When people search for “12 real estate questions,” they’re usually looking for a quick checklist of questions to ask a Realtor before buying or selling a house. That list is useful — and we’ll absolutely cover the 12 questions to ask a real estate agent when you’re interviewing them.
But from working on both sides of the business — studying the contracts, agency law and negotiation theory, and then seeing how brokerage life, teams and commissions actually play out — we’ve learned that there are really two sets of questions smart people ask:
We’re going to walk through both in a straight-talking, practical way. First, we’ll give you the classic consumer-facing questions to ask a real estate agent. Then we’ll lift the hood and answer the real questions people have about the career side of real estate — the same questions we wish were covered in pre‑licensing classes instead of just easements and fair housing definitions.
Whether you’re buying your first home or selling a property you’ve owned for years, interviewing a Realtor should not be a five‑minute conversation about “how many houses have you sold.” These 12 questions help you separate a casual salesperson from a skilled, full‑time real estate professional.
This is one of the most important interview questions for real estate agents. You’re not just fishing for a number of years; you’re trying to understand:
We’ve seen new agents join a brokerage, assume the license itself is the hard part, and then be blindsided when they realize production — actual closings — is what really matters. As a client, you’re buying relevant experience, not just time since someone passed an exam.
Good follow‑ups:
Most consumers don’t realize there’s a big gap between the minimum licensing class (which is heavy on theory and definitions) and the real‑world skills that actually help you — pricing, marketing, negotiation, deal management.
Ask your agent about:
When we talk to brokerages, they’re very clear: the agents who keep sharpening their skills — scripts, contracts, pricing strategy — are the ones who stay in business. You want that kind of committed professional representing you.
This is a great way to uncover how their business really runs:
Inside brokerages, we see a wide range: some agents have dialed‑in CRMs, checklists and transaction coordinators; others are flying by the seat of their pants. You want someone who treats your purchase or sale like a real business, not a side hustle.
Don’t just look at cherry‑picked testimonials on a website. Ask for:
We’ve talked to plenty of newer agents who worry that they don’t have a huge past‑client list. That’s fine — what matters is that the clients they do have say, “Yes, they communicated well, explained the contract, kept things on track, and I’d use them again.”
For sellers, this might be the single biggest question to ask a listing agent. A serious home listing marketing strategy should go far beyond “we’ll put it on the MLS and hold an open house.” Ask for a written, step‑by‑step plan that includes:
We’ve seen agents host open houses on other people’s listings partly to generate their own buyer leads — and that’s fine as long as expectations are clear. What you want to know is whether they’ll put that same hustle into your property when it’s their sign in the yard.
This is where you find out if they’re data‑driven or just reactive. Ask:
In practice, good agents live in their MLS and CRM systems. We’ve watched new agents who don’t build these habits struggle because they can’t clearly answer “what’s happening with my listing?” or “where are we seeing interest?” You want structure, not guesswork.
People underestimate how stressful silence can be during a real estate transaction. Make sure you’re on the same page about:
Inside many brokerages, we see that the agents who set clear expectations (“I return calls within X hours, I update sellers every Friday with a written report”) have far happier clients — and more referrals.
This is one of the best questions to ask a Realtor before you sign a listing agreement. Ask directly:
We’ve reviewed a lot of independent contractor agreements from the agent side, and we know you’re usually committing for a fixed period on the listing. An agent who’s confident in their systems will often build in a flexible cancellation or “love it or leave it” style guarantee so you’re not trapped if they don’t perform.
Real estate is a team sport. Your agent should be able to connect you with trusted:
We’re constantly reminding new agents: your duty is to the client, not to your brokerage’s preferred affiliates. It’s fine if an office has an in‑house lender or escrow, but you should never be forced into them — and your agent should be comfortable recommending whoever best serves your situation.
This is a simple way to gauge reputation. Many strong agents get 25–80% of their business from past clients and word‑of‑mouth.
Inside offices, we see that agents with high referral ratios tend to be the ones who invest the most in communication, post‑closing follow‑up, and long‑term relationships — the traits you want in your corner.
