Interviewing Realtors (1 Viewer)

[El Caliente]

Because we will soon be moving to Houston we need to sell our home (I’m sure that we can rent, I am just not sure if it’s worth the hassle). Tomorrow we will be interviewing realtors to decide who we should hire to represent us. My question to the group is, what are some questions we should get out there during the interview process so that we don’t have regrets later down the line?

 

[whoah whoah]

Interviews are tough, I would recommend asking friends/family who they used or recommend. As far as questions, I like to ask about their failures. You can learn a lot about someone based upon their response. Ask them if they ever had house they just couldn't sell, and why.

 

[Saint_Ward]

I don't have enough experience, but three things come to mind.

1. How they just are.. their personality, etc. If they annoy me too easily, that won't be good.

2. How well they communicate, how quickly they communicate.

3. Examples of properties they've sold, how they photograph things (or hire someone), what they spend energy on. You learn how keen of an eye they have.

I guess if you're buying, you are more interested in how they will help narrow down choices, how well they know the market, schools, etc.

 

[zeetes]

there are no clear answers for this.

i agree with trying to get recommendations from someone you know, then start vetting them out. remember, they are all salespeople, first and foremost.

 

[Swamprat]

What is the commission?

What is their approach to showing your home in the best way? I've very recently seen NICE homes being shown via really crappy cell pics. If I were the home owners I would be livid. Conversely, just yesterday I saw a really nice, clear and well lit pic of an empty home dining area...and the next pic was the exact same room with virtual furniture, decorations, etc. Think along the lines of a very good home decorator behind the Photoshop mouse. It looked real.

What would be their advertisement plan? Yard signs? Open houses? Online avenues? Banners hanging off the Dome?

Which part of Houston you're moving to? Buyer beware...some areas kinda have a bit of a water issue every now and then. Some 'bargains', may not be....And then there is traffic. TranStar traffic map is your friend.

If it's a work related move I'm sure they have you covered, but I can say har.com is flat out awesome for finding stuff quickly and keeping up with the latest listing....Oh yeah, pay attention to the home tax rates!!!!! There isn't a state income tax or tax on food, but they damn sure make up for it with real estate taxes. ~$6000-8000 for a ~$200k home is ballpark..and then there are HOA fees.

 

[zeetes]

I've very recently seen NICE homes being shown via really crappy cell pics. If I were the home owners I would be livid.

this. the house i am in now, i almost didn’t bother to go see it, except for my realtor checking it out first. he assured me the pictures do it no justice, and he was right. i also had a lot of faith in his judgement, from the other houses he had shown me.

 

[someone]

Whichever one sells themselves best to you can probably sell your house the best as well.

I’m sure that we can rent, I am just not sure if it’s worth the hassle

Have you run the numbers? If you can find a tenant and the cash flow is positive, absolutely do this.

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[El Caliente]

Yeah, Houston Ian weird. How do you find a home you can get equity out of? We bought our home in 2014, and now 4 years later the market improved, our neighborhood turned a new leaf, and we got a Trader Joe’s bump, we will probably get $100k on top of what we bought it for. Can you find homes like that in Houston?

Is there any place in Houston where I am not paying HOA fees? I hear nothing but bad things about HOAs.

 

[El Caliente]

Whichever one sells themselves best to you can probably sell your house the best as well.



Have you run the numbers? If you can find a tenant and the cash flow is positive, absolutely do this.

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Our mortgage is quite low thanks to the time we bought and they were practically begging people to buy. How can I find out rent rates?

 

[Swamprat]

Yeah, Houston Ian weird. How do you find a home you can get equity out of? We bought our home in 2014, and now 4 years later the market improved, our neighborhood turned a new leaf, and we got a Trader Joe’s bump, we will probably get $100k on top of what we bought it for. Can you find homes like that in Houston?

Is there any place in Houston where I am not paying HOA fees? I hear nothing but bad things about HOAs.

I'm sure you can find subdivisions where the price will appreciate over the coming years, but it would require some investigation and market knowledge/insight to find those.

HOAs - Not sure you can get away from them. Those swimming pools, club houses, tennis courts, common areas, security guards and etc are nice, but ultimately have to be paid for by the homeowners. There is a wide variance in HOA fees depending on the level of extras in each subdivison.

As mentioned above www.har.com will be a tremendous help to you.

 

[brandon8283]

Plan to interview 3-5 realtors, and do your homework before you call. Find the ones that have sold the most homes in your area in the last year. Zillow usually has this info readily available. Starting with the top 5 sellers, it will be harder to make a mistake. This is not a job for some friend of a friend or a relative. You want the best salesperson, period.

Ask how they intend to market your house. Ask them what they think it is worth as is, what they’re basing that on, and if any changes should be made to get the home in selling condition. Ask what they think the home will be worth if you make the changes. Then, make sure you follow their directions.

Ask if they have any ready buyers that they will be showing your home to. In this market, that’s pretty common.

Ask them about days on market and how long you should expect to wait to close. Discuss what the plan is if the house isn’t getting as many viewings as expected.

Don’t necessarily go with the one who tells you they can sell it for the highest amount. They may just be trying to get you to go with them and then stick you with a sale price that no one will bite on, leaving you to inevitably lower the price. Make them show you comps.

The realtors rate is negotiable and you should let them know that you are interviewing more than one realtor. This will likely cause them to lower their rate without you even asking.




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[someone]

Our mortgage is quite low thanks to the time we bought and they were practically begging people to buy. How can I find out rent rates?

Add that to the list of questions you ask. Check Zillow for rentals around your area that are similar to your home and you'll have a general idea of what you can get.

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[zeetes]

i don’t think that i could disagree more; zillow is 100% unreliable. don’t follow zillow.

 

[Saint_Ward]

realtor.com for rentals. It's usually more up to date.

I've used it, and an actual realtor my last 4 moves...

 

[someone]

Most agents can connect you with their app that gives you access to the MLS.

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