An agent interview is your chance to see how someone thinks, not just how they sound. The best questions are specific, hard to answer with a script and easy to compare across agents. Print this list, bring it to each meeting and take notes.
Not every question will matter equally to you. Star the three that do, and listen carefully to the answers.
Why the Interview Matters
In NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 86% of sellers said their agent provided a broad range of services, while 7% said their agent offered only a limited set and another 7% said the agent listed the home on the MLS but did little else ("2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers," NAR, November 2025). Asking detailed questions up front is how you find out which kind of service you are getting before you sign.
Questions About Pricing
1. How did you arrive at this price, and which sales support it? Ask to see the specific comparable homes, with sale dates and prices, and how the agent adjusted for differences.
2. What is your plan if we get few showings in the first two weeks? A good agent has a clear trigger and a clear next step, such as new photos, a price review or additional outreach, rather than "we'll see."
3. What price range would you expect to see on offers? You want a realistic range, not a promise.
Questions About Marketing
NAR's 2025 sellers named helping market the home as their top priority at 23%, ahead of pricing (19%) and timing (19%) (same 2025 Profile, November 2025). These questions get to the heart of that.
4. How exactly will you market my home? Ask for the plan in writing, including photography, video, social media, email, signage, open houses and any print.
5. Will my home be featured anywhere beyond the MLS and listing websites? Some agents place homes in a real estate magazine so they reach readers who are not actively searching. Ask whether that is part of the plan, for example in a publication like the Only Homes Collection, and what readership the agent can describe accurately. (Listing Boosted reports 25,000+ readers per issue for the Only Homes Collection.)
6. Who takes the photos, and can I see recent examples? Photos are the first showing. Look at the agent's last few listings.
7. How will you reach buyers' agents? Direct outreach to local agents can matter as much as the online listing.
Questions About Experience
8. How many homes like mine have you sold in the last 12 months, and in this neighborhood? Fit matters more than total volume.
9. Do you work alone or with a team? Who will I deal with day to day? Team structures can be excellent, but you should know who answers your calls and who attends showings.
10. Can you give me the names of two recent sellers I can contact? A confident agent will usually say yes, though privacy rules may affect how references are shared.
Questions About Fees and the Agreement
11. What will I pay, and what exactly is included? Commissions are negotiable. Ask what is included, what is extra and what offers of compensation to buyers' agents, if any, you would be asked to approve.
12. How long is the listing agreement, and how can it be ended? Know the term, cancellation process and any fees before you sign anything.
Questions About Communication and Process
13. How often will you update me, and in what format? Weekly summaries of showings, feedback and market changes are a good standard.
14. What do you need from me? Good agents will tell you how to prepare the home, when to be out and how to handle repairs, and they will lay out a simple timeline from listing to closing.
Red Flags to Notice
An unusually high price with no comparable sales to back it up
Pressure to sign on the spot
Vague marketing answers like "we'll get it out there"
No written plan or no response to follow-up questions
Reluctance to explain fees or the agreement
What a Good Answer Sounds Like
A strong answer is specific. If you ask about marketing and hear "photos, social media and a sign," ask what comes next. If you ask about pricing and hear a number without sales behind it, ask for the sales. Specific answers show that the agent has a process; vague answers suggest the agent will improvise. Notice, too, whether the agent admits what they do not know and offers to find out. Honesty at this stage is a good sign for the weeks ahead.
Questions an Agent May Ask You
Expect questions in return, and prepare your answers in advance. Strong agents will usually ask:
What is your timeline, and is there a date you must close by?
How much do you owe on the mortgage, and what do you need to net?
What have you updated, and what do you know needs work?
Do you have a home you plan to buy, and will you need a contingency?
Who else needs to approve the sale, such as a spouse, a co-owner or an estate representative?
Honest answers help the agent price and market the home correctly. If an agent never asks about your goals, that is information too.
Bring These Items to the Meeting
A little preparation makes the interview more productive:
Your mortgage statement or payoff estimate
A list of upgrades with approximate dates, such as roof, HVAC, kitchen or windows
Your property tax bill and any HOA documents
Notes on neighborhood features that buyers tend to like, such as a school, a trail or a quiet street
Your list of questions and a pen
How to Compare the Answers
After each interview, spend five minutes rating each agent on pricing logic, marketing detail, experience, fees and communication. Compare the notes the same evening, while the conversations are fresh. If two agents are close, pick the one who gave you the clearest plan and who you would be comfortable calling on a stressful day.
Our guide on how to choose a listing agent gives a scorecard you can use with these questions. To see how agents use print and digital exposure, visit Listing Boosted, and for the agent's perspective, read the new listing launch checklist.
Sources
National Association of REALTORS, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, full report (Chapter 7), November 2025: https://www.greaterbergenrealtors.com/clientuploads/Broker_Page/2025_Profile_of_Home_Buyers_and_Sellers.pdf
National Association of REALTORS, "2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers," highlights, November 4, 2025: https://www.nar.realtor/sites/default/files/2025-11/2025-profile-of-home-buyers-and-sellers-highlights-11-04-2025.pdf
