Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Sell
50 questions that separate a genuine property professional from a good salesperson — covering price, commission, marketing, method of sale and the agency agreement. Every question includes why it matters and what a good answer sounds like.
Tip: print this page and take it to every listing presentation.
Why the questions matter more than the pitch
Most sellers meet three agents, listen to three presentations, and choose the one who quotes the highest price. It is completely understandable, and it is the most expensive mistake in residential property.
An appraisal is not a valuation and it is not a guarantee. Quoting a number high enough to win the listing costs an agent nothing — the conversation about “adjusting to meet the market” happens four weeks later, once you have signed an exclusive agreement and paid for marketing.
The way to protect yourself is not to be cynical. It is to ask better questions, ask all three agents the same ones, and pay attention to which answers come with evidence attached. The list below is what I would want asked if I were the one selling.
Price & Appraisal
This is where most sellers get misled. An inflated appraisal is the oldest trick in the industry — it wins the listing, then the price gets "adjusted" four weeks later.
Q.How did you arrive at this price? Show me the comparable sales.
Why it matters: A number without evidence is a guess. Comparable sales are the only defensible basis for an appraisal.
A good answer sounds like: Three to five recent sales of genuinely similar properties in your suburb, with addresses, sale dates and an explanation of how yours differs from each.
Q.What did those comparable properties actually sell for, not what were they listed at?
Why it matters: Asking prices and sale prices are very different numbers. Some agents quote list prices because they flatter the appraisal.
A good answer sounds like: Confirmed settled sale prices, ideally with the source they came from.
Q.What is the lowest price you would advise me to accept?
Why it matters: The gap between the appraisal and the walk-away number tells you how realistic the appraisal really is.
A good answer sounds like: A narrow, well-reasoned range. A huge gap suggests the top number was never serious.
Q.How often do your listings sell within your original appraisal range?
Why it matters: This is the single most revealing question you can ask. It measures appraisal honesty directly.
A good answer sounds like: A specific figure and a willingness to show recent examples — including one that did not go to plan.
Q.What would you set the reserve or asking price at, and why is that different from the appraisal?
Why it matters: Appraisal, guide price and reserve serve different purposes. An agent who conflates them will confuse your buyers too.
A good answer sounds like: A clear explanation of the strategy behind each number.
Q.Under NSW law you must give me a written estimated selling price in the agency agreement. Will it match what you have just told me?
Why it matters: Agents in NSW must record a reasonable estimate in the agreement. If the verbal number is higher than the written one, that is your answer.
A good answer sounds like: The two numbers match, and the agent explains they must be able to substantiate it.
Commission, Fees & Costs
Commission is negotiable in NSW. Marketing costs usually are not refundable. Get every dollar in writing before you sign anything.
Q.What is your commission, and is it a flat fee or a percentage?
Why it matters: Both models exist. What matters is that you understand exactly what you will pay at settlement.
A good answer sounds like: A clear rate, stated inclusive of GST, with a worked dollar example at your likely sale price.
Q.Is that figure inclusive of GST?
Why it matters: A quoted rate that excludes GST is effectively 10% higher than it sounds.
A good answer sounds like: An immediate, unambiguous answer.
Q.Do you offer an incentive structure above a target price?
Why it matters: A tiered commission aligns the agent with getting you a higher price rather than a fast, easy sale.
A good answer sounds like: A willingness to discuss it, even if they ultimately prefer a flat structure.
Q.What are the total marketing costs, itemised?
Why it matters: Marketing is the largest out-of-pocket cost and it is usually payable whether or not the property sells.
A good answer sounds like: A written schedule listing photography, floorplan, portal listings, signboard, copywriting and any styling separately.
Q.Am I liable for marketing costs if the property does not sell?
Why it matters: In most agreements, yes. Sellers are regularly surprised by this.
A good answer sounds like: A straight answer and a pointer to the exact clause in the agreement.
Q.Are there any other fees — administration, campaign management, auctioneer, conjunction?
Why it matters: Small recurring charges add up and are easy to bury in an agreement.
A good answer sounds like: A complete list, or a clear statement that there are none.
Q.What do you estimate my total cost of selling will be, all in?
Why it matters: You need the net figure to plan your next purchase, not just the commission rate.
A good answer sounds like: An estimate covering commission, marketing, conveyancing and any discharge or adjustment costs.
Marketing & The Campaign
Almost every buyer starts online. The quality of the first three photographs determines how many people ever walk through your door.
