What Questions Should I Ask Before Hiring a Real Estate Agent?

By Tim Hollinden, Broker Associate | The Hollinden Team at eXp Realty

Quick Answer

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Most sellers ask about years of experience, number of listings, and online reviews. Those are reasonable questions — but they dont tell you how an agent actually makes decisions. The questions that matter are the ones that reveal an agents reasoning, because thats what determines how theyll price, market, negotiate, and advise you once your home is on the market. If you are not sure where to start with evaluating who to trust, I have written a separate article on how to find an agent you can trust that covers the three patterns to check before you sign anything.

What You'll Learn

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• Why the usual interview questions (years of experience, number of sales, reviews) dont tell you what you actually need to know
• The exact questions to ask for each part of the Hollinden Agent Selection Framework
• What a real answer sounds like versus a vague one
• One or two smart follow-up questions for each area, in case the first answer isnt enough

Tim's Take

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I sat across the table from enough sellers over 24 years to notice a pattern: almost everyone asks the same handful of questions when theyre interviewing agents. How long have you been doing this? How many homes have you sold? Do you have reviews I can look at? Those questions are fine as a starting point, but none of them actually tell you how an agent thinks. Thats important because youll spend months relying on that thinking after youve signed the listing agreement.

I wrote before about the six questions I believe every seller should get an answer to before hiring anyone, and about choosing the right agent in the first place. If you want to understand the full picture of what to expect from your agent before walking into that interview, I have broken down the five responsibilities a listing agent actually handles from start to finish. This article is the practical follow-up — the actual words to use when youre sitting across from an agent, and what to listen for in the answer.

The Best Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Real Estate Agent

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Here is how I would naturally work each part of the framework into a conversation. These arent trick questions. Theyre simply designed to uncover how an agent thinks before you trust them with one of your largest financial decisions.

1. On showing their work — ask: "What comparable sales would you use to determine my homes value, and can you walk me through them?"

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A real answer names specific addresses, sale prices, and dates, and explains why each one is or isnt a close match to your home. A vague answer talks in generalities — "homes like yours are going for around X" — without ever naming a single comparable. This is the same reasoning an agent should use when recommending your list price. For a deeper look at what goes into a proper pricing analysis, see my guide on pricing your Louisville home correctly.

2. On asking before advising — ask: "Before you recommend a price, what would you want to learn about my situation?"

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An agent worth hiring should have questions for you first — your timeline, your reason for moving, what youve already done to the home. If the first thing out of their mouth is a price, before theyve asked you anything, thats worth noticing.

3. On the marketing plan — ask: "Beyond the MLS, what exactly will you do to market my home?"

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Listen for specifics: professional photography, video, a dedicated property website, digital advertising. They should also explain why each part of the plan matters — not simply list the services they provide. This question is especially important if you are considering a discount broker, because the difference between a discount and full-service model often comes down to what is included in the marketing plan. I have covered this in detail in my article on discount broker vs full-service agent. "Ill get the word out" or "I have a big network" isnt a plan — its a feeling. For what a comprehensive strategy actually includes, see The Marketing Plan That Gets Your Home Sold.

4. On understanding the competition — ask: "What else is currently on the market that would compete with my home, and how would buyers compare my home to those homes?"

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A prepared agent can name two or three homes right now that a buyer would cross-shop against yours, and explain how your home stacks up. If they cant name anything specific, they havent done the homework yet.

5. On tailoring timing — ask: "Given my situation, when would you actually recommend I list?"

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Good timing advice is personal. If an agent gives the same answer regardless of your goals, your home, or your local market conditions, they arent really giving advice — theyre repeating a script. Ive written separately about deciding whether now is the right time to sell and about choosing the best time of year to list. A good agents answer should sound like it was built for your situation — not pulled from a generic script.

The answer should also connect to how long the agent realistically expects your home to be on the market. If they cant walk through that, my guide on Louisville days on market explains the Launch Window concept and what drives the difference between a 20-day average and a 47-day one.

6. On defending their reasoning — ask: "What is the evidence that makes you confident thats the right recommendation?"

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This is really a check on everything above. Listen for reasoning that connects back to your specific home and situation — not confidence recited on its own.

A Good Interview Should Feel Like a Conversation

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Not a sales presentation. The best agents usually spend more time asking questions than answering them. If someone spends the first thirty minutes telling you why theyre the right choice before learning anything about you or your home, thats worth noticing.

One Thing I've Learned About Asking These Well

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These questions work best woven into a normal conversation, not fired off like a checklist. In my experience, the moment an interview starts feeling like an interrogation, people stop giving real answers and start giving safe ones. Ask the question, then sit with the answer for a second before moving on — the follow-up you naturally think to ask often reveals more than the original question did.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Bottom Line

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The usual interview questions tell you about an agents resume. These questions reveal how an agent thinks — and how an agent thinks is what protects you once your home is on the market.

Curious how these questions would play out with your own situation? I would be happy to walk through it with you — no pressure, no obligation. Call 502-429-3866.

— Tim