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Home in Riverside Questions to Ask

Questions to Ask Before You Hire an Agent

When this domain was last a working website, more than twenty years ago, one of the things it offered visitors was a free report called "the most critical questions to ask any agent before listing." That was a lead-capture device — you gave your details and received a document. The underlying idea was sound, so here is the same subject, written out in full, free, with nothing to fill in and nobody to contact.

This site is independent. It represents no agent, refers no business, and has no interest in which professional you choose or whether you choose one at all.

Before the interview: two minutes of homework

Verify the licence first. In California, licence status, the responsible broker, and any disciplinary history are public record at the California Department of Real Estate. Do this before the meeting; it costs nothing and it occasionally changes everything.

Then look at what the person actually does, not what they claim. Recent transactions, the price bands they work in, the parts of the city they work in, and whether their published material is accurate. An agent who works mostly in a different market segment is not a worse agent — but they are a worse fit, and fit is the thing you are selecting for.

On pricing

  1. What do you think this property is worth, and show me the comparables you used. The number matters far less than the reasoning. Ask which sales they chose, why, and what adjustments they made for differences in lot, condition and era.
  2. Which comparable did you exclude, and why? A good answer here separates judgement from arithmetic.
  3. What would change your recommendation? Listen for conditions and evidence rather than confidence.
  4. If it has not sold in thirty days, what is your plan? The right answer involves a defined review point and specific actions, not "we reduce."

Be wary of the highest number in the room. Recommending a price above the evidence is the oldest way to win a listing, and it costs the seller weeks of stale market time. For the factors that genuinely move value in this market, see home values.

On preparation and marketing

  1. What would you do to the property before listing, and what would you not bother with? An agent who recommends everything is not advising you.
  2. Who takes the photographs, and at what time of day? In this climate, an interior shot at three in the afternoon in August looks nothing like the same room at ten.
  3. What does your marketing consist of, concretely? Ask to see the material from a recent comparable listing rather than a description of the approach.
  4. How will showings be handled, and how will I get feedback?

On disclosure and process

  1. Walk me through the disclosure obligations I have as a seller in California. This is the question that most reliably distinguishes an experienced agent. The obligations are extensive and the consequences of getting them wrong are legal rather than commercial.
  2. What are the contingency periods, and what happens at each deadline?
  3. What is likely to come up on inspection for a house of this age? A local specialist will have a specific answer for a 1920s bungalow and a different one for a 1965 ranch.
  4. How do you handle an appraisal that comes in below contract price?

On the working relationship

  1. Will I be working with you, or with your team? Both models are legitimate; you simply need to know which you are buying, and who handles what.
  2. How many clients are you currently representing?
  3. How and how often will you communicate, and what is your response time? Agree this explicitly; unmet communication expectations cause more dissatisfaction than any other single factor.
  4. Who covers you when you are unavailable?

On money and the agreement

  1. What is your compensation, and how is it structured? Commission is negotiable and set by agreement — there is no standard rate.
  2. What costs will I bear beyond commission? Preparation, staging, photography, repairs, escrow and title fees, and any transfer charges.
  3. How long is the listing agreement, and how do I terminate it?
  4. Does any obligation survive termination, and for how long?

The two closing questions

Ask for references from clients whose transactions did not go smoothly, and ask what the agent would tell you if they thought you should not sell right now. Both invite an answer that cannot be rehearsed, and both are far more informative than a list of successes.

How to decide

Interview more than one. Take notes during, not after. Compare the reasoning behind the price rather than the price, and weight local specificity heavily — an agent who can describe how a particular era of Riverside housing performs on inspection is telling you something no marketing brochure can. Then check the licence one more time, read the agreement properly, and sign it only when the answers on compensation, duration and termination are written down.

For what representation involves once you have chosen someone, see working with an agent.