Q.What does the campaign actually include, week by week?
Why it matters: A campaign is a schedule, not a brochure. You should be able to see what happens on which day.
A good answer sounds like: A written timeline from photography through to the final open home.
Q.Which portals will my property appear on, and at what listing tier?
Why it matters: Listing tiers dramatically change how many buyers see your property. A base listing is close to invisible.
A good answer sounds like: Named portals, named tiers, and the reasoning for each.
Q.Do you use professional photography, floorplans and video, and are they included?
Why it matters: These are the highest-return items in any campaign, and buyers now expect all three.
A good answer sounds like: Yes to all three, with sample work from recent listings you can look at.
Q.Would you recommend styling, and what return do you expect from it?
Why it matters: Styling costs real money. It should be justified with evidence, not enthusiasm.
A good answer sounds like: A specific recommendation for your property — including "no, save your money" if that is the honest answer.
Q.How will you reach buyers who are not searching the portals yet?
Why it matters: The best buyer is often someone on a database who has missed out elsewhere.
A good answer sounds like: A real database, off-market contact, and evidence they have sold this way before.
Q.How many open homes will you run, and will you personally attend?
Why it matters: Many listings are won by a principal and then run by a junior. Find out early.
A good answer sounds like: A named person for every inspection, and it is the person in front of you.
Q.What happens to the campaign if we get no offers in the first three weeks?
Why it matters: The plan for when things go badly is more revealing than the plan for when they go well.
A good answer sounds like: A defined review point with specific levers — price, presentation, method, or additional marketing.
Method of Sale: Auction or Private Treaty
There is no universally right answer. The right method depends on your property type, your timeline and how much genuine competition exists for a home like yours.
Q.Do you recommend auction or private treaty for my property, and why?
Why it matters: The reasoning matters far more than the recommendation. Some agencies default to auction on everything.
A good answer sounds like: A recommendation grounded in your specific property, buyer depth and timeline — not agency policy.
Q.What is your clearance rate over the last twelve months?
Why it matters: Clearance rate is the clearest measure of whether an agent should be recommending auction at all.
A good answer sounds like: A number, a sample size, and context on how it compares to the local average.
Q.If we go to auction and it passes in, what is the plan?
Why it matters: Roughly a third of Sydney auctions pass in. You want the fallback strategy before auction day, not after.
A good answer sounds like: A clear negotiation strategy with the highest bidder and a defined post-auction campaign.
Q.How much does the auction itself add to my marketing cost?
Why it matters: Auctioneer fees and the compressed campaign both cost money.
A good answer sounds like: An itemised figure you can weigh against the expected benefit.
Q.For private treaty — how will you create urgency without an auction date?
Why it matters: Private treaty campaigns can drift. A good agent has a mechanism for this.
A good answer sounds like: A deadline structure, offer-by date, or similar defined process.
Q.What is the cooling-off position for buyers under each method?
Why it matters: Auction sales are unconditional on the fall of the hammer. Private treaty buyers get a cooling-off period in NSW.
A good answer sounds like: A correct explanation of the difference and what it means for your certainty of sale.
The Agency Agreement
This is a binding contract. The clause that traps most sellers is the one that survives after the agreement itself ends.
Q.Is this an exclusive, open or sole agency agreement?
Why it matters: Each gives the agent a different level of control and each affects your ability to change course.
A good answer sounds like: A plain-English explanation of what you can and cannot do under the agreement offered.
Q.How long is the agreement, and can we shorten it?
Why it matters: A long exclusive period with an underperforming agent is an expensive place to be.
A good answer sounds like: Flexibility, or a well-argued reason why the term suits your campaign.
Q.What is the cooling-off period on this agreement?
Why it matters: In NSW, residential agency agreements carry a cooling-off period. Know when yours ends.
A good answer sounds like: The agent states it without being prompted twice.
Q.How do I end the agreement if I am not happy?
Why it matters: The exit terms tell you how confident the agent is in their own performance.
A good answer sounds like: A clear termination process, in writing.
Q.Explain the continuing commission clause to me.
Why it matters: If a buyer introduced during your agreement buys later, you may owe commission even after switching agents. This is how sellers end up paying twice.
A good answer sounds like: A frank explanation of the clause, the time period it covers, and how introduced buyers are recorded.
Q.Will you give me a list of buyers you have introduced when the agreement ends?
