How to Choose a Real Estate Agent

Choosing a real estate agent shouldn’t feel like choosing the person who gave the most confident pitch. A pitch shows you how an agent sells. You need to know how that agent works when a sale gets hard. You find that out by asking at least two agents the same questions and comparing what they say. I’ve trained real estate agents for 15 years, and the questions below are the ones I’d want you to ask them.

If you’re 65 or over, start with What to Ask a Senior Real Estate Agent Before You Sign. My guide to selling your home after 65 covers the rest of the sale.

What you’ll walk away with:

• The five things a good agent brings to a sale

• 19 questions to ask an agent, with seven for selling, seven for buying and five for either

• What a strong answer sounds like

• Five red flags, and what to ask when you see one

• What is fair to ask about pay, and four checks to run before you sign

How do I choose a real estate agent?

Choose by comparing at least two agents on the same questions. It’s easy to hire the agent you liked most, or the one you already know. Both matter, but neither tells you how the agent will handle your sale.

Most people stop at one agent. The National Association of Realtors, or NAR, asks about this in its 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report. It found that 80% of sellers who used an agent contacted only one, and 74% of buyers who used an agent interviewed only one. The survey covers the 12 months that ended in June 2025. The trouble with one interview is that you have nothing to compare it to.

These are the five steps, in the order I’d follow them.

1. Get more than one name. Most sellers start with someone they know. In the same report, 66% used a referral or an agent they had worked with before. That’s a fine start, as long as you come away with two names.

2. Interview at least two agents. That’s my rule, because two is the fewest you can compare. I’d do it in person, at your kitchen table.

3. Ask each agent the same questions and take notes. Compare the notes in one sitting, while the answers are fresh.

4. Run the four checks near the end of this page before you sign anything.

5. Hire one. Tell the others, kindly.

Follow this order and you’ll have two sets of answers to compare, which one confident pitch can’t give you.

What should I look for in a real estate agent?

A good agent brings structure, judgment, communication, preparation and the ability to protect you when a sale gets tense. Here’s what each one looks like from your side of the table.

1. Structure. They can tell you what happens next, and in what order.

2. Judgment. They can say what they would do in your case, and why.

3. Communication. You hear from them on a schedule, with good news or bad. Ask, “What should I expect from you each week?”

4. Preparation. The work gets done before the home is listed or the offer goes in. Ask, “How do you help me avoid surprises?”

5. Protection under stress. When the sale gets tense, they stay steady and keep you from a rushed choice.

Experience counts too. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB, has a page for home buyers called Find the right home. It says to look for experience in your neighborhood, price range and type of home. Ask about the five things as well, because they show how that agent will work with you.

In my experience, once you start asking the questions below, the right agent is obvious within twenty minutes, and so is the wrong one. Listen for specifics, such as a date or a next step, because they show the agent has a plan for you.

What questions should I ask a Realtor when selling?

When you sell, ask how the agent sets the price, prepares the home, reports back and negotiates. These are the seven questions I’d ask.

1. How did you arrive at the recommended list price?

2. What happens if we don’t get strong activity in the first two weeks?

3. What work should I not spend money on before listing?

4. How will you tell me what buyers said after each showing?

5. How will you negotiate for me?

6. How do you handle pricing disagreements with sellers?

7. What should I expect from you before the listing goes public?

The third question can save you money. A good agent can name the projects to skip before you list, and tell you why.

A strong answer on price shows its work. The agent lays out recent sales near you and explains how they lead to the number. An agent who has done that work will also disagree with you, politely, if your own number is higher.

Ask every agent you interview for that price analysis, and set them side by side. Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection gives the same advice in How to Choose a Seller’s Agent. It also says to be wary of an inflated number, and that is why you compare. Side by side, a number with no sales behind it stands out.

NAR’s list of ten questions to ask a seller’s agent adds three more that are fair to ask. How will you market my home? How will you check that a buyer can afford it? Do you have references I can call?

If you’re helping a parent, read how to help elderly parents sell their house. If you haven’t decided to sell yet, start with whether to sell your house at 65 or stay, because that choice comes before this one.

What questions should I ask a Realtor when buying?

