What Questions Should You Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Sell?

The agent you choose has more influence on your sale than almost any other decision you will make. It shapes your final price, the smoothness of the campaign and how stressful the whole thing feels. Yet most sellers never ask the questions that actually separate a great agent from a merely available one. Here are the ones worth raising before you sign anything.

How Many Homes Have You Sold in My Area?

Local expertise is not a nice-to-have, it is the foundation of a good result. Every suburb behaves a little differently, and the right approach in Doubleview is not the same as the right approach in City Beach. Ask for recent examples and actual results, not just current listings, but properties that have genuinely sold. An agent who truly knows your pocket of Perth can explain how prices vary street by street, and why.

What's Your Strategy for Selling My Home?

A good agent should be able to walk you through their plan in plain language: how they will price the home, when they will launch, who the likely buyers are and how they intend to reach them. If the answer is generic or vague, it usually means the thinking hasn't been done. You want a considered strategy built around your property, not a template applied to every listing.

Can You Show Me Your Recent Results?

Numbers cut through the sales talk. Ask to see real data: sale price against asking price, days on market, and how the agent has performed across different property types and price ranges. Consistent results across a range of homes tell you far more than one standout sale.

Who Will I Actually Deal With?

In some agencies the person who wins your listing is not the person who runs your campaign. Confirm exactly who will manage your sale day to day: who hosts the open homes, who handles the negotiation, and who you call when you have a question. You deserve to know whether you are dealing with the lead agent throughout, or being handed off after the contract is signed.

How Do You Handle Offers and Negotiation?

Negotiation is where a strong agent earns their fee. Ask how they manage multiple buyers, how they approach counter-offers, and how they handle competing interest. The way an agent describes their negotiation approach tells you a great deal about whether they will protect your price when it matters most.

What Happens If My Home Doesn't Sell?

It is an uncomfortable question, which is exactly why it is worth asking. A confident agent will happily talk you through their contingency plan: how they would adjust the campaign, any costs involved, and the length of the listing agreement. The key things to clarify before you commit:

• How the agent would adapt the strategy if interest is slow
• Any additional marketing costs that might apply
• The length and terms of the listing agreement
• How and when you can end the agreement if needed

Trust the Answers, Not Just the Pitch

A quality agent welcomes these questions, because confident, experienced agents have nothing to hide. Honesty, a clear strategy and a genuine grasp of your local market are worth far more than the highest appraisal figure or the slickest presentation.

If you are interviewing agents and want straight answers to every one of these questions, call me directly on 0410 144 211 or reach out through our contact page. No pressure, just honest advice.