How to choose a selling agent (and the questions to ask at the appraisal)

An appraisal is a free visit from an agent who walks through your home and tells you what they think it would sell for. Most sellers get two or three before choosing an agent. Treat those visits as job interviews: you are hiring someone for a significant piece of work, and the highest appraisal is not the same as the best agent.

Start with results, not reputation

Look up each agent on RentBuy before they arrive. Their profile shows how many homes they have sold in your suburb over the last year, the median price, how long those sales took, and what their clients said afterwards. An agent who has sold six homes in your street this year knows exactly who the buyers are; one who is strong two suburbs over may not.

Questions to ask every agent

• What have you sold like this in the last six months, and what did each one make?
• Where does this appraisal come from: which sales are you comparing it to?
• Which method would you recommend, auction or private treaty, and why for this home?
• Who will actually run the campaign and attend the inspections: you, or someone in your team?
• What is your fee, what does the marketing cost, and what happens to that cost if the home does not sell?
• What would you tell me to do before listing, and what would you tell me not to bother with?

Ask the same questions of each agent and write down the answers. The differences will be obvious.

Watch for the high appraisal

An agent who quotes well above the others may be right, but they may also be buying the listing: telling you a number that wins the job, then talking the price down once the home has been on the market for a few weeks. Ask them to show you the recent sales that support their figure. If they cannot, treat it with caution.

Fees and agreements

Commission is negotiable and varies by area. Fixed fees, tiered commission that rises above a target price, and marketing paid up front or at settlement are all common. Read the agency agreement before you sign, check the length of the exclusive period, and make sure you can end it if things are not working.

Trust the conversation

In the end you will be speaking to this person several times a week for the next two months. Choose the one who answered directly, knew the recent sales without looking them up, and told you something you did not want to hear. That is the agent who will tell the buyers the truth too.