5 Questions Every Home Seller Will Ask Their Agent

Hiring an agent to handle the sale of a home undoubtedly comes with a bunch of benefits for both the agent and the homeowner. 

However, many home sellers would need some convincing to determine if hiring you would be beneficial to them. 

As an agent, the ability to portray your knowledge and experience by providing answers to your clients’ questions would earn you the reputation and opportunity to succeed in the industry.

In this article, we will be responding to five questions home sellers ask agents, why they ask them, as well as some good follow-up questions to ask them.

“How Much is My House Worth?”

Home sellers are concerned about how much their house would be worth when placed on the housing market. 

‍

This is because the information provides better insights into what buyers are willing to pay for the property, how it compares to other homes in the neighborhood, and what actions will increase the property’s worth. 

Also, the listing price of a house gives the first impression to buyers and determines whether or not they’d be interested in the home on the spot. Before hiring an agent, sellers want to be sure of these two things:

• That the agent is not inflating the property’s worth to make more money out of the transaction.
• That the agent can justify the property’s worth during negotiations.

The Best Way To Respond To This Question

As a savvy agent, your best response to this question would be to offer a data-backed Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) to the seller. This shows how the seller’s property compares to each of the best recently sold homes in the area. 

Your analysis should include value adjustments for differences that may affect the property, such as:

• Size
• Age
• Condition 
• Neighborhood
• Renovations
• Proximity to schools, markets, hospitals

Follow-Up Question: “Why are You Selling?”

Homeowners want to sell their homes for many reasons, ranging from a need to relocate to a high maintenance cost. Whatever their reasons may be, knowing why the owner is selling can help in determining how to list the property and to what extent you should go when negotiating.

“What Will You Charge Me to Sell My House?”

Considering that the standard real estate agent’s commission is 5% to 6%, For-sale-by-owner is usually the first option for many home sellers. 

Although it may seem like a great way to save money, the risks involved in selling without an agent causes sellers to reconsider. 

They often want to have an understanding of how much agents will charge to sell their homes before going ahead with any transaction.

The Best Way To Respond To This Question

To respond appropriately to this question, you should provide an explanation that justifies the cost of the commission. 

You can include the services you would be offering and that the commission would be split between you and the buyer’s agent. 

Also, you can be open to negotiations but be sure to put up a fight to emphasize your worth.

Follow-Up Question: “What Property Services Interest You the Most?”

After you have satisfied the seller’s curiosity about how much they will be charged for the house sale and why they will understand that they stand to make good money when working with you. 

Following up with this question would create an avenue to walk them through your property services and find out which of these services interests them.

“How Long Will it Take to Sell My House?”

Home sellers always want to know the amount of time it will take for a house to sell. This is especially true when the seller needs to get out of an uncomfortable financial situation quickly. 

Houses that stay on the market for too long don’t always do well. 

Buyers tend to think there is a problem with the property, and as a result of desperation, the seller is willing to sell way below the asking price.

The Best Way To Respond To This Question

It is important to be realistic when responding to this question to avoid giving the seller false hope. You should inform the home seller that the rate at which their house would sell depends on the average market time for the area. 

A more personalized estimate can also be provided based on the type of house or what part of the area it is situated in.

Follow-Up Question: “What is More Important: Time or Money?”

This question gives you better insights into what the seller wants. Although most sellers want to sell quickly and for as much as possible, you may come in contact with someone who needs to sell fast, not minding if it is for less than they should. 

Or a seller who doesn't mind if the property has to stay a while on the market to make as much money as possible. As an agent, you should be able to align your services to what your client needs. 

“How Will You Advertise My House?”

An agent who takes a holistic approach to property advertising is what home sellers seek when trying to sell their property. Advertisement is what creates awareness for the property and increases demand. 

Because home sellers want to sell their property in the best way possible, they want to ensure that the agent they hire can handle the advertising of their home.

The Best Way To Respond To This Question

There is no better way to respond to this question than by highlighting the tools that are available to you as a real estate agent for advertising property. 

But it wouldn’t be enough to stop there; you should go further to discuss what advertising strategies you would be utilizing, why they would be utilized, and their recorded success rates. 

“Why Should I Pick You to Sell My House?”

Home sellers are always looking for the best agents to handle their home sales. Therefore, when this question is asked, it is to examine the agent’s confidence and overall level of competence.

The Best Way To Respond To This Question

This is the perfect time to pitch yourself to your potential client. At this point, you are expected to inform the home seller about your qualifications and certifications, how long you have been an agent, your professional contacts, your team -if any- and how many listings you have converted into sales.

Follow-Up Question: “What Are You Looking For In An Agent?”

A homeowner who is looking to sell their property would most likely have done some research on what the duties of an agent are. 

Therefore, asking this follow-up question will give more insights on how to satisfy the seller and reassure them that your services will cater to their every need.

Final Thoughts on Questions from Home Sellers

When it comes to selling property, home sellers want to be able to trust the agents they would be hiring to handle the sale. This includes getting realistic and detailed answers to the questions they ask. 

As an agent, you must make use of your expertise to respond in the best way possible. Once you can do this, you stand a chance of converting every interview into a job.