This isn’t a trick question; it’s a window into their activity level. Many top producers aim to speak with 40+ people a day about real estate — past clients, sphere, new leads, open house visitors, neighbors.
We’ve watched agents thrive when they treat lead‑generation like a job, and we’ve watched others stall out because their days are all “getting ready to get ready.” For you, more conversations usually translate into:
Negotiation is where a lot of the money is made or lost. Ask your agent:
We’ve spent plenty of time around exam prep where you learn the theory of offers and counteroffers. In real life, you want an agent who can translate that into practical strategy: when to push, when to hold, when to walk, and how to communicate without blowing up the deal.
Once you’ve hired a real estate agent, you’ll get the most value from them by asking smart, specific questions at each stage of the homebuying process. This second set is adapted from the best‑performing buyer guides and organized in a way you can literally use as a checklist.
Before you fall in love with a house, ask whether your agent really knows the local market for that area:
Inside brokerages, we see agents who can quote stats for their core farm areas off the top of their heads — that’s expertise you want on your side when deciding what to offer.
We covered references in general earlier, but as a buyer, ask specifically for people who:
Then ask those buyers: “How did your agent handle inspection issues, appraisal problems, or bidding wars?” That’s where you learn how they perform under pressure.
There are excellent part‑time agents, and there are full‑time agents who waste the day. What matters to you is:
That’s why we’re big on agents having backup — a team or showing partner — so clients don’t miss opportunities because someone’s in a three‑hour class or at another closing.
Any time you’re serious about a property, ask for a comparative market analysis (CMA). Ask your agent to walk you through:
We’ve seen buyers fall in love with an overpriced property simply because they don’t have context. A good buyer’s agent will ground your emotions in numbers — and explain when paying a bit over asking is justified in a competitive market.
Your agent isn’t a home inspector, but they should have a working knowledge of common issues. Ask them, as you walk through:
In exam prep we spend time on things like material facts and disclosure laws; in practice, this question is how those concepts protect you. Your agent should help you decide whether to move forward, ask for repairs, adjust price, or walk away.
“Can I afford this house?” is more than the list price. Have your agent (and lender) help you estimate:
We’ve seen agents walk buyers through this math on the spot during showings; those clients make clearer, less stressful decisions than buyers who only look at the list price and a rough mortgage estimate.
Ask for both:
Then ask your agent what it means:
Your agent can ask the listing agent:
We’ve seen deals where the winning offer wasn’t the highest price — it was the one that best matched the seller’s timing and certainty. Your agent should help you use that information to write terms that work for both sides.
For each serious property, ask your agent to walk you through a specific offer strategy:
Inside teams, we constantly hear leaders coaching new agents through the real‑world side of this: when to stand firm, when to give a little, and how to read the other side’s motivation. That’s the kind of thinking you want applied to your offer.
Before you sign anything, sit down with your agent and go line‑by‑line through the purchase agreement. Ask:
We’ve seen brand‑new agents lean heavily on mentors, team leaders or brokers for contract review, and that’s a good thing. You want someone who’s not afraid to say, “Let’s bring in more experienced eyes” if anything is complex or unusual.
Before closing, your agent should prepare you for the final walk‑through. Ask:
Behind the scenes, this is where agents spend a lot of time on the phone with contractors, attorneys and brokers making sure last‑minute issues don’t derail closing. A good agent will explain your options and the likely outcomes clearly.
Ask your agent to walk you through closing day from their experience:
We find that when buyers know exactly what to expect at closing, anxiety drops and errors drop with it. Your agent should have done this dozens of times and can flag common mistakes (like late wires or missing IDs) before they happen.
Now let’s flip the perspective. If you’re thinking about becoming a real estate agent yourself, the standard consumer‑oriented “questions to ask a Realtor” list only tells half the story. It doesn’t explain how to choose a brokerage, whether you should join a team, or how much money you really need to start.
We’ve spent a lot of time in exam‑prep land — contracts, agency duties, valuation, fair housing — and we’ve also dug into what actually happens once you hang your license. These are 12 of the real questions new agents should be asking, and the honest answers.
