Agent Interview Checklist

1. How long have you been licensed? ______________ Years

2. Are you a "FULL TIME" agent?       YES        NO

3. How many Units/Transactions did you close last year? _________

4. What designations do you hold? GRI       CRS       ABR       e-PRO 500

5. What type of support staff is available?

6. May I have a copy of references from past or current clients?

7. What type of internet presence do you possess?

Company Web-Site ______________________________.com

Personal Web-Site ______________________________.com

Personal Web-Site ______________________________.com

Personal Web-Site ______________________________.com

e-PRO Certified?         YES         NO

How often do you check email? ________TIMES PER DAY

 

8. Are you the CENDANT "PRIMARY BROKER" for your marketplace?     Y     N

9. Does your agency represent any builders?     YES         NO

How many units did they build last year? ____________ UNITS

10. Do you offer a service guarantee where I can cancel our agreement if you don’t perform as promised?            YES         NO

11. Do you offer a Home Warranty to both buyers and sellers?         YES         NO

12. Rank in order of importance the following types of marketing.

_____ Print Advertising

_____ Direct Mail Marketing

_____ Internet Marketing

_____ Personal Contact Marketing

_____ Cable TV Advertising

13. Do you have a Mortgage Company and Title Company "ON-SITE"?         Y         N

 

The following are open questions:

 

Why are you the best agent for me?

 

 

 

 

What do you feel is the power of the internet in today’s real estate market?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What makes you different from all the other agents in my area?

 

 

 

 

 

How will I benefit by hiring you to be my agent?

 

 

 

Agent Information

Name:

Date:

Company:

Email:

Phone:

Positive Features:

 

 

Negative Features:

 

 

Overall Agent Rating    1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10

                                POOR                                                      BEST

THE FOLLOWING IS A GUIDE TO THIS AGENT CHECKLIST

1. An agent who has his or her license for a long time tends to have more experience. These experiences can be used to your benefit. Seek an agent licensed 10 YEARS OR MORE!
2. A true professional dedicates his or her time to real estate on a FULL TIME BASIS!
3. The number of units closed is an indication of the agent’s expertise. Professional REALTORS close A MINIMUM OF 25 UNITS PER YEAR.
4. Designations are obtained through education and experience. Each designation reflects an area of expertise.

GRI Graduate Realtor Institute: This is a general real estate designation.

CRS Certified Residential Specialist: This agent specializes in residential sales. This designation is held by only 5% of REALTORS nationwide and requires membership in the Residential Sales Council.

ABR Accredited Buyer Representative: This agent specializes in working with buyers and requires membership.

e-PRO 500 The e-PRO designation holder is an internet professional. Introduced in April, 2000, the e-PRO 500 designation was awarded to the most forward thinking agents who participated in the first class offered.

5. Today’s real estate business consists of many functions. Many of these functions can be performed by support staff thus freeing the agent to do what he or she does best … Find and Sell real estate. Search for an agent who has an extensive support staff to better serve you.
6. Viewing reference letters from both past and current clients is a good way to see how the agent is performing. Ask the agent if you can CALL his or her CURRENT clients. This will allow you to question the clients as to how satisfied they are with the services provided by their agent.
7. A strong internet presence is a MUST in today’s market. Merely having a small web page is not nearly enough. Your agent should be e-PRO certified and incorporate the internet into all aspects of the business. Great agents have multiple web sites (yourname.com). Efficient use of email is critical! Your agent must check his or her email on a regular basis. This will allow your agent to keep you abreast of the buying and selling process.
8. Relocation is critical in today’s real estate market. Cendant Relocation is a worldwide leader in the relocation business. They will seek out the top agency in each market area and that agency receives Cendant’s clients. As a seller, this will benefit you by having this large pool of potential buyers being sent to your listing agency thus gaining the most exposure for your property. As a buyer, whether you are relocating or not, the Cendant primary broker will have the properties on the market for all the Cendant clients leaving the area.
9. New construction is a vital key to generating real estate activity. Agencies that represent builders generate a larger pool of both buyers and sellers. This will benefit you whether you are buying or selling. The more units a builder sells, the more activity is generated. Seek an agency that builds and sells at least 250 units a year.
10. You’ve heard the saying "talk is cheap, put you money where your mouth is". This is excellent advice when interviewing prospective agents. Insist on receiving a written guarantee of the services that they promise to provide. One that allows you to cancel all agreements if they don’t follow through as promised. THIS IS A MUST!
11. Home warranties are often offered to buyers of existing homes. This will protect the buyer from unexpected repairs for a period of time after the purchase, usually 1 year. As a seller, you should insist on having this same coverage during the selling process.
12. This question is vital to sellers but pertains to buyers also. The days of placing a sign in the yard, an ad in the paper and waiting for the phone to ring ARE GONE! Placing your property in the Multi-List system and waiting DOESN’T WORK! The real estate business is not a "selling" business. "Marketing" is the key. Marketing is not based on advertising but on the personal relationship concept. With this in mind, this question should be ranked as follows.

1. Personal Contact Marketing
2. Internet Marketing
3. Direct Mail Marketing
4. Print Advertising
5. Cable TV Advertising

Notice the 3 items dealing with "marketing" rank higher than "advertising".

13. In today’s world, time is at a premium. In order to save time and allow for a smooth transaction, seek an agent who offers "One Stop Shopping". Having a mortgage company and title company under one roof is an added bonus of working with a true professional.

 

The open questions allow you to let your prospective agent explain his or her position. There is no "best" answer. By asking these questions, you should begin to get an idea of the professionalism of your prospective agent. Be cautious of the agent who is not direct and concise in answering these open questions. This could indicate a lack of confidence. Remember, this is similar to a job interview. You are interviewing prospective employees. Hire the one that best meets your needs and goals.