5 Questions to Ask a Realtor Before You Sign

By Jay Day

With 20+ years of real estate experience, Jay has built a career around helping buyers and sellers make confident, informed moves.

Before you sign a listing agreement with any Realtor, there are five questions you should ask. The answers should be clear, specific, and honest. A listing agreement is a binding contract, so before you put your name on the line, here’s what I’d recommend you find out first.

I’ve been in real estate for over 20 years, and one of the most common things I hear from sellers who had a bad experience is that they didn’t ask enough questions upfront. They liked the agent. The agent told them what they wanted to hear.

They signed. Then, a few weeks in, they realized the plan wasn’t what they expected, and by then, they were already locked in. A good agent will welcome these questions because they’re confident in their answers. If an agent gets uncomfortable when you start asking, that tells you something.

Here are the five questions to ask before you commit.

1. What is your pricing strategy, and how did you arrive at this number? Any agent can give you a price. What you want to understand is how they got there. Are they pulling comparable sales from your neighborhood? Are they adjusting for condition and upgrades? Or are they just telling you what you want to hear to win the listing?

An agent who overprices your home to get a signature is doing you a disservice. You end up sitting on the market, making price reductions, and eventually selling for less than you would have if you’d priced it correctly from the start.

2. What does your marketing plan look like for my home? Putting a sign in the yard and adding the listing to the MLS is not a marketing plan. You want to know about professional photography, video, social media promotion, and targeted outreach to active buyers in your area.

Ask to see examples from their recent listings. The way they marketed their last homes is the way they’re going to market yours.

3. What are you charging, and what does that include? Commission rates are negotiable, and the structure has changed in recent years. You should know exactly what that agent charges, what’s included in the fee, and whether there are additional costs for things like staging or photography.

Ask for a seller’s net sheet so you can see what you’d actually walk away with. And keep in mind that the lowest commission doesn’t always mean the best value. What matters is what your net is in the end.

4. How will you communicate with me throughout the process? Will you get feedback after every showing? How quickly will the agent return your calls or texts? Will you get a weekly update even if there’s nothing new to report?

This is one of the biggest reasons sellers get frustrated during a listing. Set those expectations before you sign, not after things start to feel off.

5. What happens if I’m not happy? Can I cancel the agreement? Most listing agreements run three to six months, and most are exclusive. If things aren’t going well, you want to know your options.

A confident agent will offer reasonable terms because they expect to deliver results. If an agent won’t discuss cancellation or flexibility at all, that should tell you everything you need to know.

One more thing worth mentioning, since it comes up at the closing table on every sale. When it comes to closing on your home purchase or refinance, experience matters, which is why we refer our clients to Friends Title & Escrow.

They’re attorney-owned and operated, with local offices in Maryland and West Virginia, and licensed in Maryland, West Virginia, Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Florida. They combine today’s technology with an old-school personal touch, and they have you covered for all your closing needs.

If you’re thinking about selling and you want to have a conversation before you commit to anything, I’d welcome the opportunity. We can talk through your goals, walk through the numbers, and make sure you feel confident in the plan before we move forward.

Call or text me at 240-549-6659, email me at jay@dayhometeam.com, or visit blog.dayhometeam.com.