Interviewing a Real Estate Agent - Part 2
Hello again. The first part of this article focused on preparing to interview a real estate agent for the listing process. The goal of the second part is to give you specific questions to ask during the interview. The purpose of the interview is to learn as much as you can about the prospect. As mentioned in the first part, you want to determine the agent's Expertise in ethics and professionalism, Expertise in marketing (especially e-marketing), and Expertise in customer service. The open-ended, situational interview questions offered in this article will help you discern the authenticity, ability, and affability of the interviewee. Remember, choosing the RIGHT agent for you and your situation may save you headaches and dollars.
To get the most informative answers from an interview, ask open-ended questions and situational questions. Open-ended questions require the respondent to present a coherent, extended answer - not allowing the interviewee to answer "yes" or "no" to your questions. Open-ended questions allow you time to read the person's body language, tone, intelligence level, honesty, experience level, and so on. Situational questions require the interviewee to demonstrate her/his decision-making skills, ethical judgments, and professional ability by recounting specific events in the past. Asking the right types of questions will help you assess the prospective agent accurately and extensively.
EXAMPLES OF OPEN-ENDED QUESTIONS
1. Will you tell me about your experience and education in residential real estate?
2. Can you discuss the formal training that you have had in selling residential real estate?
3. How do you determine the best marketing strategy for each home selling situation?
4. What are the methods you use to determine the most accurate listing price for homes you list?
5. Please discuss the demographics and market trends for this area.
6. Will you tell me about your internet and electronic marketing strategies?
7. I would like to see examples of your real estate flyers. Can you tell me a little about how you design the flyers and what guides your decision for pictures and text?
8. Will you tell me about your best and worst listing experiences?
9. Can you tell me about your concept of Agency and how you understand Loyalty to Client and Confidentiality?
10. What will your references (personal and professional) say about your ability to get along with others and follow through with commitments?
11. If you sell my house, what happens to Agency and the sales side of the commission?
12. What would it take for you to give me a commission reduction if you sell my house?
EXAMPLES OF SITUATIONAL QUESTIONS
1. Can you give me an example of a time when you could have lied about a property but chose to disclose the truth?
2. Tell me about a time when you had a disagreement with a seller client and how you resolved it.
3. Discuss a time when you told a seller client a difficult truth about his/her property. How will you give me constructive criticism about the house?
4. I would like to hear about some of the real estate mistakes that you have made in the past 12 - 18 months. Are you a perfect real estate agent?
5. Can you tell me about any listings you had that have not sold or expired?
6. Will you tell me about a time when you pitched in a small amount of money in order to make a deal work?
7. When you conduct Open Houses, what do you do to prepare? Tell us about a successful and unsuccessful Open House that you have conducted.
8. What angers you in real estate? Tell us about a time when you did not handle your anger well. What do you do to keep anger in control?
9. I would like to know about the inspectors, appraisers, title companies, mortgage personnel that you work with on a regular basis. Tell me about how you recommend other licensed professionals for the selling process.
10. When is it ethical and acceptable to tell "white lies" in the selling process?
11. How do you work harder and smarter than other agents?
12. What have you done in the past when a property is not getting showings and selling in a timely manner?
We hire professionals to provide expert, ethical services. We hire primary care physicians to take care of our family. We hire mechanics to keep our cars running. It is our responsibility to seek out the most qualified, most experienced professionals when important issues are involved. The sale of a home involves thousands of dollars in family equity. Interviewing real estate agents may seem silly or even obsessive, but cutting through the fluff of a sales presentation to the meat of an agent's ability can make a big difference for you. When listing a home for sale, you are entering into a personal and legal relationship with a real estate professional. The process endures for 30 to 120 or more days. Taking time in the beginning to choose an authentic, able, and affable agent will pay off.
I encourage you to take the reins of the selling process and maximize your chances for a successful, win/win outcome. I believe in you! Check out my website at www.richardbarbee.com for more helpful tips and my newsletter. Take Care.
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