What should you ask a real estate agent before hiring them? Before signing with any agent in North Texas, ask about their transaction volume, local experience, communication habits, pricing process and what their marketing actually looks like not just what they promise.
Choosing an agent is one of the most consequential decisions you'll make in a real estate transaction. The difference between a great agent and an average one can mean thousands of dollars, a failed contract or a listing that sits when it shouldn't.
Most people spend more time researching a new refrigerator than they do interviewing the person who will negotiate their largest financial transaction. These 10 questions change that.
I'll be upfront: I'm a real estate agent and I wrote this knowing full well that a confident agent should welcome every one of these questions. I do. If your agent gets defensive or vague, that tells you something important.
1. How Long Have You Been Licensed and How Many Transactions Have You Closed in the Last 12 Months?
Years in the business matter less than you'd think. An agent who's been licensed for 15 years but closes 4 transactions a year is less seasoned than one who's been active for 3 years and closed 30.
Ask for both numbers. A good answer is specific, not "quite a few" or "a lot." You want an agent who is genuinely active in the current market, not someone coasting on tenure. The National Association of Realtors regularly publishes data showing that agent transaction volume varies dramatically and volume correlates with skill, negotiation experience, and market awareness.
2. Do You Work Full-Time in Real Estate?
This isn't meant to be harsh, it's practical. A part-time agent may be excellent at their craft but they are physically limited in how quickly they can respond, how many showings they can schedule and how much bandwidth they have when your deal hits a difficult stretch.
In North Texas markets where well-priced listings in Sachse or Wylie can move in days, you need someone who is available. If your agent has another job that takes priority during business hours, that matters. Ask the question directly and listen honestly to the answer.
3. What's Your Specific Experience in This Neighborhood or Price Range?
Hyperlocal knowledge is not transferable. An agent who primarily works luxury properties in Frisco has a different skill set than one who has closed dozens of transactions in the $350K–$500K range in Murphy or Lavon.
Ask your agent: What have you sold in this zip code in the last year? What do you know about this neighborhood's HOA, flood history, builder reputation or resale patterns? If they answer in generalities, that's a gap. A well-prepared agent can name specific streets, price points and trends without blinking.
4. Are You a Solo Agent or Do You Work With a Team and Who Exactly Will I Be Working With?
This question matters more than most people realize. A lot of agents market themselves as a personal, high-touch experience and then hand new clients off to an unlicensed assistant or a junior buyer's agent once the paperwork is signed.
There's nothing wrong with teams. Some of the best-run real estate operations in North Texas are team models. But you deserve to know upfront: Will the person you're meeting with today be the person answering your calls, writing your offers and sitting across from you at the negotiating table? Get a clear answer and hold them to it.
5. How Do You Communicate and How Quickly Do You Respond?
Set expectations before you're already frustrated. Some agents call. Some text. Some use apps. What matters most is that their communication style matches yours and that they have a real standard for response time.
Ask: What's your typical response time for calls and texts? What happens if I reach out on a weekend? Who covers for you if you're unavailable? The answer isn't always "me, immediately" but there should be a clear answer. Deals have fallen apart because a buyer's agent didn't return a call in time to submit an offer. In Sachse and Wylie, where inventory can be competitive, that delay costs real money.
6. How Do You Price a Home? Walk Me Through Your CMA Process.
This one is for sellers specifically and vague answers are a serious red flag.
A comparative market analysis (CMA) is the foundation of your pricing strategy. It should account for active listings, pending sales, closed sales within the last 90–180 days,, condition adjustments and days on market trends. Ask your agent to explain their methodology. If they say something like "I just know this market" or "we'll look at what's out there," push harder. Pricing is both data and judgment an agent who can't explain how they arrive at a number shouldn't be trusted to set yours.
7. What's Your Average List-Price-to-Sale-Price Ratio?
This is the data behind the promise. Every agent will tell you they get sellers top dollar. This question asks them to prove it.
A list-price-to-sale-price ratio above 98–100% is strong in most North Texas markets. Below 95% warrants a conversation. Some variance is normal based on price point and neighborhood but the agent should know their number and be able to explain it. If they can't produce this stat, or deflect with anecdotes instead of data, take note.
8. What Do You Do That Other Agents Don't?
This is a fair challenge, and a good agent should be able to answer it with specifics not platitudes.
"I work hard for my clients" is not an answer. "I provide professional photography and video on every listing, I have a targeted digital ad strategy, I do pre-listing walkthroughs to flag issues before they become inspection surprises and I have a vetted network of contractors and lenders who respond quickly" — that's an answer. Listen for actual process and actual differentiators. The more concrete, the better.
9. Can I See a Sample of Your Marketing, Photos, Listing Description, Social Posts?
Marketing quality in real estate varies enormously and most buyers don't see the bad examples until it's too late because they're on the other side of the transaction looking at listings that were handled by someone else.
Ask to see 3–5 recent listings. Look at the photos: are they bright and well-composed or dark and shot on a phone? Read the listing description: does it actually describe the home's best features with useful detail or is it boilerplate filler? If the agent has a social media presence, look at it. This is what your home will look like to thousands of buyers searching online. You have every right to evaluate it before you sign.
10. What's Your Commission Structure and What Does It Include?
Commission is negotiable in the United States, this has been clarified by recent NAR settlement changes that took effect in 2024. Ask your agent directly what they charge, what that covers and what happens to buyer's agent compensation in your transaction.
Transparency here is not optional, it's required. What you're looking for is a clear answer: what percentage, what services are included (photography, staging consultation, marketing budget, open houses), and how buyer agent fees will be handled. An agent who hedges or gets uncomfortable with this question is not setting you up for a confident transaction.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I verify a real estate agent's license in Texas?
You can look up any Texas real estate agent's license status, expiration date and any disciplinary history through the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) website. It takes about 30 seconds and is worth doing before your first meeting.
Is it better to use a local agent or a big national brand?
Local knowledge almost always wins. An agent who has closed multiple transactions in Sachse, Royse City or Lavon understands neighborhood-specific pricing, builder reputations, HOA dynamics and micro-market trends that a generalist agent simply doesn't have. Brand recognition doesn't negotiate your offer. your agent does.
How many agents should I interview before choosing one?
Interview at least two or three. Not because you don't trust the first recommendation you get but because comparison gives you context. You'll hear different approaches to pricing, communication, and marketing and that context helps you make a confident decision rather than a default one.
Ready to Ask These Questions? Start Here.
If you're buying or selling in Sachse, Wylie, Murphy, Lavon or Royse City or anywhere in the North Texas area, Jeanie Marten Real Estate is prepared to answer every one of these questions with specifics, not talking points.
Call or text to schedule a no-pressure consultation. Ask the hard questions. That's exactly what this process should look like.
