Why You Should Interview More Than One Agent, and Ask for Receipts

Should you interview more than one real estate agent before listing your home? Yes. Always. Ask each agent to back up their claims with actual sales data for your specific area, not just a confident pitch.

I need to tell you a story. It's not to say I told you so. Okay, maybe a little. But mostly I'm telling it because this happens more often than sellers realize, and it's costing them real money.

A seller and I went back and forth for months. We talked strategy, pricing, prep. Then he chose another agent. He was kind enough to text me the listing afterward and ask if I'd bring a buyer (I did end up doing that, more on that below). His reason for going with her? She had more "area expertise."

She had sold one house in that zip code. One.

I have sold multiple houses in that zip code. I also live in it. I didn't say that loud enough during our conversations, and that's on me. But it's exactly why this story matters for you.

The House Sat for Over a Year

When he told me his decision, I didn't argue. I would never call out another agent to a seller. That's not how I operate. So I just watched what happened next.

The listing sat on the market for over a year. He had already moved out before it ever went live, which meant the home sat empty the entire time. When I finally walked through it with a buyer, it was dark, it smelled like cat urine and cigarette smoke, and none of the prep work we'd discussed months earlier had been done. Nothing.

My guess? Somewhere along the way, he was told the house could sell "as is" at the top of the price range. It didn't. When it finally sold, it went for significantly less than it could have.

Sellers Choose Agents for the Wrong Reasons All the Time

This isn't a one-time story. It's a pattern.

The most common reason sellers pick the wrong agent is the sales price that agent promises. That's a topic worth its own post, because a number on a listing presentation means nothing if it's not backed by comps. But "area expertise" gets thrown around just as loosely, and it's just as easy to verify or debunk.

Here's the part most sellers don't realize: a little bit of internet sleuthing can tell you almost everything you need to know about an agent before you ever sit down with them.

What to Actually Check Before You Hire an Agent

1. Sold listings in your specific zip code or neighborhood. Not "the DFW area." Not "Tarrant County." Your zip code. Look them up on Zillow, Realtor.com, or ask the agent directly for an MLS-generated report.


2. Days on market for their recent listings. An agent with a pattern of long DOM numbers isn't pricing or prepping homes correctly, no matter how confident they sound in the listing appointment.


3. List-to-sale price ratio. This tells you whether their pricing strategy actually holds up, or whether homes are sitting and getting chased down in price.


4. Reviews that mention specifics. Vague five-star reviews don't tell you much. Reviews that mention negotiation, communication during a tough market, or how the agent handled a low appraisal tell you a lot.


5. Ask directly for the data. Any agent worth hiring should hand over sold comps in your area without hesitation. If they hedge, that's information too.

Area Expertise Matters, But So Does Everything Else

Area expertise is real and it absolutely matters, especially when it's backed by numbers instead of a talking point. But it's not the only thing that determines what your house sells for.

Pricing strategy matters. Prep guidance matters. Negotiation skill matters. And maybe most of all, having an agent who will have an honest conversation with you when the market is telling you something you don't want to hear matters.

I don't shy away from those conversations. Ask my clients.

If you're getting ready to sell in Arlington, Mansfield, Fort Worth, or anywhere in the southern DFW Metroplex, interview more than one agent. Ask every single one for the receipts on their claims. It's a five-minute request that can save you a year on the market and thousands of dollars at closing.

FAQ

How many real estate agents should I interview before listing my home? Most sellers benefit from interviewing at least two or three agents. This gives you a way to compare pricing strategy, marketing approach, and actual sold data in your specific neighborhood instead of relying on one agent's pitch.

How do I verify an agent's experience in my neighborhood? Ask for a list of their sold properties in your specific zip code, along with days on market and list-to-sale price ratio. You can also cross-check this yourself on Zillow or Realtor.com by searching sold listings and looking at the listing agent on record.

What questions should I ask a real estate agent before hiring them? Ask how many homes they've sold in your specific area (not just the broader city), what their average days on market looks like, how they price homes, and how they handle a home that isn't getting offers at the current price.

Ready to talk strategy for your home in the southern DFW Metroplex? Book a free strategy session.

Lauren Kerschen, REALTOR® with DFW's Finest Real Estate Group at ARC Realty DFW