23 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You List (2026)

Why these questions matter

The listing interview is the highest-leverage hour of your entire sale. The agent you pick influences your final price more than styling, timing or the portal tier, and the agreement you sign locks in the commission, the marketing bill and how hard it is to leave. These 23 questions, grouped by theme, are designed to separate agents who will earn their fee from agents who are good at winning listings.

For each question below you'll find why it matters and what a good answer sounds like versus an evasive one. Ask every shortlisted agent the same list in the same order, and take notes. Patterns show up fast.

Local market and track record

Local knowledge is the single biggest predictor of result. These questions test whether the agent genuinely works your suburb or is reading from a data feed printed an hour before the meeting.

1. Which three recent sales are most comparable to my home, and were you involved in any of them?

Every price estimate stands or falls on comparable sales: same suburb, similar property, sold in the last 90 days. An agent who personally negotiated some of them knows what buyers actually paid and why.

Good answer: names addresses, sale dates and prices, and explains how each compares to yours. Evasive: quotes suburb medians or "the market's really hot right now" without a single specific sale.

2. How many properties like mine have you sold in this suburb in the last 12 months?

You're hiring the individual, not the franchise. An agent with ten recent local sales has a live database of underbidders, buyers who missed out and are still hunting. That list is often where your buyer comes from.

Good answer: a specific personal number, with examples. Evasive: office-wide or network-wide figures dressed up as their own.

3. What are days-on-market and buyer demand doing here right now?

The answer sets your campaign expectations. An agent who tracks suburb-level data weekly will also manage your campaign on evidence rather than gut feel.

Good answer: a current figure and the trend, e.g. "median days on market here has drifted from 28 to 35 this quarter". Evasive: "demand is strong" with nothing behind it.

4. Who is the likely buyer for this property?

The buyer profile dictates the marketing plan: which channels, which photos, which open times. If they can't describe your buyer, they're guessing at the campaign too.

Good answer: two or three specific profiles, backed by current enquiry on similar listings. Evasive: "a home like this appeals to everyone".

5. Will you personally run the opens and negotiate the offers, or does that go to someone else?

Some lead agents win the listing and hand the work to a junior. That can be fine, but you should know who you're actually getting before you sign.

Good answer: names exactly who does what, and puts the lead agent on the negotiation. Evasive: "we work as a team" with no names attached.

Price and method of sale

This is where the most expensive mistakes happen: an inflated estimate to win your listing, or a sale method chosen by office habit rather than what suits your property.

6. What's your estimated selling price, in writing, and what evidence supports it?

In NSW, the agent is legally required to include a reasonable estimated selling price in the agency agreement, supported by factors like comparable sales. In every state, a written estimate is your accountability anchor: it makes the classic "quote high, condition down" play much harder to run.

Good answer: a tight range that traces back to the comparable sales from question 1, written into the agreement. Evasive: a big verbal number, "we'll let the market decide", or a range so wide it commits to nothing.

7. Do you recommend private treaty or auction for my property, and why?

The right method depends on buyer depth, property type and local norms, not on what the office always does. Auction adds an auctioneer's fee and a hard deadline; private treaty gives more control but can drift.

Good answer: a recommendation tied to your specific property and current buyer demand, with the costs and the fallback plan for each method. Evasive: a reflexive default with no trade-offs discussed.

8. If you're recommending auction, what's your clearance rate over the last six months?

Their personal clearance rate tells you whether they can actually run an auction campaign. You can sanity-check the claim: Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) publishes auction clearance rates for the capital cities every week, so a citywide number quoted as a personal one is easy to catch.

Good answer: their own number, plus honest examples of pass-ins and how those homes sold afterwards. Evasive: the citywide clearance rate presented as their own record.