Why it matters: Without that list you cannot manage the double-commission risk.
A good answer sounds like: Yes, in writing, as a matter of course.
Offers & Negotiation
You are hiring a negotiator. Ask them to demonstrate that skill during the listing presentation — because that is exactly what they are doing with you right now.
Q.How will you present offers to me — verbally or in writing?
Why it matters: Written offers create a record and reduce misunderstanding.
A good answer sounds like: All offers in writing, with the buyer's terms, conditions and finance position included.
Q.Will you tell me about every offer, including low ones?
Why it matters: Agents are obliged to present all offers. Some filter them anyway.
A good answer sounds like: An unqualified yes.
Q.How do you handle multiple offers?
Why it matters: A structured multiple-offer process is where sellers make the most money.
A good answer sounds like: A defined, fair process communicated to all buyers in the same way.
Q.What conditions should I be wary of in an offer?
Why it matters: The highest number is not always the best offer. Finance and settlement terms carry real risk.
A good answer sounds like: A discussion of finance clauses, deposits, settlement periods and subject-to-sale conditions.
Q.Do you ever represent the buyer as well?
Why it matters: Conflicts of interest are legal if disclosed, but you should know about them.
A good answer sounds like: Full disclosure of how buyer relationships are managed.
Q.Talk me through a negotiation you lost and what you learned.
Why it matters: Anyone can recite their wins. This question tests self-awareness and honesty.
A good answer sounds like: A genuine, specific answer rather than a humblebrag.
Track Record & Local Knowledge
Local matters more than national. An agent who sells in your street knows which buyers missed out on the last three homes like yours.
Q.How many properties have you personally sold in my suburb in the last twelve months?
Why it matters: "Our office" and "I personally" are very different claims.
A good answer sounds like: A specific number for them individually, with addresses you can verify.
Q.What is your average days on market compared to the suburb average?
Why it matters: It measures pricing accuracy and campaign effectiveness in one number.
A good answer sounds like: Their figure, the suburb figure, and an honest explanation of the gap either way.
Q.What percentage of your listings sell?
Why it matters: Withdrawn listings do not appear in most marketing material.
A good answer sounds like: A candid figure including the ones that did not sell.
Q.Can I speak to your three most recent sellers — not your favourite three?
Why it matters: Curated references are worthless. Recent ones are not.
A good answer sounds like: Immediate agreement and contact details provided.
Q.Who else works on my campaign, and what is their role?
Why it matters: You should know whether you are getting the principal or a team.
A good answer sounds like: Named people with defined responsibilities.
Q.How and how often will you communicate with me during the campaign?
Why it matters: Poor communication is the number one complaint sellers make about agents.
A good answer sounds like: A committed rhythm — for example, a written report after every open home and a call every Monday.
Q.Are you licensed, and who is your licensee in charge?
Why it matters: You are entitled to know who is legally responsible for the agency's conduct.
A good answer sounds like: A licence number and the licensee's name, offered without hesitation.
Preparing Your Property
The advice an agent gives you before the campaign starts is often worth more than anything they do during it.
Q.What should I spend money on before we list, and what should I leave alone?
Why it matters: Not every improvement returns its cost. A good agent will actively talk you out of some.
A good answer sounds like: A short, prioritised list with expected returns — and at least one thing they tell you not to bother with.
Q.What is the single biggest weakness of my property, and how will you handle it?
Why it matters: Every property has one. An agent who cannot name yours has not looked properly.
A good answer sounds like: A direct answer and a strategy for how the campaign works around it.
Q.Should I get a pre-sale building and pest inspection?
Why it matters: It removes a common source of renegotiation late in the process.
A good answer sounds like: A reasoned position either way, specific to your property's age and condition.
Q.What documents do I need ready before we launch?
Why it matters: A contract that is not ready delays the campaign and can cost you the first wave of buyers.
A good answer sounds like: A checklist covering the contract of sale, strata records if applicable, certificates and approvals.
Q.When is the best time to list, given current conditions?
Why it matters: Timing affects competition from other listings as much as buyer demand.
A good answer sounds like: A view informed by current local stock levels — not just "spring is best".
Eight answers that should make you pause
None of these are automatically disqualifying on their own. Two or three together usually are.
The appraisal is well above every other agent you have seen
Buying the listing with an inflated number is the most common tactic in the industry. The price conversation always comes later, once you are locked into an agreement.