When you buy, ask how the agent judges price, prepares an offer and protects you from risk. These seven questions cover all three.

1. How do you help me judge what a home is worth, beyond the list price?

2. How do you advise clients in multiple-offer situations?

3. What should I never waive without understanding the risk?

4. How do you help me avoid overpaying?

5. How fast will you respond when a new home comes on the market?

6. How do you put an offer together?

7. How do you coordinate with lenders, attorneys, inspectors and other professionals?

In the third question, to waive something is to give up a protection in your offer, such as an inspection. A strong answer names the risk in plain words first, because you can’t weigh a risk nobody has explained to you.

Since August 17, 2024, many agents need a written agreement with a buyer before they tour a home together. The agreement has to state what the agent will be paid. NAR’s consumer guide to written buyer agreements says you don’t need one to ask an agent about their services. It also says you can negotiate the services, the length and the pay. So ask every question here first, and sign after you choose.

What questions should I ask any real estate agent before I hire one?

Before you hire a real estate agent, ask questions that show how the agent works under pressure. These five fit either side of a sale.

1. What do clients usually get wrong about this process?

2. How do you communicate when there is bad news?

3. What do you need from me to do your job well?

4. What is the most useful thing you do for a client in this process?

5. What would make you tell me not to move forward?

That last question matters, because anyone can sell you the thing you’ve already decided to buy. A good agent is willing to slow you down when slowing down protects you.

What are the red flags when hiring a Realtor?

Watch for five patterns. An agent rushes you, can’t explain a price, avoids talking about pay, leans on scripts or gives you no process.

One flag on its own doesn’t rule an agent out. It tells you to slow down and ask one more question.

1. They rush you before they explain

Urgency has a place in real estate, because markets move. It should come after the agent explains the plan. If an agent pushes you to move fast, ask to hear the full picture first.

2. They can’t explain pricing clearly

A seller should understand why the agent recommends a list price. A buyer should understand why an offer price makes sense. If the answer is mostly confidence or vague market talk, ask for more. Do the same when one list price sits well above what the other agents gave you. You deserve to see the logic.

3. They avoid talking about pay

An agent’s pay shouldn’t be a mystery. A professional can tell you what they charge and what you get for it, without flinching. They can also explain who pays who in your sale.

If the talk turns defensive or confusing, ask again in plainer words, because your agreement will put this number in writing.

4. They rely on scripts instead of judgment

Scripts can help agents practice. But you shouldn’t feel like you’re being handled. Ask a question about your own situation, and listen for an answer that fits it.

5. They don’t give you a process

A strong agent can walk you through what happens next, in practical terms. Ask these six questions.

1. What happens this week?

2. What decisions are coming?

3. What documents matter?

4. What could go wrong?

5. How will we communicate?

6. What should I prepare for?

If there is no process, you may become the process. Then you’re the one tracking the dates and the papers.

How much does a real estate agent charge, and can I negotiate it?

No law sets what a real estate agent charges, and you can negotiate it, according to NAR’s October 2024 consumer guide to listing agreements.

A commission is pay set as a percent of the sale price. A May 2025 Federal Reserve staff note on broker pay studied home listings from 1995 to 2023. Its 2022 data suggest the old norm of 6% in total still held, at least in part. That total covered both the buyer’s agent and the seller’s agent. On a $400,000 sale, 6% would be $24,000. By 2023, the average rate offered to a buyer’s agent was about 2.7%, down from about 3% in the late 1990s.

Your own number is the one in your agreement. A listing agreement is the contract between a seller and an agent. It states the services and the pay.

Pay matters, but I wouldn’t let the commission alone decide who you hire. A strong agent can keep you out of mistakes that cost more than the commission. So ask what the pay covers, and whether this agent can deliver it.

If you’re 65 or over, what a good answer on pay sounds like is in what to ask a senior real estate agent before you sign.

How do I check a real estate agent before I sign?

Before you sign with a real estate agent, check the license, the references, the agreement and who the agent represents.

1. The license. The CFPB’s Find the right home page says to check your state’s licensing agency. Look for disciplinary actions on the agent’s record.

