~Breaking up is hard to do~ 5 questions to ask your REALTOR®

Sheila - These are all good questions, and I agree with Carla that a good agent should take the initiative and discuss these issues with new clients. But many do not, so it's up to the buyer or seller to ask.

I was just thinking about this the other day - when I saw some agents saying they work regular 9 to 5 hours and no week-ends. A buyer or seller who works those same hours should shy away from those agents and choose one who is available whey they are available.

Sheila, not many consumers think of a professional Realtor(r) for their real estate needs. Needless to say, they know at least one real estate agent in their sphere of influence and feel there is no need to go beyond that.

I like the list.  It's all about setting the right expectations upfront with a client.  

I think #3 is very important.
I have worked with agents who actually asked ME how to fill out parts of the contract.

I wish there was some sort of retainer to the buyer agency agreement.  For those who do understand what it's all about, I think there would be less time wasted on everyone's part if they buyer had some skin in the game. 

Sheila, you'll do a great job for your new clients!

Sheila, I think the last point is the most important - expectation of well defined, should answer the other questions. It would be reasonable to expect the Realtor® to have some openings in the schedule; and some experience with contacts and negotiation... asking the questions is managing the expectations.

Very good question.  Not all agent are going to work the same.  Some people match up better with certain types of agents.

Sheila, great post, and very nice list ...#5 is very Strong one. Thanks for sharing.!

Hey Sheila,

Very nice post!
Always good to have all expectations up front.. On both sides..
The key is, I never want to do business with someone who doesn't want to do business with me..

Hope we do another deal soon!

Rob

Great post; getting communication off on the proper footing is critical to maintaining a good relationship especially with sellers.

A good agent would go over all of those points with a buyer or seller at the time of listing or during the buyer interview to discuss their (buyers) wants and needs.  They (buyers and sellers) should not have to ask for that information.

Shelia,

These are good questions for buyers to ask Realtors and good questions for some Realtors to think about.

Good simple questions that should prevent miscommunication 

These are good questions for a listing agent as well! I hate to call for a showing appointment and not be able to get in touch with the agent.

Those are great questions for a consumer to ask of their agent when they are shopping for someone to sell their home.  Thanks for showing us them.

There are ''A" Realtors® and "C" Realtors®.  My experience is that most buyers and sellers don't know what questions to ask. The point is that people make a decison based on emotions and justify it with facts.  People hire people who like and trust.  Be that person and you won't have to answer any questions.

I agree that most people do not know what to ask of the potential agent. Often they will use someone they know, perhaps a relative or a friend of a friend, and not ask about the agent's actual experience. It is useful to have a consultation to discuss what to expect in a transaction.

These are good questions.  They are also questions as agents we should answer for our prospective clients without them even asking. -Kasey

I interview would-be clients at the same time they are interviewing me...I rarely take a property management client without a F2F meeting at the property FIRST!