To find the perfect realtor for you, you’ll need to do a bit of legwork. It can seem like an overwhelming decision akin to deciding on which ice cream you want to try! You go to the ice cream store and they have over 50 flavours and after you have contemplated, you opt for vanilla – just because it was easy.

When it comes to a slightly larger transaction such as purchasing a home, you probably won’t want to make a decision on which realtor to go with just because it was the easy choice.

Here are five questions that you should always ask your next potential real estate agent:

1. How does your experience benefit my specific real estate transaction? If the agent just completed a course on negotiation skills or sold a home in your neighbourhood, they should be able to bring a unique edge to the table.

2. If you were buying or selling your home, what would you look for in an agent?
This question is a great way of getting the inside scoop on the industry. What do industry professionals see as an essential asset? How does each agent vary in those priorities?

3. Could you tell me about a recent success that you’ve had as a realtor? Give the agent a chance to discuss their latest win, and you’ll learn what they’re passionate about as well as how they’ll turn your transaction into their newest achievement.

4. What are your most effective approaches to marketing a home? Rather than the standard ‘how will you market my home?’, ask which methods are delivering results. If your agent is particularly successful with new school social media or tired and true networking, you’ll have expectations on how they’ll tackle selling your home.

5. Ask for the rundown of the conditions, commission fees and agreements. These basics will play a major role in how you choose your real estate agent. Ask for the specifics at each interview, and you can see how each partnership measures up.

If you have any questions, contact your local Dominion Lending Centres mortgage professional.  We work with many realtors and will happily provide quality referrals for your next interrogation/interview.