9. Where would you set the advertised price guide, and how will you keep it honest?

Underquoting wastes your campaign on buyers who can't reach your price. NSW bans advertising below the agent's written estimate, bans "offers over" style ads, and caps advertised ranges at a 10% spread. Other states police misleading price conduct too. A guide set too high is just as costly: it kills early enquiry, and the first two weeks are when buyer interest peaks.

Good answer: a guide strategy anchored to the written estimate, updated in writing if the market moves. Evasive: "we'll quote it low to get bodies through the door".

Commission and marketing costs

Commission is the largest cost of your sale and the most negotiable. Marketing is the second, and you usually pay it whether or not the home sells.

10. What's your commission rate, and does that include GST?

Typical rates run roughly 1.5 to 3% plus GST, lower in the big metros and on higher-value homes, higher in regional markets. The GST question matters: on a $20,000 fee it's a $2,000 difference. Run your own numbers through the commission calculator before the meeting so you know what any rate means in dollars.

Good answer: a clear rate, GST treatment stated, openness to discussing structure. Evasive: "that's the standard rate". There is no standard rate, anywhere in Australia.

11. Walk me through the marketing budget line by line. What does each item add?

A typical residential campaign runs somewhere between $3,000 and $10,000 depending on property value, portal tier and whether you stage. The portal listing upgrade is usually the biggest line and the most debated one. You're entitled to know what each item is expected to do for your price.

Good answer: itemised costs with a rationale for each, and options at different budget levels. Evasive: one bundled package price and pressure to approve it on the spot.

12. Do I pay the marketing costs if the property doesn't sell?

In most agreements, vendor-paid advertising is payable regardless of the result, upfront, at settlement or via a payment plan. Sellers are routinely surprised by this after a failed campaign. Don't be.

Good answer: a plain yes, with the budget capped in writing and payment timing explained. Evasive: "don't worry about that, it will sell".

13. Are there any other costs? Auctioneer, admin fees, mid-campaign upgrades?

Small fees hide in agreements: auctioneer fees, administration or "file" charges, and suggested portal upgrades once the campaign is running. Get the complete list before you sign, not as the invoices arrive. Our cost of selling guide covers every line item.

Good answer: a complete written fee schedule. Evasive: "just the usual costs".

The agency agreement

The pitch is marketing; the agreement is the contract. These three questions cover the clauses that decide how locked in you are.

14. How long is the exclusive period, and why that long?

For an established home, 60 to 90 days covers a full campaign with buffer. Queensland caps sole and exclusive appointments at 90 days (renewable). In Victoria, an exclusive authority with no stated end date defaults to 60 days. NSW sets no minimum or maximum, so the term is purely what you negotiate.

Good answer: around 60 days with a clear rationale and willingness to review. Evasive: 120+ days "to be safe". Safe for whom?

15. What's the tail clause? How long, and how is "introduced" defined?

A tail clause keeps the agent entitled to commission if the buyer was "introduced" during the agency period, even if the sale happens months after the agreement ends. Reasonable in principle, dangerous when "introduced" is defined loosely. Push for a tight definition, such as attended an inspection or made a written offer.

Good answer: a 60 to 90 day tail with a precise definition. Evasive: 180+ days, vague wording, or surprise that you asked.

16. How do I end this agreement if it isn't working, and is there a cooling-off period?

This is a great honesty test because the answer is checkable. In NSW you get a cooling-off period of one business day after signing an agency agreement. In Victoria there is no cooling-off on a sales authority at all. In Queensland, cancelling an appointment generally requires 30 days' written notice. A good agent knows their state's rules cold and volunteers a fair exit path for mid-campaign breakdowns.

Good answer: the correct rule for your state, unprompted, plus a written termination process. Evasive: "nobody's ever wanted to leave".

Campaign and buyer qualification

Anyone can open a door on a Saturday. The value is in what happens to every name that walks through it.

17. How do you qualify buyers before they make an offer?

A qualified buyer has finance pre-approval, a deposit ready and a reason to move. An unqualified one wastes your best campaign weeks or crashes the deal after acceptance. Ask how the agent checks finance position and motivation before you take a property off the market for someone.

