As soon as you found out you were going to need a real estate agent you probably scrambled to find someone to begin working with you. The excitement of buying or selling property can be great and once the decision has been made most people are ready to move on with the process and get the ball rolling. In this case, your first move was to track down a real estate agent to meet with. However, no matter how many agents you meet, there are some questions that you want to ask at the very beginning of the relationship, before you make a commitment.
How much is this going to cost me?
If you are selling your home a real estate agent will get a certain percentage of the sale. Once committed to an agent you will sign a contract and find out just what that amount will be. However, be proactive and take advantage of the opportunity to ask this question face to face.
What do you think my home is worth?
Most agents will give you a figure about the value of your home. They will have an idea of what it should start out at and some parameters of the most and least that you will get. Ask for their honest feedback on the reality of getting the amount of money you are looking for. You don’t want to get excited only to find out later it just isn’t going to work.
What can I do to increase the value of my home?
Real estate agents know that there are some things that buyers like to see and some things that can really turn off the sale. Find out what improvements you can make and make them. Don’t take the suggestions personally and realize that your agent wants you home to sell for as much as possible as well.
