At Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Adirondack Premier Properties, we understand how overwhelming buying or selling a home can be. Whether you’re a first-time buyer or a seasoned investor, it’s easy to get caught up in listings, open houses, and paperwork without stopping to ask the right questions.
At ADKPP, our agents expect to receive questions when engaging with and assisting buyers and sellers. We believe the better informed you are, the smoother and more successful the process will be as you build relationships and trust with our agents. Your questions have twofold benefit: getting your the information you need and also informing the agents on some of your expectations moving forward.
Here is our take on the top questions you should ask your real estate agent—and why they matter:
Top 8 Questions You Should Ask Your Real Estate Agent
1. How long have you been working in real estate?
While the number of years working as an agent isn’t everything, it does matter when it comes to gauging experience. Asking your agent how long they have been in the business will give you insight on the type, depth and breadth of their experience as an agent. Knowing their work history will give you an idea about whether they specialize in buying, selling or both.
Additionally, some agents work part time while others are full time. An agent who has been in the field part time for 5 years may not have the experience of someone who has been full time for fewer years. A newer agent can still do a great job, especially with strong mentorship or a solid team behind them. Regardless of who you choose, it’s important to understand what kind of experience you’re working with.
2. What neighborhoods do you specialize in?
Real estate can be hyper-local across markets, so be sure to find an agent who knows the schools, community, traffic patterns, and quirks of the area that interests you. Throughout the Adirondacks, the majority of agents are well versed in multiple communities as well as the different neighborhoods within them. Our ADKPP agents can provide plenty of knowledge in the Tri-Lakes communities as well as the surrounding areas.
For more of an insider perspective that sheds light on the hyper-local characteristics of a region, consider finding an agent who lives in the community that interest you. When purchasing real estate, you are not just buying a home, you are buying into a lifestyle. Make sure that you feel welcome and fully understand the community’s lifestyle before deciding to buy there.
3. What’s your strategy for helping me buy or sell?
Every agent has their own personality that drives their approach to buying or selling. When buying, it may benefit you to find an agent that negotiates more aggressively or has a lot of drive to stay on top of new listings. Your agent’s understanding of the current market will help them determine whether negotiations require an aggressive or more passive approach.
Full time agents that are part of a Multiple Listing Service (MLS) can give you a leg up on listings. At ADKPP, our FlexMLS system allows agents to set parameters on what you are searching for in a property. They system will almost instantly send you an email if anything new comes to the market that fits your criteria. Some properties may not perfectly meet all of your parameters, but might hit enough check marks for you to view.
When selling, check in with your agent about what pricing strategies, staging advice, or marketing tools the agent or their office can offer you. The agent’s understanding of the current market will provide the starting point for their pricing strategy and provide the foundation for a strong plan moving forward. Agents will also offer some specific staging advice to fit the market. In general, it’s best to keep it minimal, maintained and clean throughout the property to help potential buyers imagine themselves in the space even if their style differs.
One of the most impactful things to check in with your agent about is the marketing they can offer. Marketing can drastically vary between real estate offices. Some have larger budgets than others resulting in more opportunity for your property to be advertised. This budget will generally affect all aspects of marketing from ads to social media to professional photography. Don’t be afraid to ask your agent to walk you through their game plan.
4. Can you connect me with trusted professionals?
As an experienced real estate agent will have and established and trusted network of pros that are related to everything real estate. Their experience will guide them away from professionals who may not preform to the highest standard, and help them direct clients toward professionals with good track records to perform services.
Some trusted service professionals you may need assistance choosing can include lenders, inspectors, contractors, stagers, and photographers (if the office does not have an in-house professional). A well connected agent may be able to offer a few options so you can have more choice about who to work with. At ADKPP, we make sure our clients have access to the best of the best, because buying or selling a home depends on a high performing team.
5. How will we communicate, and how often?
Clear communication is everything when it comes to real estate deals. The speed and extent to which both sides are informed determines how quick the sale proceeds. Ask your agent about their preferred method of communication including phone calls, email or text. Some agents prefer texting or emailing for smaller items involved in the process and phone calls for major items that need additional clarity and understanding.
You may also want to discuss how often you can expect updates and availability throughout the day especially if you are using a part time agent. Our office expects ADKPP agents to check in regularly to keep clients informed about any movement on sales or purchases so you never feel like you are left in the dark.
6. What are your fees or commission rates?
With new clear cooperation policies, this is an important discussion to have with the agent and office. Property sellers are accustomed to discussing commission rates and fees for the agency’s services including cost breakdowns. Most buyer agents are paid by the seller, but it’s still smart to understand where money is going, especially on the selling side. A good agent will be up front and transparent about all costs.
7. What’s happening in the market right now?
This is one of the most important aspects to understand deeply when selling or buying a property. The market can change constantly from economic impacts, seasonality and regional regulations. Is it a buyer’s market? A seller’s market? Are prices trending up or down? A strong real estate agent will stay on top of local trends in order to guide you through timing, pricing, and competition strategies.
Locally, communities have been going through short term rental regulations with each one implementing their own variation. Understanding these regulations can affect the sale of your property depending on the location. Restrictions can cause less interest in your property leading to a lower price versus a property with less restrictions. Most agents throughout the Adirondack region are staying on top of the ever changing market to provide the most up to date information to buyers and sellers.
8. Can I see your reviews or references?
Any agent worth their salt should be able to show you testimonials or connect you with past clients. Don’t be afraid to ask. Our ADKPP forever agents are proud of the relationships built with past, present and new clients and continually put energy into maintaining positive connection. The Berkshire Hathaway HomeSevices Forever Agent is a pillar that we truly believe in. At ADKPP, we want to build a strong enough relationship to make you feel comfortable to reach out for anything.
A real estate agent should be more than a door-opener or paperwork-pusher. They should be your advocate, your negotiator, and your guide. So ask the questions. Dig deep. You deserve to feel confident and cared for every step of the way
If you’re ready to talk or just have more questions, contact one of our world class agents with no pressure, no obligation, just real answers. Call 518-523-3333 today!