Overview
Choosing who will represent you is one of the first real decisions in a sale, and among the most consequential. It is reasonable to speak with more than one agent, and reasonable to ask direct questions. A good conversation should leave you understanding how the agent will price, prepare, present and negotiate for your home, and how they will protect your privacy while doing it.
These are the questions Sidney would want any seller to ask, including of him. They are arranged in the order a considered interview usually takes.
What to have ready
Ticks are for your own use on this device.
Start with the license
In California, you can look up any real estate license through the Department of Real Estate's Public License Lookup, searching by the licensee's name or license ID.
Ticks are for your own use on this device.
For reference, Sidney Manzo is a licensed real estate agent, CA DRE #01108914, with RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193. He has been in real estate since 1990. You can read more on Sidney's profile and the about page.
Planning tool
Agent Conversation Notebook
Keep the questions you want to ask, and your own notes on each conversation, side by side. The notebook never scores or ranks anyone.
Collect the answers side by side, then consider:
- Specificity. Did the agent name actual comparable sales, a preparation plan and a showing plan, or speak in generalities?
- Candor. Did the agent mention risks and trade-offs, or only good news?
- Fit. Did the agent's approach to privacy, pace and communication suit the way you prefer to work?
- Clarity on paper. Were you offered the agency disclosure and the listing agreement to read before any decision?
Up to three. A label such as “Agent A” is enough.
Experience
How long have you been in real estate, and where do most of your sales happen?
Have you sold homes like mine, in age, style or condition?
Who else will work on my sale, and what will each person do?
Can you share contact details for past clients I may speak with?
Architectural and distinctive homes
How would you describe what makes this home distinctive, and how would you present it?
How do you find comparable sales for a home with few close peers?
How would you handle original features in photography and in the listing description?
If the home is a designated landmark or in a historic district, how would you address that with buyers?
Discretion and privacy
How visible will the sale be, and at what point?
What are my options for a quieter period before broad public marketing, and what are the trade-offs under the rules that apply?
How are visitors screened and accompanied, and who holds keys and codes?
How will art, collections and personal effects be protected during showings?
Will any personal information appear in the listing or photographs?
Pricing
Which comparable sales would you use, and why?
What active listings would I compete with?
How do you reach a recommended range, and what would change it?
What happens if the home does not attract offers at that price?
Preparation and marketing
What would you suggest I repair, and what would you leave alone?
Will you recommend staging, and who pays for it?
Who takes the photographs, and what is included?
Where will the home be marketed, and how?
How do you handle showings and open houses, and may I choose private appointments only?
Communication
How often will I hear from you, and how?
Who answers when you are unavailable?
How will you share feedback from buyers' agents?
How will you present offers to me?
How will you coordinate with my attorney, CPA or trustee, if I have one?
Negotiation
How do you compare offers beyond the price?
How do you handle multiple offers?
How do you approach repair requests after inspections?
What happens if a buyer's loan or appraisal falls short?
Agency disclosure and the listing agreement
The amount or rate of real estate commissions is not fixed by law. They are set by each broker individually and may be negotiable between the seller and broker.
My question list
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The questions
Questions about experience
- How long have you been in real estate, and where do most of your sales happen?
- Have you sold homes like mine, in age, style or condition?
- Who else will work on my sale, and what will each person do?
- Can you share contact details for past clients I may speak with?
Listen for specifics. Plain answers about real experience are more useful than broad claims.
Questions about architectural and distinctive homes
- How would you describe what makes this home distinctive, and how would you present it?
- How do you find comparable sales for a home with few close peers?
- How would you handle original features in photography and in the listing description?
- If the home is a designated landmark or in a historic district, how would you address that with buyers?
Questions about discretion and privacy
- How visible will the sale be, and at what point?
- What are my options for a quieter period before broad public marketing, and what are the trade-offs under the rules that apply?
- How are visitors screened and accompanied, and who holds keys and codes?
- How will art, collections and personal effects be protected during showings?
- Will any personal information appear in the listing or photographs?
Questions about pricing
- Which comparable sales would you use, and why?
- What active listings would I compete with?
- How do you reach a recommended range, and what would change it?
- What happens if the home does not attract offers at that price?
An agent should be able to walk you through the reasoning. The page on how to read comparable sales explains what to look for.
Questions about preparation and marketing
- What would you suggest I repair, and what would you leave alone?
- Will you recommend staging, and who pays for it?
- Who takes the photographs, and what is included?
- Where will the home be marketed, and how?
- How do you handle showings and open houses, and may I choose private appointments only?
Questions about communication
- How often will I hear from you, and how?
- Who answers when you are unavailable?
- How will you share feedback from buyers' agents?
- How will you present offers to me?
- How will you coordinate with my attorney, CPA or trustee, if I have one?
Questions about negotiation
- How do you compare offers beyond the price?
- How do you handle multiple offers?
- How do you approach repair requests after inspections?
- What happens if a buyer's loan or appraisal falls short?
