How to Choose a Real Estate Agent: 9 Questions to Ask Before You Sign

Selling or buying a home is probably the biggest financial transaction of your life — the median US home now sells for around $425,000 — and yet most sellers interview exactly one agent before signing a listing agreement. That's like hiring the first candidate who applies for a job that pays a $20,000 fee.

The good news: vetting an agent doesn't take a finance degree. It takes about an hour, a couple of free lookup tools, and the nine questions below. Here's what to ask — and, just as important, what a good answer sounds like.

Start with the license and the track record

Question 1: "Are you licensed in this state, and have you ever been disciplined?" Don't take their word for it. Every state real estate commission runs a free online license lookup — search the agent's name, confirm the license is active, and check for disciplinary actions. ARELLO.com lets you search across states if the agent has moved around.

Question 2: "How many transactions did you close in the last 12 months?" The median agent closes around ten deals a year; strong local agents do several times that. You're not hunting for a record-setter, but you do want someone working full-time in your market — not a side-hustler whose last closing was in 2024.

Ask for numbers, not vibes

Any agent can say they're great. These three questions force them to prove it with data from their MLS production report — which a serious agent can pull up on the spot.

• Question 3: "What's your sale-to-list ratio?" That's the final sale price divided by the list price. In a balanced market, good listing agents run 98% or better — though an agent who underprices everything can juice this number, so read it alongside the next one.
• Question 4: "What's your average days on market?" Nationally, homes are taking roughly 50 to 60 days to go under contract in 2026. An agent whose listings consistently beat the local average is pricing and marketing well; one who's consistently slower owes you an explanation.
• Question 5: "How many of those sales were in my neighborhood and price range?" Twenty closings scattered across the metro mean less than six within a mile of you. Hyperlocal experience shows up in pricing accuracy and buyer connections.

Demand a specific marketing plan

Question 6: "What exactly will you do to market my home?" "I'll put it on the MLS and hold an open house" is not a plan — that's the minimum. A real answer covers professional photography, a pricing strategy backed by comps, listing syndication, targeted social and email campaigns, and a day-by-day schedule for the first two weeks, when your listing gets the most attention.

Question 7: "Who will I actually be working with, and how often will we talk?" Big teams sometimes hand you off to an assistant after you sign. Ask who answers your calls, and agree on a cadence — weekly updates with showing feedback is a reasonable baseline.

Get clear on money and contract terms

Question 8: "What's your commission, and what does it cover?" Commissions are fully negotiable — there is no "standard" rate, and since the 2024 rule changes, what you offer a buyer's agent is a separate, negotiable line item. Listing sides typically run 2.5% to 3%; on a $425,000 home that's $10,600 to $12,750, so it's worth knowing exactly what you're buying.

Question 9: "How long is the listing agreement, and can I cancel?" A 90-day term with a written cancellation option is fair; six months with no exit is not. Also ask about the protection period — the window after the contract ends during which the agent still earns a commission if a buyer they introduced comes back.

Read the agreement at home, not at the kitchen table with a pen in your hand. The contingencies, disclosure forms, and negotiations that follow are exactly the hard parts a licensed professional — like the agents at Acme Realty — should be handling for you, so make sure the person you hire can clearly explain every clause.

Red flags that should end the interview

None of these guarantees a bad agent, but each one has earned its reputation. See two or more, and keep interviewing.

• A guaranteed sale price. Nobody can promise what the market will pay. "Guaranteed sale" programs usually mean the agent or an investor partner buys your home at a steep discount if it doesn't sell.
• A suggested list price far above everyone else's. This is called buying the listing: flatter you now, push price cuts later, while your home goes stale on the market.
• A 6- or 12-month lock-in with no cancellation clause. Confident agents don't need to trap you.
• Vagueness about licensing. Anyone who bristles at "can I verify your license?" has told you everything you need to know.
• Pressure to sign the day you meet. A good agent's numbers look just as good tomorrow.

The bottom line

Interview at least three agents, run the free license lookup on each, and make them show you sale-to-list ratio and days on market in writing. An hour of vetting protects a six-figure transaction — and the agents worth hiring will respect you more for asking.