Most vendors interview 2–3 agents before deciding who to trust with their biggest asset. Most ask the wrong questions. This guide gives you the right ones — so you can tell the difference between an agent who will actually deliver and one who will simply tell you what you want to hear.
These questions are worth asking at every appraisal you attend — including ours. The answers will do the work of separating the field better than any presentation pack.
Choosing the wrong agent is one of the most expensive decisions a vendor can make. A 1% difference in your final sale price on a $1.5M home is $15,000. The questions below are designed to cut through the pitch and surface the information that actually matters when making this call.
Ask each agent the same questions in the same order. Their answers — and how quickly and specifically they give them — will tell you more than any glossy proposal document. Watch for vague answers, deflection, and anything that can't be verified against publicly available data.
This is the number that matters most, and it's specific enough to cut through vague claims. Any agent actively working in your area should be able to answer without hesitation and point you to the sales on REA to verify. If they pivot to broader area statistics or quote the agency's numbers rather than their own personal results, that's worth noting.
This is one of the most important questions you can ask — and one of the easiest to dodge. A strong agent will pull up specific comparable sales on the spot, explain why each one is relevant, and show how they've adjusted for differences in size, condition and position. An appraisal without evidence is an opinion. Be cautious of agents who give you the highest number without the data to back it up. Overpricing to win a listing is common — the result is a stale property, a price reduction, and a lower final sale than a correctly priced campaign would have achieved.
The buyers already searching in your suburb will find your home regardless of who sells it. The difference between agents is who can reach the buyers who don't know they want your home yet — upsizers from more expensive suburbs, interstate relocators, buyers in nearby suburbs who can afford your property but haven't considered your area yet. Ask how many buyers they have on a live database in your price range and when they last spoke to them.
REA has multiple tiers and the view count difference between them is significant — often 3–4x the exposure. It's worth knowing exactly which tier is included in the proposed package and which cost extra. This is sometimes where the gap between an attractive headline commission rate and actual marketing investment becomes apparent.
There's a legitimate debate here and different properties suit different approaches. What you're listening for is whether the agent has a clear, considered philosophy — or whether they'll just do whatever you tell them. Ask for examples of how their approach has played out on recent comparable sales, not just the principle in theory.
This is where good agents earn their commission and average ones give it away. Ask for the specific process — not the general idea. How do they inform all parties? How do they set a deadline? How do they evaluate contract strength versus headline price? This conversation will tell you more about their negotiation skill than anything else they say.
This question has a correct answer and experienced agents give it without prompting. The seller should arrange a pre-sale inspection and share the report with buyers from day one. When buyers already have the report, 90% waive the B&P condition entirely — giving you a stronger, cleaner contract and removing the most common tool used to renegotiate price after a figure has been agreed. An agent who says "buyers organise their own" is leaving your contract exposed.
The right answer is specific to your home, not generic. An agent worth hiring will give you a clear view on what will return more than it costs and be equally clear about what to skip. Be cautious of an agent who recommends everything — and equally cautious of one who says nothing needs doing.
Ask for the specific cadence — not just 'we'll keep you updated.' Do they send a written report after each open home? Is there a set day? What does it include — attendance numbers, buyer feedback, enquiry stats, marketing performance? Agents with a structured communication system have usually learned through experience what happens when there isn't one.
Some high-volume agents win a listing and then delegate the campaign to a junior associate. The person who closes you in the appraisal is not always the person buyers will meet at the open home. Negotiation skill doesn't transfer when it's delegated. Confirm in advance exactly who will be doing what — and consider asking for it in writing.
Any agent claiming to have an active buyer database should be able to back it up. A strong agent won't just claim to have buyers — they'll have a clear process for how they match, contact and follow up with them. Ask how many buyers they currently have in your price range, when they last spoke to them, and how many of their recent sales went to database-matched buyers. Vague answers suggest the database is more of a talking point than a working tool.
Testimonials on a website are selected. A direct conversation with a recent vendor isn't. Any agent confident in how they work will make this introduction without hesitation.
Being given the number you want to hear feels good. The appraisal that matters is the one backed by comparable sales you can verify on REA right there in the appointment. Check every figure against recently sold prices in the suburb before placing too much weight on an unverified number.
Inflating an appraisal to win a listing and then recommending price reductions once signed is common enough in real estate that it has a name. The result for vendors is a stale listing, a price reduction, and ultimately a lower sale price than a correctly priced campaign would have achieved.
REA and Domain are the starting point, not the full strategy. If that's where the marketing conversation ends, your listing will receive the same exposure as every other property on the platform — nothing more.
Ask specifically about listing tier, social media targeting, database outreach and additional channels. The difference between a standard listing and a top-tier one is measurable and shows up in buyer numbers. It's worth knowing exactly what's included before agreeing to a commission rate.
A confident agent gives you the information, answers your questions honestly, and lets you make the decision without urgency. The appointment is not the right place to be closing a vendor.
The same approach used to rush you into a decision is often used on buyers — which isn't always in your interest. Take the time to speak to at least two or three agents before committing.
This leaves your contract exposed at the exact moment you're most vulnerable — after a price has been agreed. Buyers who find issues post-offer use them as leverage to renegotiate downward, sometimes significantly.
A pre-sale inspection shared with buyers from day one removes that leverage before it becomes a problem. It's a straightforward step that experienced agents recommend as standard practice, not an optional extra.
An agent who leads with the lowest fee may be telling you something about where they compete — and it might not be on results.
On a $1.5M sale, a 0.5% difference in commission is $7,500. An agent who negotiates an extra 1% on your sale price puts $15,000 more in your pocket. Run both calculations before deciding which number matters more.
Before signing with any agent, you should be able to tick every item on this list. If you can't, it's worth going back and asking why.
We put this guide together because we're confident in what we'll say when you ask every one of them. Book a free appraisal and see for yourself.