Interviewing a Realtor in Dallas: the questions that separate good agents from the rest

The questions that matter most

Before you hire a real estate agent, ask how many homes they have sold or bought on streets like yours, how they would price your house or run your search, how and how often they will communicate, who covers for them when they are unavailable, and exactly what they charge and what the written agreement says. Then confirm their license on the Texas Real Estate Commission website. Good agents answer with specifics and examples; weak ones answer with enthusiasm.

I am Andy Scott with Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate in Preston Center. I have been interviewed by sellers and buyers for fifteen years, and I have also watched people hire the wrong person and spend months recovering. The interview is the cheapest point in the whole process to make a good decision, so it is worth an hour of your time and a few uncomfortable questions.

Check the license and the paperwork first

Every person who represents you in a Texas sale or purchase must hold an active license, and you can check that yourself. The Texas Real Estate Commission's license holder search lets you look up a broker or sales agent by name or license number and see their status. It takes two minutes, and the same page explains how to file a complaint if something goes wrong.

Early in your first real conversation about a specific property, the agent should hand you a document called Information About Brokerage Services. TREC requires license holders to provide this written notice about agency at the first substantive communication about a proposed transaction. It explains whom the agent can represent and how. Read it; it is short, and it answers questions most people do not know to ask.

If you are buying, expect a written agreement before you tour homes with an agent. The National Association of Realtors explains that buyers working with an agent are asked to sign one before touring, in person or virtually, and TREC's own guidance says a buyer representation agreement must be in writing and signed to be binding. That agreement is not a formality. It sets the services, the length of the relationship and the compensation, and all of it is negotiable.

Questions about where they actually work

A license covers the whole state, but the knowledge that matters is block by block. In Preston Hollow, Highland Park, University Park and Lakewood, the value of a house depends on its lot, its school zone, what has been built next door and what sold around the corner last month. An agent who works these streets every week sees those differences without looking them up. Ask questions that make the answer concrete.

Dallas is a large market, and plenty of capable agents work it well from Frisco, Plano or Fort Worth. The question is not whether someone is good in general but whether they know your few square miles. Someone who mostly sells new construction in the suburbs may price a 1950s Preston Hollow ranch on a large lot as if it were a house, when the buyer may see it as a building site. The reverse mistake happens too. Local repetition is what catches it.

• Which homes have you sold or helped buy within a mile of this address in the last two years?
• What happened on the most recent one, and what would you do differently?
• What is selling quickly here right now, and what is sitting?
• Which inspectors, lenders and title companies do you work with most, and why?
• Who handles showings, paperwork and calls when you are away?

If you are selling: what to ask a listing agent

A seller's interview should focus on price, preparation and plan. Ask each agent to show you the comparable sales behind the price they suggest and explain the adjustments they made. An agent who gives you a number without the reasoning is asking you to trust a guess. I wrote about how I arrive at a listing price with a seller if you want to see what a full explanation looks like.

Then ask what they would fix before listing and what they would leave alone. An agent who says to fix everything is not thinking about your return, and one who says to fix nothing may not want to have a hard conversation. Ask about photography, marketing to other agents who work the area, and how they handle multiple offers. Finally, ask for an estimated net sheet, so you see what you would walk away with rather than only the headline price.

• Which comparables did you use, and how did you adjust for lot, size and condition?
• What would you repair, and what would you skip?
• How will the house be presented and marketed, and to whom?
• How do you compare offers beyond price: financing, option period, closing date?
• What would my estimated net be at two or three different prices?

If you are buying: what to ask a buyer's agent

Good houses in close-in Dallas neighborhoods often draw attention in the first days on the market, so a buyer's agent's value is in preparation and speed. Ask how they hear about homes early, how quickly they can get you inside, and how they would structure an offer when other buyers are interested. Ask how they think about the option period and inspections, because that is where buyers either protect themselves or give away too much. My guide to the mistakes buyers make competing for houses covers the traps worth asking about.

Ask, too, what they would tell you not to buy. An agent who has walked you away from a house with a drainage problem or a lot backing to traffic is worth more than one who only says yes. If you are new to the area, ask how they would explain schools, commutes and neighborhoods before you start touring.

If you would like to have this conversation with me, about your house or your search, I am glad to answer every question on this page.

How the agreement and the fees should read

Whether you are selling or buying, the agreement you sign should tell you four things clearly: what the agent will do, how long the agreement lasts, what the agent will be paid and when, and how either side can end it. NAR's consumer guide notes that compensation is negotiable and not set by law, and that a buyer agreement must state a clear amount rather than an open-ended term.

Ask how the agent handles situations that come up often: a seller who wants to offer something toward the buyer's agent, a buyer who asks the seller for a concession, a house you find on your own at an open house. You should leave the interview understanding exactly what you owe in each case. If you are weighing whether you need an agent at all, I walk through what the job involves in selling your house yourself in Texas.

Answers that should make you hesitate

Most red flags are visible in the first meeting if you are listening for them. The pattern I see most often is an agent who wins a listing with a flattering price and then asks for a reduction a few weeks later. By then the house has lost its first and best weeks.

• A price well above the others with no comparables to support it
• Vague answers about fees, agreement length or how to cancel
• No recent, specific experience in your neighborhood
• Pressure to sign the same day
• Advice to skip inspections or waive protections without explaining the risk
• Slow replies during the interview stage, which rarely improve later

What I tell people when they interview me

I grew up in this business. My father sold homes in Preston Hollow and the Park Cities from the 1970s through the 1990s, and I have spent fifteen years working the same streets, along with Lakewood and the neighborhoods our Preston Center office covers. Before real estate I held leadership roles in high-tech companies, and that background shows in how I run a transaction: written timelines, clear numbers and updates before you have to ask.

My firm's bio notes that about ninety percent of my business comes from past clients and the people they introduce. I mention it because it answers the question behind every interview, which is how the last clients felt when it was over. Ask every agent you interview how their business comes to them; the answer tells you a lot.

Making the choice and starting well

Interview two or three agents, not ten. Compare their reasoning more than their numbers, and pay attention to who listened to you and who talked past you. Call a past client or two if the agent offers. Then decide, sign an agreement you understand, and give that person your full information: your timeline, your finances as they affect the move, and anything you know about the house or your must-haves.

If you choose me, the first week looks like this. For a seller, I walk the house, gather its history and send a written price analysis and preparation plan within a few days. For a buyer, we talk through neighborhoods, schools, budget and lender approval, then set up a search and a plan for moving quickly when the right house appears. If you are buying, my guide to what happens from first showing to closing shows the road ahead.

Questions people ask me