• Inquire whether your agent knows about your home’s location. Be sure to ask specific questions about the area and listen for specific answers. If their answers are vague, that’s a telling sign. • Explain your timeline and ask if it’s workable for them. Remember, it’s your timeline, so whatever they come up with should fit into the parameters you set, not into what works best for them. A good agent is able to adjust as necessary as long as they’re given a reasonable amount of time. Obviously they can’t control when a house will sell, but they can control when a marketing push happens, when open houses will be, and more. • Ask about the agent’s communication style and availability. Make sure you feel comfortable with your answers. For example, if they text within 72 hours, but you’d prefer they call within 48, it might not be the best match. Be honest about what you need and, should you feel like it’s the right agent, establish ground rules from the get-go. • Ask for details about marketing strategies. Make sure their approach matches what you need. You can find out whether there will be a direct mail campaign; when, where, and how your home will be advertised; what features they would highlight; who would take the photographs; and anything else that comes to mind. The right agent will be one who’s able to easily answer all these questions and whose answers align with what you’re looking for. You’ll also be able to see firsthand how the agent expresses him-or- herself, which is important in all aspects of the real estate process. Just a quick note: this conversation should come from a place of genuine curiosity because you don’t want to accidentally insult the agent. It can be helpful to use what you’ve already learned from 100
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