Top 10 Questions to Ask Your Realtor When Selling Your Home

The ideal real estate agent will sell your home for top dollar in a short time period. Most of all – they are partners you can trust throughout the whole process. Here is how to ensure that your realtor fits your needs.

The most important goals in asking your realtor these questions are to establish a track record through actual performance statistics and to evaluate a level of expertise in marketing your home to the public.

Your home might be your most valuable asset.
Ask these questions BEFORE you sign that contract.

How many homes have you listed and sold in my town in the last 12 months?

This answer gives you a pulse on the agent’s activity and success in your targeted market. An experiencd agent should have at least 5 successfully sold listings – but more would be better.
The Gubb Team had 95 transactions in 2024.

What is the Average Number of Days on Market for your listings?

Think about this: The baby is sick, laundry is scattered and you’ve just sat down for dinner when you get the call, “May your home be shown in an hour?” Your realtor should have a low number of average days on market. Prolonged time on the market is not only unsettling and very disruptive, but it also significantly affects your final sale number.

The Gubb Team’s average Days on Market is 9 days.

What is your List to Sale Price Ratio?

Many elements can impact a lower final sale number such as inferior presentation, lack of staging, minimum exposure and overpricing. Look for your realtor to diligently deliver a superior print and online presentation then extensively expose your home to the market. Most agree that overpricing damages a home’s debut to the market and your results will suffer.

The Gubb Team List to Sale price Ratio is 112.8%

How many price reductions have your listings had in the last 12 months?

Pricing requires diligent and consistent tracking in a focused market through visits to comparable homes over the years and consistent stat reviews. Your realtor must have a pulse on your potential buyer’s desires and past actions taken and be familiar with the real value of neighborhoods, commuter and lifestyle options, updates, and schools. A pro agent will also advise on a fair list price even though this might not be the number you had in mind.

Can you send me examples of your past listings on MLS?

You would not buy a car without a test drive, nor would you hire a contractor for a big project without reviewing and evaluating their quality. A pro agent will be happy and proud to supply examples so don’t be timid. Ask for your realtor to email you any listings so you can view what your potential buyer will see.

Can you provide me with client testimonials?

YES is the only acceptable answer! Again, your home is a major asset. Confirm you are entrusting the sale of this asset to the most competent person offering the highest level of service by reading their reviews.
Chris Gubb Reviews David Gubb Reviews

Will you hire a professional stager to prepare my home?

Preparing your home for market can range from calling in a cleaning service to a major decluttering and sprucing plan. Most of us fall somewhere in the middle. Many have accumulated a lifetime of possessions and have lived in our homes as a comfortable environment for our families but now is the time to consider adjustments. Do we remove or reposition Grandma’s rocking chair? Should we paint or repurpose a room? Should we power wash the siding? Bringing in objective and expert guidance is paramount and a relief in the decision making process, as you seek to achieve maximum buyer’s attention and a top sale price.

The Gubb Team offers complimentary staging and a personal home report for all our listings. Check out a collection of The Gubb Team Staging Transformations.

BEFORE The Gubb Team Professional Staging

AFTER The Gubb Team Professional Staging

How will my undecorated, tired, or vacant rooms be presented?

In today’s market, most buyers see the home they will purchase for the first time on the internet so your listing presentation must provide a compelling ‘story’. There are a variety of ways to maximize a particular room or home’s appeal such as virtual staging, renting furniture, repainting a room, bringing in furniture and accessories and decluttering to name a few.

The Gubb Team warehouses hundreds of staging items that have been specifically selected to appeal to your buyer AND we also offer extensive VIRTUAL staging services.

How will my home be marketed? 

Will you hire a professional photographer? Produce a printed brochure? Create a video of my home? Brochures and videos are those extra steps that complete the presentation.  Always expect a professional photographer will be hired and that your realtor will market your home on every available platform – both in print and online.

Check out this Gubb Team Listing Video.

Do you advertise on real estate internet sites?

Zillow, Trulia, and Realtor.com offer advertising for your home to be “featured.” Facebook and Instagram offer advertising programs that target the demographics of your buyers by following the sites they visit. Who searched for “homes for sale in Bergen County?” Facebook and Instagram know. The key to a successful home sale is to massively AND simultaneously expose the home. Understand how and where your home will be exposed.

BONUS TIP as you shop for your Listing Agent:

After asking the above questions, Google the agent’s name. Evaluate and compare their online presence and credentials to determine their skills in internet marketing themselves. Those very same set of skills apply to their ability to market and expose your own home.

If the seller’s agent you are considering cannot answer these questions, they may not be the right fit for your needs. Contact the Gubb Team with any questions in Bergen County, NJ!

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