Pressure to sign on the spot
A genuine professional will encourage you to compare. Urgency at the listing presentation is a sales technique, not advice.
Vague or verbal-only answers on fees
If a number cannot be written down and itemised today, it will be worse in the agreement.
Cannot produce recent comparable sales
An appraisal with no evidence behind it is an opinion, and you cannot bank an opinion.
Reluctance to give you recent seller references
Offering only hand-picked testimonials while avoiding the last three clients is telling.
Talks about themselves more than your property
Awards and rankings do not sell your home. A specific plan for your property does.
Dismisses your questions as unnecessary
How an agent handles being questioned by you is a preview of how they will handle being questioned by a buyer.
Will not explain the continuing commission clause
This is the clause most likely to cost you money after the relationship ends. Evasion here is disqualifying.
How to compare three agents fairly
Ask all three the identical core questions
Pick eight to ten questions from this list and use them verbatim with every agent. Different questions produce answers you cannot compare.
Write down the appraisal and the walk-away number separately
The gap between them is more informative than the appraisal itself. Narrow gaps indicate confidence in the evidence.
Calculate the total cost, not the commission rate
Commission plus marketing plus any extras. The lowest rate is regularly not the lowest total.
Discount the top appraisal until it is proven
If one number is materially above the other two, ask that agent for the comparable sales that justify it. If the evidence is thin, treat the number as marketing.
Call the references — actually call them
Ask each referee one question: did the property sell within the range the agent originally quoted you?
Read the agreement before the presentation ends
Particularly the term, the marketing liability and the continuing commission clause. Take it away if you need to.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important questions to ask a real estate agent before selling?
The five that matter most are: how did you arrive at this price and can you show me the comparable sales; what is your total commission including GST; what are the itemised marketing costs and am I liable if the property does not sell; how often do your listings sell within your original appraisal range; and can you explain the continuing commission clause in the agency agreement. Those five expose pricing honesty, true cost, and contractual risk faster than any others.
How many agents should I interview before choosing one?
Three is the practical number. One gives you no comparison, two often produces a coin toss, and beyond three the appraisals tend to cluster and you learn little extra. Ask all three the same core questions so you are comparing like with like, and be suspicious if one appraisal sits well above the other two.
Is real estate commission negotiable in NSW?
Yes. Commission in New South Wales is not fixed or regulated and is fully negotiable between you and the agency. Rates vary by property value, location and campaign complexity. Be aware that pushing the rate to its floor can reduce the marketing spend or the seniority of the person running your campaign, so consider the total package rather than the headline rate alone.
What is a continuing commission clause and why does it matter?
It is a clause allowing an agent to claim commission after your agreement ends, if the buyer was introduced to the property during their agency period. If you switch agents and one of the previous agent's introduced buyers ultimately purchases, you can be liable for two commissions on the one sale. Ask for a written list of introduced buyers when any agreement ends, so the risk is documented and manageable.
Should I ask about auction or private treaty before signing?
Absolutely, and you should ask for the reasoning rather than accepting the recommendation. Ask for the agent's twelve-month clearance rate, what happens if the property passes in, and what the auction adds to your marketing cost. Some agencies recommend auction as a default rather than because it suits your property type or timeline.
What questions reveal whether an agent has really priced my home honestly?
Ask how often their listings sell within the original appraisal range, and ask for the lowest price they would advise you to accept. An honest agent gives a narrow range with evidence behind it. A wide gap between the appraisal and the walk-away number usually means the top figure was designed to win the listing rather than to reflect the market.
Do I have a cooling-off period after signing an agency agreement in NSW?
Residential agency agreements in New South Wales carry a cooling-off period, and the agent should tell you its length without being asked twice. It applies to the agreement with the agent, which is separate from the cooling-off period a buyer receives on a private treaty contract of sale. Confirm the exact dates in writing before you sign.
Next steps before you list
Vendor Checklist
A 30-day action plan to get your home ready for photography and the first open home.
OpenSelling Costs Calculator
Work out your likely commission, marketing and legal costs before you sit down with any agent.
OpenAuction or Private Treaty
How the two methods compare for St George property, and which suits your situation.
OpenAsk me every one of them
I would rather be the agent who gets questioned properly than the one who wins a listing on a number they cannot defend. Book a no-obligation appraisal for your St George property and bring this list with you.
General information only, current for New South Wales at the time of writing. Agency agreements and fees vary — always read your agreement and seek independent legal advice before signing.