For many, if not most people, the purchase or sale of a home is one of the most significant and consequential transactions of their lives. Where and how you’ll spend years or decades, your quality of life, your financial future – all of these things and more are on the line when you decide to put your home on the market or start looking for a new house. It is not a journey you should take alone, but it is also not a process you want to entrust to just anyone.

With everything that’s at stake, you want the most knowledgeable, most committed, most accessible, and most trustworthy Chicago real estate agent you can find. Choosing the right agent to be your ally, advisor, and advocate is one of the most critical choices you can make when buying or selling a home. But with thousands of agents in Chicago all vying for your business, how do you select the one who’s best for you?

How to Hire a Chicago Real Estate Agent

You are hiring someone for one of the most important positions – to help guide you through a home purchase or sale. As such, you need to engage in the same due diligence about an agent’s background, qualifications, and experience as you would if you were hiring a new employee for a company. And that means conducting a job interview.

During an interview with an agent you are considering, you’ll want to ask them plenty of questions. Not only do you want to get specific answers that will help you evaluate the agent and compare them against others, but you also want to get a sense of their approach, personality, and “vibe” to see if they would be a good fit.

Questions To Ask When Interviewing a Chicago Real Estate Agent

Whether your interview is over the phone, in person, or on a video call, consider asking the agent some or all of the following questions:

  1. How long have you been in business?
  2. How well do you know the neighborhoods I’m interested/selling in?
  3. What makes you different from other agents in Chicago?
  4. How many clients do you represent at any given time?
  5. Will I be working with you or someone else on your team?
  6. What’s your marketing plan for properties like mine?
  7. How do you handle prep work and staging?
  8. How deep is your professional network if we need repairs or contractors?
  9. How often will we be communicating?
  10. Do you have any buyers/sellers/homes in mind already?
  11. What is your average list-to-sale price ratio?
  12. What’s the greatest challenge you think we’ll face?
  13. How long do I have to review documents before I sign anything?
  14. How much will your representation cost me?
  15. Can you send me some client references?
  16. If I choose you to be my agent, what’s the first thing we need to do to get the ball rolling?
  17. What haven’t I asked you that I need to know?

Get Started Today

At Z Chicago, we know that you have literally thousands of choices in agents when you embark on your Chicago home purchase or sale journey. That is why we are committed to providing every client with the highest quality representation and service in the city. Our knowledgeable and dedicated agents are ready to exceed your expectations and help you reach your goals. Please contact Z Chicago today to speak with one of our agents.