Good answer: a repeatable process, asking about pre-approval, deposit readiness and timing before contract. Evasive: "we get a feel for who's serious".

18. What's the opens schedule, and how do you follow up every attendee?

The follow-up call after the open is where offers are made or lost. You want to know the cadence: how many opens per week, how quickly attendees are contacted, and what happens to their feedback.

Good answer: a defined schedule and follow-up within 24 to 48 hours, with feedback reported back to you. Evasive: no system, just "we stay in touch with interested parties".

19. How will offers be handled? Will I see every offer in writing?

You are entitled to know about offers on your property, and a written record protects you if a "verbal offer" is used to pressure you into a quick decision. Agree upfront that every offer reaches you in writing, with the buyer's conditions and finance position attached.

Good answer: every offer in writing, promptly, with context to judge it. Evasive: "we'll only bring you the serious ones".

Communication and reporting

Most seller complaints aren't about the result, they're about silence. Set the standard before you sign, when your leverage is highest.

20. How often will I hear from you, and in what format?

Weekly is the workable minimum during a live campaign: enquiry numbers, open attendance, buyer feedback and where each interested party sits. A written report plus a call is the standard worth asking for.

Good answer: a fixed weekly rhythm with a written report, and calls for anything urgent. Evasive: "you can call me anytime", which quietly puts the burden on you.

21. What feedback would make you change strategy, and at what point?

Good agents define their triggers upfront: if enquiry is below X after two weeks, or opens are strong but no offers land, here's what we change. Without agreed triggers, "the market is telling us something" becomes code for "drop your price".

Good answer: specific thresholds and the options at each, price, presentation or method. Evasive: "let's see how we go".

If the property doesn't sell

Not every campaign lands. The agents worth hiring have a plan B before they need one, and their answer here tells you how honest the rest of the pitch was.

22. What's the plan if we haven't had an acceptable offer after 30 days?

The first month is when buyer interest peaks. If it passes without a serious offer, something needs to change, and you want to know the options now: refreshed marketing, a price review against new comparable sales, a method switch, or holding firm with a reason.

Good answer: a staged plan with decision points, agreed with you in advance. Evasive: "that won't happen with this property", which is exactly what over-quoting sounds like from the other side.

23. If the agreement ends without a sale, what do I owe you, and what happens next?

Get the exit picture clear: marketing costs already incurred are usually payable, the tail clause may still apply to buyers already introduced, and you'll want your enquiry list and feedback history if you relist with someone else.

Good answer: a transparent account of what's owed and a professional handover position. Evasive: any answer that only makes sense if you never leave.

How to read the answers

Across all 23 questions, the same patterns separate strong agents from smooth ones:

• Specifics beat sentiment. Addresses, dates, numbers and names are good signs. Adjectives are not evidence.
• Written beats verbal. A good agent volunteers to put estimates, fees and plans in writing. An evasive one treats the request as an insult.
• Pushback is a feature. The agent who challenges your price expectations with evidence will also challenge buyers on your behalf. The one who agrees with everything is negotiating for your signature, not your sale price.
• Watch the checkable claims. Clearance rates, cooling-off rules and "my recent sales" can all be verified. Catch one embellishment in the interview and assume the rest of the pitch carries the same discount.

Take the list with you

Don't try to memorise 23 questions. Do it in this order instead:

1. Get the list in your pocket. The free selling guide includes the agent interview questions as a printable chapter, plus fee benchmarks for your state, personalised to your suburb.
2. Size the fees first. Run your expected price through the commission calculator so every rate you're quoted translates to dollars on the spot.
3. Line up three interviews. Start with a free property appraisal from a vetted local agent, or use find an expert to build your shortlist without cold-calling agency front desks.
4. Ask, note, compare. Same questions, same order, every agent. The comparison does the deciding for you.