Warning! Do Not Hire Any Real Estate Agent Before You Read This FREE Special Report

Not all real estate agents are the same. If you decide to seek the help of an agent when selling or buying your home, you need some good information before you make any moves.

Picking the right agent is one of those critical issues that can cost or save you thousands of dollars. There are very specific questions you should be asking to ensure that you get the best representation for your needs. Many agents would prefer that you don't ask these questions, because the knowledge you'll gain from their honest answers will give you a very good idea about what outcome you can expect from using this agent. And let's face it - in real estate, as in life - not all things are created equal.

Hiring a real estate agent is just like any hiring process - with you on the bosses side of the desk. It's critical that you make the right decision about who will handle what is probably the single largest financial investment you will ever make.

To help homeowners do a better job of choosing an agent to represent them, industry experts have prepared a FREE Special Report entitled "10 Questions You Must Ask When Interviewing an Agent". This report identifies 10 critical questions that will help you make an accurate prediction of how good a job this agent will do for you.

Order this report NOW and find out the questions that agents would prefer you never ask!

10 Things You Need to Know Before You Hire an Agent

“It’s critical that you make the right decision about who will handle what is probably the single largest financial investment you will ever make.”

Not all real estate agents are the same. If you decide to seek the help of an agent when selling or buying your home, you need some good information before you make any moves.

An agent can cost or save you thousands of dollars

Picking an agent is one of those critical issues that can cost or save you thousands of dollars. There are very specific questions you should be asking to ensure that you get the best representation for your needs. Some agents may prefer that you don’t ask these questions, since the knowledge you’ll gain from their honest answers will give you a very good idea about what outcome you can expect from using them as an agent. And let’s face it - in real estate, as in life - not all things are created equal.

Hiring a real estate agent is just like any hiring process - with you on the boss’s side of the desk. It’s critical that you make the right decision about who will handle what since this is probably the single largest financial investment you will ever make.

1.What makes you different? Why should I list my home with you?

It’s a much tougher real estate market than it was a decade ago. What unique marketing plans and programs does this agent have in place to make sure that your home stands out favorably versus other competing homes? What things does this agent offer you that others don’t to help you sell your home in the least amount of time with the least amount of hassle and for the most amount of money?

2. What is your track record and reputation in the market place?

It may seem like everywhere you look, real estate agents are boasting about being #1 for this or that, or quoting you the number of homes they’ve sold. If you’re like many homeowners, you’ve probably become immune to much of this information. After all, you ask, “Why should I care about how many homes one agent sold over another. The only thing I care about is whether they can sell my home quickly for the most amount of money.”

 Well, because you want your home sold fast and for top dollar, you should be asking the agents you interview how many homes they have sold. I’m sure you will agree that success in real estate is selling homes. If one agent is selling a lot of homes where another is selling only a handful, ask yourself why this might be? What things are these two agents doing differently?

You may be surprised to know that many agents sell fewer than 10 homes a year. This volume makes it difficult for them to do full impact marketing on your home, because they can’t afford the special programs to give your home a high profile.

3. What are your marketing plans for my home?

What does this agent do to market the homes s/he lists versus the other agents you are interviewing? In what media (newspaper, magazine, TV etc.) does this agent advertise? Is this advertising designed to sell the home, or to advertise the agent to attract more business? What about Open Houses? Most importantly what does s/he know about the effectiveness of one medium over the other? What works, what doesn't - have they tested it? You may be very surprised at what really is the most effective in selling a home. Times have changed and the internet is more important than ever, yet many agents rely on old-fashioned, outdated methods to market a home.

4. What has sold in my area?

Agents should bring you a complete listing of all comparable sales in your area. When selecting a price for your home, it is critical that the agent has completely analyzed all recent sales in your area and is in tune with current market conditions and buyer trends.

5. Does your Broker control your advertising or do you?

If your agent is not in control of their own advertising, then your home will be competing for advertising space not only with this agent’s other listings, but also with the listings of every other agent in the brokerage. If this is the main marketing strategy that the agent uses, then there could be a problem for you.

6. On average, when your listings sell, how close is the selling price to the asking price, and how long does it take for your listings to sell?

This information is available from the Real Estate Board. Is this agent’s performance higher or lower than the board average? Their performance on this measurement will help you predict how high a price you will get for the sale of your home and how long your home will be on the market before it sells..

7. What negotiating strategies do you use to get the best possible price and terms?

Many agents just react when an offer arrives. But there is more, much more, that a skilled negotiator can do for you when they are in your corner. How will they stand up to a shrewd, experienced buyer? Will they anticipate the common pitfalls?

8. How many Buyers are you currently working with?

Obviously, the more buyers your agent can attract, the better your chances are of selling your home quickly. Also, an agent that works with buyers has very likely seen a lot more homes than an agent that doesn't work with many buyers. They may have a better feel for the market. Ask them to describe the system they have for attracting buyers.

9. Do you have a reference list of clients I could contact?

Ask to see this list, and then proceed to spot check some of the names.

10. What happens if I’m not happy with the job you are doing to get my home sold?

Can I cancel my listing contract? Be wary of agents that lock you into a lengthy listing contract where they can get out of (by ceasing to effectively market your home) but you can’t. There are usually penalties and broker protection periods which safeguard the agent’s interests, but not yours. How confident is your agent in the service s/he will provide you? Will s/he allow you to cancel your contract without penalty if you’re not satisfied with the service provided?

Evaluate each agent’s responses to these 10 questions carefully and objectively. Who will do the best job for you? These questions will help you decide.