Selling your home can be confusing.  There are so many things to prepare to ensure you get the best possible price for your home.  One of the things that some people overlook is the real estate agent they use.  It’s not just about putting up a For Sale sign and hoping for the best.  A good agent will always get you a better price for your property by putting your home in front of the right people.

Here are 10 questions to ask your real estate agent (plus some tips) so that you make sure you chose the BEST agent, not just any agent;

1. Can you tell me what your policy is around conjunctional sales with other agents and what rate you usually offer them? (A conjunctional sale is when an agent works with all other agencies to sell your home)
2. What is your list to sell ratio? (this is important as anyone can list a property these days – they don’t all sell)
3. What are your average days on market? (ask for the auction, negotiation and general average days – a good agent will know their numbers for each)
4. Do you have strong buyers for a property like mine? (this will be the number of people on the agents database and they should know how many buyers they have on their database)
5. How do you get the best price for your clients? (a very good question! Listen very carefully to this answer – if they don’t know or it sounds too generic, find another agent)
6. Can I have a list of the last 5 sellers with their contact details, for reference purposes? (a good testimonial list will also help – check the dates on the testimonials)
7. Can you show me a copy of the vendor report I should expect to receive each week? (this is a crucial part of the information an agent should be giving you each week! If they don’t have one, find another agent)
8. What will your response be when a buyer says my house is not worth the amount I want? (this question is all about the strategy that an agent uses to get you the best price for your house)
9. What is your personal auction clearance rate (vs the industry average)? (some agents love auction – it is the best way to get you a quick sale as well as create competition with conditional buyers to get your home sold quickly)
10. What do you do differently to other agents to sell my home? (the cherry on the top – go for an agent that stands out to you, they are selling your biggest asset)

Hopefully this question list will help you when choosing your real estate agent in the future.  Remember, if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.  I’m always happy to help.