Interview three, and ask each one to justify their suggested price with comparable sales. The agent who names the highest number without evidence is the one to be most careful with.
The questions that actually reveal something
- What did you sell in this neighbourhood in the last six months, and at what percentage of asking? Local recent performance beats general experience, and the ratio to asking price tells you about their pricing judgement.
- How did you arrive at that suggested price? You want comparable sales with addresses and dates, not a feeling about the market.
- What is your average days on market compared with the area average? A specific number with a source, not an impression.
- Who will actually handle my sale? Some listings are won by a senior agent and worked by a junior. That is not automatically bad, but you should know.
- What is your marketing plan, specifically? Photography, floor plans, listing syndication and open house strategy, not a generic promise of exposure.
- What are the terms if I want to end the agreement? Ask before signing, not when you want out.
Understanding commission properly
Commission is negotiable and always has been. Recent structural changes in how buyer agent compensation is handled have made the negotiation more visible, and it now needs to be discussed explicitly rather than assumed.
What matters is knowing what the number covers. Ask what is included in the rate, what costs sit on top, whether professional photography and floor plans are included, and how buyer agent compensation is being handled in your specific agreement. A slightly higher rate that includes strong marketing can easily outperform a cheaper rate that does not.
Red flags in the first meeting
- A high price with no comparables. Winning a listing on an unrealistic number, then pushing for reductions later, is a recognised pattern.
- Pressure to sign immediately. A good agent expects you to interview others.
- Vague marketing. Exposure is not a plan.
- Reluctance to discuss commission. It is negotiable, and evasion about that is informative.
- Discouraging you from talking to other agents. Confidence does not require exclusivity of access.
- No written agreement offered. Everything should be in writing.
What to verify independently
Check licence status through your state real estate commission, which is a free public lookup. Look at their current and recent listings yourself and judge the photography and copy, since that is exactly what your listing will get. Read reviews for patterns rather than individual complaints, because one unhappy client tells you little and five making the same point tells you a great deal.