How to Interview an Agent Before You List Your Home

Most sellers spend more time researching a refrigerator than they do interviewing the person who’ll manage the biggest financial transaction of their year. That’s not a knock on sellers, it’s just how the process usually gets rushed. Here’s what an actual interview should sound like.

Start with the house, not the price

Before an agent talks price, ask them to talk about your property. What would buyers like about it? What would concern them? Which homes would they actually compare it to, and where does that comparison break down? An agent who can answer this specifically, not generically, has actually thought about your house.

Ask about the street, not just the neighborhood

Have they walked your street at different times of day? Do they know what’s confirmed about the area versus what’s just neighborhood talk? A subdivision-level answer isn’t the same as a street-level answer, and the difference shows up in how a home gets priced and marketed.

The one question that reveals the most

Ask for an example of a time they advised a seller against the seller’s own preferred price. Anyone can agree with you at the kitchen table. Agreement is easy and doesn’t cost the agent anything. You’re hiring judgment, not agreement, and judgment sometimes means telling you something you don’t want to hear.

What to bring to the interview

Bring any online estimate you’ve seen. Bring questions about comparable sales near you, and ask the agent to explain, not just state, why those comps do or don’t apply. A confident answer with no explanation behind it is the thing to watch for.

I welcome this kind of interview. Ask me the hard version of these questions. That’s exactly how I’d want a seller to choose me.

— Candie Worsham, Nashville Area Homes