Why the Hiring Decision Matters More Than Most People Realize
Real estate has a low barrier to entry. You don't need a college degree, prior experience owning or selling a home, or any particular background. You need to pass a licensing exam and be at least 18. That's it.
The bar to succeed in real estate, however, is much higher. And the gap between a capable, experienced agent and an inexperienced or disengaged one has real consequences for your outcome — in sale price, in how smoothly the process goes, and in what happens when something unexpected comes up.
Think of hiring a Realtor the way you'd think about hiring a Sherpa. This is the person whose job is to get you up and down the mountain safely. On a smooth trip, their expertise means you get there efficiently and without unnecessary stress. When something goes wrong — weather, route issues, unforeseen obstacles — you need someone who has been there before and knows how to improvise, adapt, and keep moving. That's what you're paying for. It deserves more than a quick Google search and a referral from a neighbor.
If someone you know and trust is a brand-new agent, you can still support them — but ask whether they have a mentor, a team, or a brokerage actively guiding their early deals. Experience in the room matters, even if it's not theirs yet.
The Questions to Ask
How many homes do you sell per year, and how many have you sold over your career?
Sales volume tells you more than years of experience. An agent can have a license for fifteen years and have sold twelve homes. Look for someone with meaningful, consistent activity — typically more than ten transactions per year is a sign of a working professional.
On the other end: very high volume can be a different kind of warning sign. An agent selling sixty or eighty homes a year often relies heavily on systems and staff, and individual clients can feel like they're on an assembly line. The sweet spot is someone who is genuinely active but still personally invested in each transaction.
Do you have experience buying and selling in this specific area?
Local knowledge affects everything — how a home is priced, what features matter to buyers in a given neighborhood, which streets command a premium and which don't. Ask specifically about experience in your city or neighborhood, not just the county. If they don't have direct experience, ask what relevant experience they do have and how they'll close the gap.
What does your support team look like?
A real estate transaction generates hundreds — sometimes thousands — of communications between clients, lenders, title companies, inspectors, and the other party's agent. An agent with a transaction coordinator or administrator has a second set of eyes on that flow, which means fewer things fall through the cracks and faster response times when something needs attention. Ask who else is on their team and what role each person plays.
Walk me through your process, step by step.
A competent agent should be able to explain exactly what they do and when — from initial consultation through closing. How do they handle showing requests? How do they manage sign calls and inquiries? What does their communication cadence look like? If they can't articulate a clear process, they may not have one. That's a problem when things get complicated.
Who are your preferred inspectors and title companies — and why do you like them?
Every experienced agent has a network they trust. What you're listening for isn't just the names — it's the reasoning. An agent who can explain why they work with a specific inspector (thoroughness, report quality, responsiveness) or title company (communication, accuracy, timeline) is showing you professional judgment. Then look up those references independently. The network's reputation reflects directly on the agent who built it.
What Good Answers Look Like
Good answers are specific. An agent who says "I know this area well" is telling you less than one who says "I've sold four homes in this zip code in the last eighteen months, and I know that the school district boundary at Route 108 changes the buyer pool significantly."
Good answers are honest about gaps. No agent knows everything. An agent who says "I haven't sold in that particular subdivision, but here's the relevant experience I have and here's how I'd research the gaps before we listed" is showing you more integrity than one who claims expertise they don't have.
Good answers show genuine enthusiasm for the process — not just for closing the deal. There's a difference between an agent who talks about what they enjoy about helping clients navigate a complex transaction and one who steers every answer back to their commission rate or how fast they can get you to contract.
Red Flags That Should End the Conversation
- Vague or evasive answers to direct questions. There are no secrets in real estate. What an agent has, they have. What they don't, they don't. An agent who won't give you a straight answer in the interview will not suddenly become transparent once you're in contract.
- No clear process. If they can't explain what they do and how they do it, they're probably making it up as they go. That may work on easy deals. It won't hold up when something unexpected happens.
- Poor communication in the first meeting. You will talk to this person constantly. If they're already slow to respond, dismissive of your questions, or difficult to understand, the problem won't get better under the pressure of an active transaction.
- They never take responsibility for anything. Listen for how an agent talks about deals that didn't go well. An agent who blames the market, the other agent, or bad luck for every difficult outcome isn't reflecting honestly on their own role. Accountability is what you need when things go sideways on your deal.
- Rapport without substance. This one is tricky, because liking your agent matters — you'll be in regular contact through a high-stakes process and personal chemistry is real. But don't let a smooth personality or a warm first impression paper over meaningful deficits in experience, honesty, or process. The vibe check matters. It's not the only check.
The Bottom Line
Interview more than one agent. The comparison alone will be clarifying — you'll quickly see the difference between someone who has thought carefully about how they serve their clients and someone who is just trying to get you to sign.
If you'd like to put me through the same process — ask me any of these questions directly — I'm genuinely happy to answer them. That's exactly the kind of conversation I'd want to have before asking someone to trust me with a transaction this significant.
