Questions to Ask Your London Real Estate Agent Before Listing

When selling your home and looking for a great London real estate agent, there are several questions you should ask every Realtor before hiring them.  Many people just go with their gut instinct when choosing one or on recommendations from friends or family but if you want your home to sell fast and smoothly there is lots to consider.

First is finding someone who is impartial and can have an honest and direct conversation with you.  You’ll have a lot of communication with this person so you’ll want to find someone that is a good communicator and feel you can get along with them well.  It’s also important to find someone whose style matches your own.  If you’re a real go-getter, then find someone with a similar mindset or otherwise.  You need to like the person otherwise how can you expect potential Buyers to like them?

Choose someone who is qualified, ethical and knows the market inside and out.  They need to be able to answer all your questions and most importantly, listen to you when you have concerns.  Here are some questions you should ask a Realtor when interviewing them about selling your home.

How Many Homes Do You Sell Annually?

Experience shows in the real estate business.  There is no bar exam or school that teaches a Realtor how to handle every problem. Most learn on the job so the more homes they sell, the more experience they'll have.  That said there’s nothing wrong with hiring an agent with less experience.  They’ll have more time for you and so long as they have access to more experienced mentors and have had competent training, that can be okay.   Most people equate the number of years in the business as experience but the number of homes the real estate agent sells annually is the best indicator of experience.

Can You Provide References?

Realtors who have been in the business long enough should have plenty of positive reviews and testimonials available to view online.  They should also be able to provide you with references from recent clients on request.  

What Sets You Apart From The Competition?

Any good agent who understands the business will have no problem answering this.   Everyone has their own standards so you want to find someone whose values agree with yours.

Can I Review Documents I Will Have to Sign Beforehand?

A good Realtor can send you any documents you may be required to sign in advance of your meeting or will have these documents available for you to review when you meet.  For a Seller, the documents you may be required to sign include:

  • Listing Agreement

  • MLS Data Input Form

  • Offer Conveyance Instructions

How Much Do You Charge?

This is the big question all home sellers want to know.  All rates are negotiable but typically a Real Estate Brokerage will charge 3 to 5% total commission + HST.  To break this down further, there are two components 1) The compensation for the Buyer's representative and 2) The compensation for the Seller's representative or listing agent.  All Realtors provide different levels of service for their customers so it's important to understand the services they provide and the value proposition.  A higher level of marketing and service frequently translates to higher returns on the sale of your home.  

Can You Offer Any Sort of Guarantee?

What is the company or agent's policy with cancelled agreements?  If you sign an agreement with an agent and find later you aren't happy or circumstances have changed, will they let you cancel the agreement?  It's important to know whether the agent will respect your wishes or if you are bound to a contract for what can be upwards of 6 months.

When arranging a meeting with a Realtor, have all your questions ready and do a bit of research on the current housing market so you can have a better idea of what to expect.  A good agent should be able to answer all your questions with confidence and be able to guarantee that they are working in your best interests.

Give us a call and we will answer any questions you have about the real estate market and our services available to you. We have the experience and the knowledge to make all of our clients' experts in their own right when it comes to buying and selling homes here in London.