Full-time (meaning that is their primary career) is preferable.  If the agent only works part-time be sure you are clear as to when he or she will be available to you as they may have another job or commitments that would make them unavailable when you need them.

2. Is your license in good standing?
It is always a good idea to check the agent's licensing with the states licensing board for any agent you are considering.

3. Are you a member of the state and national Realtor associations?
Brokers, associates, and sales agents who are members of their states association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors (NAR) follow the strict Realtor Code of Ethics, take more educational courses than other licensees, average higher earnings, and generally exhibit a higher level of professionalism than licensees who are not Realtors.

4. How long have you been selling homes in this area?
The longer an agent has worked in a particular neighborhood or city, the more familiar they will be with the trends and history there, and the more buyers they will be able to bring to your door.

5. How many properties have you sold in the last year? What types of properties were they?
The answers given here will really help you when it comes time to compare agents. If the agent specializes in commercial properties, then you probably want to look for another one who sells mostly residential homes. Find out what percentage were listings and what percentage were sales. Also ask about the price ranges of the homes sold. An agent who typically sells million dollar mansions may not be interested enough to spend time promoting a two-bedroom condo.

6. How many other buyers and sellers are you representing at this time?
It is difficult for an agent to efficiently represent more than 15 to 20 clients at a time without an assistant.

7. Do you have an assistant?
Find out if you and prospective buyers will be dealing with the assistant or directly with the agent, especially if they have more than one.

8. What types of buyers do you work with?
Every home seller would like find a buyer with spotless credit and a 20% down payment, but this obviously can't be the case every time. Find out if your agent is prepared to work with all buyers whether they are AAA or not.

9. What are your sales strengths? How do you improve your sales skills?
A true professional will regularly take courses designed to improve their communication and negotiation skills. Ask if they take the courses voluntarily or if their company requires them. This will say a lot about the individual as well as the agency.

10. What is the minimum listing term it will take to sell my home?
Unless your local market is very slow, a listing should not exceed 90 days without an unconditional cancellation clause.

11. How do you plan to market my home?
Find out what they will or will not do to sell your house. Do they plan to put your home on an Internet listing service? How often will they want you to have an open house? Find out how aggressive they will be in marketing your home, and if they will commit to that plan in writing.

12. How much can you get for my home?
The best agents will thoroughly inspect your home and give you a comparative market analysis (CMA) of recent sales in the area and of other homes that are currently listed before being able to answer this question.

13. How much commission will I have to pay?
The commission is usually negotiable and reflected in the sale price of the home. The typical sales commission is about 6% of the selling price of the property.

14. Can you provide me with a list of references that I may call?
Follow through with making the calls. Ask previous sellers how the overall experience was with that agent, and if they would use them again.

15. What times can I reach you and what numbers are the best to use?
Are they available most any time? Make sure that their time available to work with you coincides with your schedule.