Selling A Home Series: Top Ten Questions to Ask Your REALTOR

Catherine Zerba's
SELLING A HOME SERIES:
Top 10 Questions for
Hiring Your REALTOR®
Catherine Zerba, REALTOR®
Catherine@catherinezerba.com
linkedin.com/in/CatherineZerba
617.688.6024
www.CatherineZerba.com
facebook.com/CatherineZerba
twitter.com/CatherineZerba

Introduction: How do you find a competent
REALTOR®?
You’ve decided to sell your home and need to find a REALTOR®.
Do you;
a) Pick up the phone and call a local real estate agency and hire the
first person that answers the phone?
b) Hire your relative that dabbles in real estate part-time?
c) Approach the process like an interview for a job and have
questions prepared in advance and find 2-3 REALTOR®s to
interview?
There is no correct answer however I hope most of you
thought “c” might be the correct choice.
All presentation content copyright © 2012 Catherine Zerba, REALTOR®. All rights reserved. Catherine
Zerba is a licensed REALTOR with Keller Williams Realty.

(con’t)
Introduction: How do you find a competent
REALTOR®?
• What are the relevant questions you should ask to find the most
qualified REALTOR® for the job?
• I’m amazed that people don’t ask me more questions for such
an important decision/financial investment. Therefore, I’ve
compiled the “Top 10 Questions” to ask in order to assist you!

#1 – What Services will my REALTOR®
perform to sell my home?
•  What differentiates this REALTOR®’s services from the others?
(Sales, Marketing, Negotiating & Project Management, etc.)
•  A listing contract is typically a 2 page document and does not
specify all the tasks that a REALTOR® should perform for you.
•  Ask the REALTOR® to document, in writing, all the tasks they
said they would perform for you and attach it as an Addendum
to the listing contract. Tasks/deliverables with deadlines should
be denoted.

#2 – What are the REALTOR®’s credentials?
•  What is the REALTOR®’s list-to-sold ratio? (the # of properties
listed for sale and the # they actually sold).
•  Do you want to hire a REALTOR® with 20 listings but they only
sold 5, a 25% list-to-sold ratio ? Or a REALTOR® that had 10
listings and sold all 10, a 100% list-to-sold ratio?
•  How many homes does the REALTOR® manage at one time?
(will you be given minimal service or do they manage their
“inventory” and time and you will be given better service?)

(con’t)
#2 – What are the REALTOR®’s credentials?
•  What is the Number of Properties the REALTOR® has Sold within
the last 3 years? (This speaks to their transaction
experience. REALTOR®s can print out a ‘Sales Achievement
Report’ for any given time period, ask to see one!)
•  Is the REALTOR® Full-time or Part time? (Do they have another
job and your home will not be their priority, nor have their full
attention?)
•  Are they Educated? Ask for a Resume! (the REALTOR® will be
representing you to the Buyer’s REALTOR®, the Buyer, the Lender,
Appraiser, Home Inspector, etc. What is their reputation in the
industry? Do they take continuing education courses? Did you
know you could be liable for their actions? Remember, the
REALTOR® is a reflection of you!)

#3 – How often will the REALTOR®
communicate with me?
•  By what method will they communicate?
•  If technology is important to you - do they e-mail, text, Skype,
‘face time’?
•  The key to most successful relationships is communication, be
it personal or business. Ask how the REALTOR® will
communicate with you? Or better yet, the REALTOR® should
ask you “how do YOU want to communicate?”

#4 – How does the REALTOR® manage their
business?
•  REALTOR®s are independent 1099 contractors, they are not
employees of the real estate company.
•  What are their Office Hours? Do they have another job?
•  Do they do Personal Marketing/Networking? Do they invest in
their business? If so, how and what %?
•  Do they have E-fax & a Shredder to protect the confidentiality
of any documents being transmitted? (Or will documents sit on
the office copier for anyone to see?)
•  Do they use DocuSign or EchoSign?

