8 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Real Estate Agent

By yanainassar

January 7, 2020

According to Miami Realtors Association the number of real estate agents with active membership in the Miami Association surpassed 40,000 making it the Largest Local Association in the nation. With that many licensed agents, who would you choose to sell your house?

Golden Rules you need to be aware of when planning to hire a Realtor to sale your home:

1. NEVER HIRE YOUR COUSIN / BEST FRIEND / SISTER IN LAW just because she/he holds a real estate license. Unless your relative or friend is experienced and committed to the profession, your property will sit on the market for months, if it gets sold at all. If your friend or relative has a 9 to 5 job:
   • how will she/he show your property to potential buyers when they need to see it on a Wednesday at 2:00 pm? Buyers have a list of properties to see and if your agent is not available in their time, they just keep looking while your property stays in this hot market as cold as an iceberg.
   • Is this person able to answer their phone while at work? Think about it, that unanswered call could be your buyer!
   • Assuming the best, your cousin Realtor is able to answer the phone and magically can schedule all requested ALL showings after 6:00 pm, will that person have enough time left to deal the transaction and all it requires?

   But if you are reading this, chances are that you already went down that route and learned your lesson.

2. NEVER FALL FOR A SCRIPT. Many real estate companies train their agents to convince you to list with them. They don’t even let you talk, they have a speech prepared to let you believe that you have nothing else to ask. They talk so much that you are left with the impression that everything has been said. That is a sales tactic and you should NOT fall for it.In our listing presentations we enter into a conversation, you can ask as many questions as you like and of course we will clearly explain what and how we do it. No one-fit-all scripts!

In Brickell there are as many real estate agents as there are condominiums. The question is, who should you hire?

QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN HIRING A REAL ESTATE AGENT TO LIST YOUR BRICKELL CONDO:

• • 1. What type of properties and neighborhood do you specialize on?
       You want to list your property with a real estate agent who specializes in selling residential condos – not houses, not offices, not land but condos – Why? because the process of selling a condo is different than a selling a house and differs even more if the property is commercial. When selling a condo in Brickell, the real estate agent must be familiar with the association rules and regulations, pets policies, legal issues, etc. A Realtor familiar with the buildings saves you time by marketing the property to the right person. For example, if the building allow the owners to have pets, a good marketing tactic would be to target pet lovers. If the building has legal issues with the association, it would be smart to target cash buyers and investors since financing would be difficult.
       On the same token, you want to list your condo with a real estate agent who specializes in Brickell condos. A specialized agent will know the ins and outs of the neighborhood and also will be able to recommend a loan officer or lender who has done loans in the area.
    2. Are you a full time Real Estate Agent?
       You want an agent who is not distracted by other activities, who is 24/7 thinking real estate, and to whom selling your home is her/his main source of income, that’s motivational.
    3. Do you have a website to list and feature my property?
       If an agent is trying to sell themselves as an expert in your neighborhood, the minimum she/he should own is a “neighborhood” website such as brickellmania.com , a website focussed on real estate sales and rentals exclusively in Brickell, Miami. The website should showcase properties and also events in Brickell.
       Most agents have a website but is it focussed on your neighborhood or is it a general real estate website?
       According to National Association of Realtors statistics, half of the buyers find their properties online. It is imperative that your Realtor has an optimized website to feature your property in Brickell.
    4. How many transactions have you done in my neighborhood?
       You don’t want an agent that sales tons of properties but not a single condo in Brickell, where your property is located. Your Realtor should be an expert in Brickell condos if they want your listing. Our team specializes in selling and renting Brickell condos, we are familiar with buildings policies. We know which buildings accept pets, which ones approve the tenants faster, which ones allows seasonal rentals, etc, etc.
       If you hire an agent that works “everywhere”, how could that person know all these details and guide a buyer in their investments or represent you as a seller? Brickell alone has more than 100 high rise buildings in one single square mile, could you imagine how much information an agent working in the whole Miami-Dade county would need to know? Do you seriously think it is humanly possible?
    5. How many sellers vs buyers did you represent in the last 12 months?
       You want an agent who knows how to deal with both buyers and sellers needs. You want a Brickell Realtor who has a database of potential buyers but also knows how to properly market your home. Our team has this concept clear and we keep the ratio between sellers and buyers clients pretty close.
    6. What other services do you offer other than MLS listing?
       Unfortunately many real estate agents limited their services to listing the property on the MLS and showing it when there is a request. You want a Realtor who has a pre and post-MLS marketing strategy that includes internet, networking, email campaigns and much more. Specially in Brickell where it is not possible to instal signs and open houses are not allowed in most buildings, a strong virtual presence is crucial. It all should be explained to you before you sign the listing agreement, otherwise it could end up in just promises.
       You don’t want to hire this guy!
       
    7. What are your fees?
       This is related to the previous question and it should follow it. If the agent don’t give you a list of services right away, it probably means that there is no plan in place. A real estate agent should give a detailed explanation of what you will be paying for from the beginning so there are no surprises or hidden fees. Don’t assume that the commission will cover all, ask if there are extra marketing fees, if you have to provide supplies for open houses, etc.
    8. Will you take REAL professional pictures of my property.
       I can’t emphasize enough on the importance of professional pictures. Bad pictures impact your property negatively even more than no pictures at all. Potential buyers request a showing only if they like what they see in the pictures, if the pictures don’t show the best of your property, who would go to see it in person?
       Be aware that “professional pictures” doesn’t mean “professional camera”. Your Realtor should know the difference and offer you professional pictures even if it cost them a bit more. Here is a perfect example that I found on Inman. They called the first picture semi-professional but in my experience there is nothing professional about it, they were probably taken with a professional camera but not by a professional real estate photographer. Which photo would make you interested in purchasing the home? I raised my case.
    9.  What sets you apart from other agents? 
       You are not looking for eagerness -avoid agents who said, I am professional and honest- but rather someone who has expertise and works in team. Specially look for a track record that speaks for itself. The listing agent (your agent) has to show respect for her/his colleagues even from other firms. Your Realtor will have to deal with the buyer’s agent for quite some time on a daily basis. If the agent you are interviewing shows signs of too much eager, she/he will probably have issues working with the other agent and might jeopardize the negotiations for the sale of your home.

If, on the other hand, you prefer to give it a try and sell it for yourself, you also could be interested in reading this article: Selling a Home in Brickell. 8 Useful Tips to do it fast!