How to weigh the answers
Collect the answers side by side, then consider:
- Specificity. Did the agent name actual comparable sales, a preparation plan and a showing plan, or speak in generalities?
- Candor. Did the agent mention risks and trade-offs, or only good news?
- Fit. Did the agent's approach to privacy, pace and communication suit the way you prefer to work?
- Clarity on paper. Were you offered the agency disclosure and the listing agreement to read before any decision?
If this, then that:
- If an agent suggests a price well above the others, then ask for the comparable sales behind it before giving it weight.
- If you feel pressed to sign at a first meeting, then take the documents away to read. Nothing is signed at a first conversation with Sidney.
- If your situation involves a trust, an estate or several owners, then ask how the agent works alongside your attorney.
In practice. The most telling answers are often to the questions about what could go wrong: an appraisal that falls short, a buyer who withdraws, a home that draws less interest than hoped. Calm, specific answers there say a great deal.
The most telling answers are often to the questions about what could go wrong: an appraisal that falls short, a buyer who withdraws, a home that draws less interest than hoped.
The agreement
Agency disclosure
Under California Civil Code section 2079.14, the seller's agent, if any, must provide the agency disclosure form described in section 2079.16 to the seller before entering into the listing agreement, and the agent providing the form obtains a signed acknowledgment of receipt, except as provided in section 2079.15. Read it before you sign, and ask the agent to explain whom they represent and how.
Reading the listing agreement
Before you sign, read the whole agreement and ask about:
Ticks are for your own use on this device.
Under California Business and Professions Code section 10147.5, a printed or form agreement establishing a licensee's compensation for the sale of residential property of not more than four units must include this notice immediately before its compensation terms: "The amount or rate of real estate commissions is not fixed by law. They are set by each broker individually and may be negotiable between the seller and broker."
If any part of the agreement is unclear, ask before signing. For legal questions about the agreement, speak with a real estate attorney. The seller's cost guide explains the other costs of a sale.
When you are ready to talk
You can book a time to talk whenever you are ready. Nothing is signed at a first conversation; the buyer-broker agreement you may have read about applies to buyers only.
FAQ and sources
Common pitfalls
Choosing on price alone.
A suggested price is only as useful as its reasoning.
Skipping the license lookup.
It takes a few minutes and is the simplest check available.
Not reading the agreement.
The listing period, termination terms and compensation all matter.
Leaving privacy unspoken.
Raise it at the first conversation, not after the photographs.
Frequently asked questions
How many agents should I interview?
There is no required number. Some sellers already know whom they want to work with; others speak with two or three agents before deciding. What matters is that you understand each agent's pricing reasoning, preparation advice and communication style. Ask the same questions of each, take notes and compare the answers side by side before you sign anything.
How do I check an agent's license?
The California Department of Real Estate offers a Public License Lookup on its website, where you can search by the licensee's name or license ID. Read the details the record shows and ask the agent about anything unclear. Sidney's license number is CA DRE #01108914, and his brokerage is RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193.
Is the commission negotiable?
Under California Business and Professions Code section 10147.5, the form listing agreement for a home of up to four units must carry this notice: "The amount or rate of real estate commissions is not fixed by law. They are set by each broker individually and may be negotiable between the seller and broker." Ask any agent to explain their compensation terms and the services included before you sign.
Should I choose the agent who suggests the highest price?
Not on that basis alone. A recommended price is only as useful as the reasoning behind it. Ask each agent to show the comparable sales and active listings they used and how they adjusted for differences. An agent who can explain a range clearly, including what might change it, gives you a sounder basis for your own decision.
Do I sign anything when I first meet an agent?
With Sidney, no. Nothing is signed at a first conversation; it is for questions, goals and an initial look at the home. The buyer-broker agreement you may have read about applies to buyers only. If you later decide to list, the agency disclosure comes before the listing agreement under Civil Code section 2079.14, and you can read both in full first.
How do I raise privacy concerns with an agent?
Directly, and at the first conversation. Explain who should and should not learn of the sale, any limits on photography, signage or open houses, and how valuables should be handled. Ask how the agent screens and accompanies visitors and how a quieter marketing period would work under the rules that apply. You choose between open houses and private appointments.
What should I ask about marketing a historic or architectural home?
Ask how the agent would describe what makes the home distinctive, how comparable sales would be chosen when few close peers exist, and how original features would be photographed and described accurately. If the home is a designated landmark or in a historic district, ask how that would be presented and suggest buyers confirm details with the city's planning office.
Official sources
- California Department of Real Estate, Public License Lookup
- California Civil Code section 2079.14
- California Business and Professions Code section 10147.5
Would you like to ask Sidney these questions directly? Use the "Ask Sidney about your home" card on this page to send a private note.
When you would like a second set of eyes
Sidney welcomes these questions. If you would like to ask them about your own home, a first conversation is the place, and nothing is signed there.
Sidney Manzo, licensed real estate agent, in real estate since 1990. CA DRE #01108914. RE/MAX Dream Properties (ASLG Inc), CA DRE #02142193.
