15 May Questions to Ask a Realtor: 16 That Matter (and What Good Answers Sound Like)

There’s a lot riding on which agent you hire — and most people interview exactly one. The questions below are the ones we’d want our own family to ask, whether they end up hiring us or not. For each one, we’ve included what a good answer sounds like, because the question only helps if you know what you’re listening for.

Questions to Ask a Realtor When Selling Your Home

1. What’s your experience in the local market?

Not “how long have you been licensed” — ask how many homes they’ve sold in your area in the last year. St. Louis is a patchwork of micro-markets: what works in Kirkwood doesn’t necessarily work in Soulard or Dardenne Prairie. A good answer names your submarket specifically and tells you how it’s behaving right now — days on market, what buyers there are asking for, recent sales they personally handled.

2. How are you planning to market my house?

“I’ll put it on the MLS” is table stakes, not a marketing plan. A good answer covers professional photography, where the listing gets syndicated, how they’ll position the home against current competition, and what happens in week two if showings are slow. Ask to see the actual photos and descriptions from their last three listings — that’s what your house will get.

3. What’s your sale-to-list ratio?

This is the percentage of the asking price their listings actually sell for. It tells you two things at once: whether they price honestly up front, and whether they negotiate well at the end. A good answer is a real number they know off the top of their head, with context — a ratio near or above 100% in a balanced market means homes priced right and defended well.

4. What price would you list at — and how did you get there?

Be careful here: some agents win listings by quoting the highest number in the room, then walking the price down month after month while your home goes stale. It’s called “buying the listing,” and it costs sellers real money. A good answer comes with a written comparative market analysis, names the specific comparable sales behind the number, and tells you something you might not want to hear. An agent willing to disappoint you in the first meeting is an agent who’ll be honest when it counts.

5. What will selling actually cost me, all-in?

Commission is the headline, but the real question is the full picture: commission (which is negotiable — any agent who implies otherwise is misleading you), seller-paid closing costs, any recommended repairs or prep. A good answer is a written net sheet: “if we sell at this price, here’s approximately what you walk away with.”

6. How will you communicate with me, and how often?

The single most common complaint sellers have about agents is silence. A good answer is specific: who you’ll actually hear from, through what channel, on what rhythm — and what the plan is when something goes wrong, not just when there’s good news.

7. Is this your full-time work?

There are talented part-time agents, but selling a home generates issues at 2 PM on a Tuesday. You deserve to know whether your agent can respond. A good answer is honest about their availability and who covers for them when they’re unreachable — because everyone is sometimes unreachable.

8. If I’m not happy, can I cancel the listing?

Listing agreements run for a fixed term, but the right question is what happens if the relationship isn’t working. A good answer explains their cancellation policy plainly before you sign. Agents confident in their service don’t need to trap clients in contracts.

9. What should I fix before listing — and what should I leave alone?

Sellers routinely spend money on the wrong things. A good answer is selective, not a renovation wish list: the two or three items that actually move buyer perception in your price range, and permission to skip the rest. Beware any answer that conveniently routes work to the agent’s own contractors without explaining why.

10. Are you a REALTOR®?

Not every licensed agent is a REALTOR®. The term means membership in the National Association of REALTORS® and a commitment to its Code of Ethics, which binds the agent to protect and promote your interests specifically. It’s not a guarantee of competence — but it’s a baseline of accountability worth confirming.

Questions to Ask a Realtor When Buying a Home

11. Who pays your commission, and what will I sign?

Since the industry rule changes of 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their agent before touring homes, and agent compensation is negotiable rather than automatic. A good answer walks you through the agreement in plain English — what you’re committing to, for how long, what it costs and who’s expected to pay it — before you’re asked to sign anything.

12. How will you help me win a home without overpaying?

Anyone can tell you to bid higher. A good answer talks about the levers besides price: inspection strategy, timeline flexibility, financing strength, what the seller actually cares about — and includes a clear willingness to tell you when a house is priced above what the comparable sales support.

13. What happens after the inspection?

This is where deals are saved or lost, and where an experienced agent earns their fee. A good answer explains how they decide what to ask the seller to fix, what to ask credit for, and what to let go — and includes at least one story of walking a buyer away from a bad house.

14. If you recommend a lender or inspector, do you get anything for it?

A fair question, and a legal one: federal law (RESPA) prohibits agents from taking kickbacks for settlement-service referrals. A good answer is a direct “no, and here’s why I recommend them anyway” — ideally with more than one name per category so the choice stays yours.

15. How many of your deals fall through?

Contracts collapse — financing fails, inspections surprise, appraisals come in short. A good answer doesn’t pretend it never happens; it explains how they keep it rare: pre-approval discipline, realistic pricing guidance, and problem-solving before problems become cancellations.

16. Will I be working with you, or a team?

Neither answer is wrong, but you should know before you sign. A good answer names the actual humans: who shows homes, who writes offers, who you call when something breaks at 8 PM — and never leaves you discovering a stranger mid-transaction.

Red Flags, Whatever Side You’re On

• The highest list price in the room with nothing behind it — see question 4.
• Guarantees about outcomes. Markets don’t offer guarantees, so agents shouldn’t either.
• Vagueness about money. Commissions, costs and agreements should all survive being written down.
• Pressure to sign today. A professional can explain why they’re the right choice without a countdown clock.
• They never say “I don’t know.” Nobody knows everything. The good ones find out and call you back.

Ask Us These Questions

We publish this list knowing full well you might use it on us — that’s the point. Hermann London is a boutique St. Louis brokerage of full-time, local REALTORS®, and we’d rather earn the listing with honest answers than win it with the biggest number in the room. Meet our agents, see how we approach selling and buying, or come interview us — bring this list.

Selling a house that needs work, or on a tight timeline? Ask us about a cash offer compared against listing — we’ll show you both numbers side by side.