#5 – Will my REALTOR® always represent
my best interests?
•  Real estate companies practice under two different business
models - ‘Traditional Brokerage’ or ‘Designated Agency’. Ask the
REALTOR®, you are considering hiring, which business model
their company practices. Here’s why;
•  If the Buyers REALTOR®, for your property, is from the same
company as your REALTOR® and the real estate company
practices ‘Designated Agency’, your REALTOR® continues to
represent your sole & best interests (Your REALTOR® remains
your ‘Designated Seller Agent’).
•  If the Buyers REALTOR®, for your property, is from the same
company as your REALTOR® and the real estate company
practices ‘Traditional Brokerage’, your REALTOR® no longer
represents your sole & best interests (‘Disclosed Dual Agency’ is
required and both REALTOR®’s lose their ability to advocate for
their respective clients from that point forward).

(con’t)
#5 – Will my REALTOR® always represent my
best interests?
•  An important question to ask at the time of the Listing Contract
is: Will I ever be put in a position of ‘Disclosed Dual Agency’ and
lose my REALTOR®’s representation of my best interests? For
instance, when a Buyer looks at your property, informs your
REALTOR® they want to make an offer, and asks your
REALTOR® to write the contract or Purchase & Sales
Agreement;
a) If you agreed to ‘Disclosed Dual Agency’ in the listing
contract, then your REALTOR® no longer represents your best
interests. Your REALTOR® is now acting in the capacity of a
‘Disclosed Dual Agent’ (Your REALTOR® can no longer
advocate for you, nor the Buyer).
b) If you did NOT agree to ‘Disclosed Dual Agency’ in the Listing
Contract, your REALTOR® continues to represent your best
interests . The REALTOR® can still write the contract for the
Buyer however merely assists them in the transaction with
customer-level services only (Your REALTOR® continues to
advocate for you).
• 
Zerba is a licensed REALTOR with Keller William Realty.

#6 - Does the REALTOR® seem competent
and know the local market?
•  Ask for information on the average sold price, days on market,
absorption rates for your local area – evaluate if the REALTOR®
is knowledgeable on the local real estate market.
•  A competent REALTOR® will be prepared with market
information to help educate you on the market and to establish
proper expectations (how long it will take to sell your home and
for what price).
•  Is your home located in the REALTOR® s market area of
expertise?

#7- What is the quality of the REALTOR®’s
portfolio of properties?
•  Do your due diligence- Evaluate other properties the
REALTOR® has marketed for sale or has sold.
•  Look on-line and via hard copy. Compare the difference
between the REALTOR®s presentation materials. Evaluate how
they “present” the homes they are selling (Quality of photos,
Quality of text write up, Are room dimensions noted?, Any
spelling errors?, Is the home marketed in an appealing
manner?, Would you want to go see the house?).

#8- Is the REALTOR® being honest with you
regarding the price?
•  Do the sold comparables validate the price they are suggesting
for your home? OR are they overpricing your home so you will
like what you hear & hire them?
•  Should you hire your REALTOR® based on price? OR Should
you hire your REALTOR® based on the services they will
provide you? Can a REALTOR® guarantee you a price for
your home? OR Can they guarantee the services they will
provide in marketing and selling your home?

#9- Is the REALTOR® in good standing with
their real estate commission?
•  Real Estate Commissions exist for the consumers protection.
•  Contact your respective States’ Real Estate Commission to
inquire if the REALTOR® , you are considering hiring , is in
good standing. Are there any grievances or complaints about
the REALTOR®? If so, ask the REALTOR® to explain.
•  NH – (603) 271-2701
•  MA – (617) 727-2373

#10- What are your goals and expectations
of the REALTOR®?
•  Most successful relationships are based on both parties having
the same understanding, expectations and goals.
•  Discuss your expectations of the REALTOR®.
•  What are the REALTOR®’s expectations of you?

Conclusion: Have you positioned yourself
for success?
•  Did you ask all REALTOR®s the ‘Top 10 Questions’?
•  Do you feel aligned for success with the REALTOR® you are
considering hiring? Do you feel confident your expectations and
goals will be met and your home will be sold?
•  Have you made an objective business decision and this
REALTOR® is the most qualified? Remember, this is a business
transaction and perhaps your largest financial investment!
•  Interview me with these ‘Top 10 Questions’ to have a professional
real estate experience with a skilled REALTOR® who believes in
‘raising the bar’ for the residential real estate industry. If I do not
service your geographic area, I can assist you by interviewing and
finding a REALTOR® in your area.

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