2. The references. Ask for references and call them. Ask, “Did you feel rushed?” and “Would you hire this agent again?” NAR’s November 2025 news release says 91% of buyers would use their agent again or recommend them. So a warm reference is normal, and a cool one is worth a follow-up question.

3. The agreement. Read it before you sign. Ask about the length, the services, the pay and how either side can end it. If a term is unclear, ask a real estate attorney in your state.

4. Who the agent represents. The CFPB tells buyers to ask what happens if the agent, or the agent’s firm, also represents the seller. When one agent represents both sides, that’s called dual agency. NAR’s consumer guide to agency relationships says the rules depend on your state. Ask the agent how they handle it where you live, and ask a real estate attorney if the answer is unclear.

You can still trust a professional. These four checks let you hire one with your eyes open.

If you’re 65 or over and you’d rather talk it through before you call any agent, The Senior Partner Call is free.

Questions people ask

Who pays the real estate agent?

A buyer is responsible for their own agent’s pay, as the buyer agreement states. A seller’s listing agreement sets out what the seller’s agent is paid. A buyer can still ask the seller to pay the buyer’s agent, says NAR’s consumer guide to written buyer agreements. A seller can offer that pay but doesn’t have to, according to NAR’s consumer guide to listing agreements. Your own answer is written in your agreement, so read that part first. If the pay terms are unclear, ask a real estate attorney in your state before you sign.

Is a Realtor the same as a real estate agent?

Not every real estate agent is a Realtor. A Realtor is a real estate professional who belongs to NAR and agrees to follow its Code of Ethics. NAR’s list of ten questions starts by asking whether the agent is a Realtor. The questions on this page work either way.

Should I hire a friend or family member as my agent?

You can, if they’re the right agent for this sale. The CFPB tells home buyers to work with the agent who has the right experience. That may or may not be a friend or relative. Keep in mind that a friend is hard to fire. Telling a friend you’re unhappy with the work can strain the friendship. With an agent you hired at arm’s length, it’s a conversation. So interview your friend alongside the others, with the same questions, and let the answers decide.

Is it better to sell a house with a Realtor or without one?

It’s your choice, and most sellers use a real estate agent. NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found 91% of sellers sold with an agent, and 5% sold on their own. If you sell without one, the pricing and the paperwork are yours to handle.

Where the numbers come from

• 80% of sellers who used an agent contacted only one, and 74% of buyers who used an agent interviewed only one. 66% of sellers used a referral or a past agent. National Association of Realtors, 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, 2026. It covers the 12 months that ended in June 2025. NAR’s own download is free for members and sold to everyone else. Inman, a real estate news site, posted the full report.

• Written buyer agreements since August 17, 2024, and what you can negotiate in one. A buyer pays their own agent as the agreement states, and can ask a seller to pay the buyer’s agent. National Association of Realtors, Consumer Guide to Written Buyer Agreements, 2024.

• Agent pay is negotiable and not set by law. A listing agreement sets out what the seller’s agent is paid. A seller does not have to offer pay to a buyer’s agent. National Association of Realtors, Consumer Guide: Listing Agreements, October 2024.

• The 6% norm that 2022 data suggest still held, at least in part, and the average buyer’s agent rate of about 2.7%, in listings from 1995 to 2023. Federal Reserve Board staff, Commissions and Omissions: Trends in Real Estate Broker Compensation, May 2025.

• Experience to look for, checking a license, hiring a friend or relative, and an agent on both sides. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Find the right home, last modified December 2024.

• Comparing each agent’s price analysis. Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, How to Choose a Seller’s Agent, read October 2026.

• Marketing, checking buyers and references as questions for a seller’s agent, and whether the agent is a Realtor as the first question. National Association of Realtors, Consumer Guide: Ten Questions to Ask a Seller’s Agent, October 2024.

• 91% of buyers would use their agent again or recommend them, and what the word Realtor means. National Association of Realtors, news release on the 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, November 2025.

• Dual agency, and rules that depend on the state. National Association of Realtors, Consumer Guide: Agency and Non-Agency Relationships, December 2024.

• 91% of sellers sold with an agent and 5% sold on their own. National Association of Realtors, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, highlights, November 2025. It covers July 2024 to June 2025.

Figures checked October 2026.