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Buyer's path

Interviewing an agent to buy a home

Work down the chart. At each stage, ask the questions, watch for the signals, and write what you heard while it's fresh.

 

Stage 1

Define what you're hiring for

Before you talk to anyone, write down your budget ceiling, target areas, timeline, and deal-breakers. An agent can only be judged against a brief.

Ask this

  • What is my true monthly payment comfort zone, not my max approval?
  • Which neighborhoods, school zones, or commutes are non-negotiable?
  • When do I need keys in hand, and what happens if I miss that date?
  • Am I pre-approved, and with whom?

Good sign

  • You can state your brief in three sentences

Walk away signal

  • Shopping homes before knowing your number
Stage 2

Build a shortlist of three agents

Three is the magic number: enough to compare, few enough to finish. Pull candidates from listing sites, then verify with real reviews and recent sales.

Ask this

  • How many buyers have they closed in my price range this year?
  • Do they work my target neighborhoods weekly, or occasionally?
  • Are they full-time, and are they solo or on a team?
  • Who will actually attend my showings?

Good sign

  • Recent, verifiable closings near your target area

Walk away signal

  • Only listing-side experience
  • Vague about volume
Stage 3 · decision point

The interview

Thirty focused minutes each. Ask identical questions so answers are comparable — this is the whole point of the exercise.

Ask this

  • Walk me through your process from first showing to closing day.
  • How do you decide what to offer in a multiple-offer situation?
  • What contingencies do you recommend waiving, and when would you refuse?
  • How many other buyer clients do you have right now?
  • How fast do you respond, and through which channel?
  • Can you show me an inspection issue you renegotiated successfully?

Good sign

  • Specific stories with numbers
  • Pushes back on bad ideas
  • Explains their reasoning, not just their result

Walk away signal

  • Pressure to sign immediately
  • Promises about a home before seeing it
  • Can't describe a deal that went wrong
Stage 4

Agreements, fees, and the fine print

Buyer-broker agreements are now standard. Compensation, duration, and exclusivity are all negotiable — read before signing.

Ask this

  • What is your fee, and who pays it if the seller doesn't?
  • How long is the agreement, and can I cancel it?
  • Is it exclusive to certain areas or price points?
  • Do you have any dual-agency situations I should know about?

Good sign

  • Hands you the agreement to read without hurry

Walk away signal

  • 'Everyone signs this' as an answer
  • 12-month exclusivity
Stage 5

Check two references

Ask for a client from the last 90 days, not a hand-picked testimonial from 2019.

Ask this

  • What surprised you about working with them?
  • How did they behave when the deal got tense?
  • Would you hire them again in a tougher market?

Good sign

  • Recent client answers the phone happily

Walk away signal

  • References are relatives or years old
Stage 6 · decision point

Compare notes and commit

Reread your notes side by side. Pick the agent whose process — not whose personality — best fits your brief.

Ask this

  • Whose answers were specific rather than reassuring?
  • Who told me something I didn't want to hear?
  • Who would I trust to argue on my behalf at 9pm?

Good sign

  • One candidate is clearly stronger on process

Walk away signal

  • Choosing on likeability alone
  • Settling because you're tired

Find realtors to interview

Open these in a new tab, pull three names, then come back and work the flow.

Buyer's Toolkit · $39.95

Take the paperwork with you

Print-ready, non-editable PDFs built for this path — carry them through showings and appointments. One payment, lifetime access from any device.

See what's inside

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