Yes. In fact, we think you probably should.
Pre‑licensing teaches you how not to break the law; it does not teach you how the business model works. Interviewing brokerages early gives you insight into:
When consumers ask, “What should I look for in a real estate agent?” this is actually a big piece: you want someone who chose their brokerage intentionally, not just the office that happened to be closest to the testing center.
Usually, no. You’re typically an independent contractor, not an employee, which means:
The key is to understand, before you sign:
From the client’s side, this is relevant too: a solid agent will have clarity on these things and won’t put your transaction at risk due to behind‑the‑scenes brokerage drama.
Almost always, yes — but there’s context.
Common models you’ll see:
We constantly remind new agents: don’t chase the highest split blindly. Sometimes giving up a bigger piece of your first few deals in exchange for serious training, leads and mentorship is the faster path to a solid business — and that benefits clients too, because you’re not learning solely at their expense.
You never have to join a team. You can always work solo under a brokerage. The question is what fits your personality, finances and learning style.
We’ve seen both paths work. What doesn’t work is joining a team without clear expectations. Before you do, ask about lead allocation, splits, minimum standards, and training so you know what you’re signing up for.
In practice, they’re generally yours — unless a written agreement or team policy says otherwise.
When you host an open house:
Some large teams or offices have policies: you might need to turn leads over to the listing agent or pay a referral fee. Veteran agents will tell you: clarify all of this before the open house, not after you’ve collected half a dozen hot buyer leads.
No, they should not be forced to.
Under RESPA and most state regulations:
From our perspective, the ethical line is simple: recommend who you genuinely believe will best serve the client on that deal — whether that’s the in‑house lender, an independent broker you trust, or someone the client chooses themselves.
Typically, no. As an independent contractor, your broker can hold you to results, not specific hours.
We’ve watched new agents spend whole days at their desks “getting ready” — designing business cards, browsing MLS, scrolling social media — and then wonder why they have no clients. Office time is valuable for:
But the real job lives outside the building — meeting people, hosting open houses, showing properties, door‑knocking, community events. That’s true whether you’re serving clients or trying to build a client base for the first time.
You’re not required to have one in most places, but we strongly recommend it.
Think about what you’re handling:
We regularly see mentorship programs that take 10–30% of your first few deals in exchange for hands‑on help. In our view, that’s cheap tuition compared to what one botched contingency or mishandled disclosure can cost you (and your client) later.
This is rarely answered honestly, but it matters — for you and for the clients who will eventually depend on you.
Plan for three buckets:
We’ve watched new agents stress‑spiral because they needed a check now and started pushing clients into bad decisions. The more financial runway you give yourself, the more you can focus on doing what’s right for the client instead of what pays you fastest.
Once you’re licensed and affiliated with a brokerage, usually yes.
You can often:
Just remember:
On the consumer side, this is why you sometimes see “owner is a licensed real estate agent” in listing remarks — that’s required disclosure in many states.
Sometimes yes, sometimes no — but being honest is non‑negotiable.
Licensing authorities generally look at:
We encourage would‑be agents to call their state’s real estate commission or department directly. Many have staff who answer licensing‑eligibility questions every day and can point you to the right forms or hearings process. Hiding something is usually what kills an application, not the fact that something happened in the first place.
Because the truth is, passing the exam is the easy part. Building a sustainable business — one where clients trust you with their largest financial decisions — is the real work.
We’re big believers in:
Ironically, the same habits that help new agents survive — disciplined time blocking, constant learning, consistent client communication — are the ones that make established agents great for consumers. When you’re interviewing a Realtor, you’re really looking for someone who has already built those habits into their business.
Whether you’re a consumer trying to figure out what to ask a Realtor before hiring them, or you’re on the path to becoming an agent yourself, these questions give you a clear framework:
If you’d like to turn this into a printable PDF checklist for buyers, sellers or aspiring agents, you can easily copy these headings into your favorite notes app or document editor and keep them handy for your next conversation with a Realtor or brokerage.
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