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Seller's path

Interviewing an agent to list your home

Work down the chart. Ask all three agents the same questions, and log their answers so the pricing stories can be compared side by side.

 

Stage 1

Know your number and your deadline

Write down your payoff amount, your walk-away price, and the date you must be out. Every agent conversation is measured against these.

Ask this

  • What do I owe, and what do I need to net?
  • When must I move, and is that flexible?
  • What condition issues will a buyer's inspector find?
  • Am I buying next, and does that change my timing?

Good sign

  • You know your net, not just your list price

Walk away signal

  • Picking a price from a neighbor's rumor
Stage 2

Shortlist three listing agents

Look for agents with recent sold listings in your neighborhood and price band — not just active ones sitting on the market.

Ask this

  • How many homes have they sold within a mile in the last year?
  • What is their average days-on-market versus the area average?
  • What is their sale-to-list price ratio?
  • How many listings are they carrying right now?

Good sign

  • Sold comps nearby, short days on market

Walk away signal

  • Lots of expired or withdrawn listings
Stage 3 · decision point

Demand a real pricing story

Ask each agent to walk you through a comparative market analysis. The highest suggested price is often a bid to win your listing, not to sell your house.

Ask this

  • Which three comps drive this price, and why are they comparable?
  • What would you list at if you needed it sold in 30 days?
  • At what point do we reduce, and by how much?
  • What would you tell me to fix, and what would you leave alone?

Good sign

  • Shows the comps on paper
  • Willing to give you a lower, defensible number

Walk away signal

  • A price far above every other agent
  • No plan for what happens after week three
Stage 4

Interrogate the marketing plan

'We'll put it on the MLS' is not a plan. Ask what they spend, who produces it, and what happens in the first ten days.

Ask this

  • Who pays for photography, floor plans, and video?
  • What is the launch timeline for the first 10 days?
  • How do you handle open houses and agent previews?
  • Show me the marketing you produced for your last three listings.

Good sign

  • Professional photos as a standard, not an upgrade

Walk away signal

  • Phone photos in their current portfolio
Stage 5

Commission, term, and exit

Commission is negotiable, and so is listing length. Find out how you get out if it isn't working.

Ask this

  • What is your total commission, and how is it split with the buyer's side?
  • How long is the listing agreement?
  • Can I cancel, and what does that cost me?
  • What costs come out of my proceeds at closing?

Good sign

  • Clear written net-proceeds estimate

Walk away signal

  • Refusal to discuss cancellation
  • Surprise admin fees
Stage 6 · decision point

Compare and sign

Lay the three pricing stories next to each other. Choose the agent with the most honest number and the strongest plan for week four.

Ask this

  • Whose price was defensible with actual comps?
  • Who told me the uncomfortable truth about my house?
  • Whose plan survives a slow first two weeks?

Good sign

  • Honesty plus a concrete plan

Walk away signal

  • Choosing the highest number
  • Choosing the lowest commission

Find realtors to interview

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

Seller'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.

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