What questions should I ask a real estate agent before hiring them?

<div><p>Interviewing real estate agents is the best way to find the right person for the job. Consider asking the following questions to find the best agent for you:</p><ul><li><p>How will you show my property?</p></li><li><p>Will you do open houses to market my home?</p></li><li><p>How will you handle dual agency (representing the buyer and you as the seller)?</p></li><li><p>Should I make repairs to my home before listing?</p></li><li><p>Will you get professional photos taken of my home?</p></li><li><p>What is the best price you think we can get for my property?</p></li><li><p>How long do you expect the sale to take?</p></li></ul><p></p></div>

Do I need a real estate agent as a buyer?

<div><p>You don’t legally need a real estate agent as a buyer, as you can represent yourself, but you should always hire an agent as a home buyer. A professional real estate agent will have access to local MLS services to find homes that meet your criteria and needs, can connect you with other professionals—like a mortgage broker and real estate attorney—you’ll need for the purchase, and can often negotiate a better price for your home to help save you money. Plus, as the buyer, your agent’s commission comes from the seller’s proceeds from the sale of the home.</p></div>

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Q: Do I need a real estate agent as a buyer?

<div><p>You don&rsquo;t legally need a real estate agent as a buyer, as you can represent yourself, but you should always hire an agent as a home buyer. A professional real estate agent will have access to local MLS services to find homes that meet your criteria and needs, can connect you with other professionals&mdash;like a mortgage broker and real estate attorney&mdash;you&rsquo;ll need for the purchase, and can often negotiate a better price for your home to help save you money. Plus, as the buyer, your agent&rsquo;s commission comes from the seller&rsquo;s proceeds from the sale of the home.</p></div>

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Verified Reviews for Real Estate Service pros in Columbia, CA

*The Angi rating for Real Estate Service companies in Columbia, CA is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Real Estate Service needs.

*The HomeAdvisor rating for Real Estate Service companies in Columbia, CA is a rating based on verified reviews from our community of homeowners who have used these pros to meet their Real Estate Service needs.

Last update on March 30, 2025

Reviewed in September 2018
The Brad Korb Real Estate Group did an excellent job of selling and preparing our home for the market. We needed extensive repairs and upgrades before listing the house. Living out of state we were at a loss on how to handle the logistics of hiring contractor's to make the repairs. Brad's team...
Brad Korb
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Reviewed in December 2016
Great, Rose was wonderful. She was diligent, efficient, prompt, and took my needs into consideration. She took the worry out of selling my house.
Team Forss Realty Group
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Reviewed in November 2020
Mike was very easy to work with. He was super responsive, attentive to our wants & needs, and shared his real estate knowledge as well as research on prospective properties . He made our relocation experience much less stressful.
Michael Marshall - Buyer's Resource Realty Svcs.
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Reviewed in May 2013
I am in an area that Angie's List is not established in (Barstow). I left a message looking for an appraiser in that area. Penny does not handle the area I am in. Normally if there is nothing in it for the vendor you never get a call back. Penny called back within minutes and went out of...
Penny Smith Realtor/Appraiser
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Reviewed in February 2014
Rosanna has been absolutely amazing. She doesn't rent homes but gave us information on people who do and emails us new homes up for purchase weekly. We will be renting first and then purchasing later. Rosanna is professional, courteous and is quick to respond to any questions you have. I am...
Members Realty LLC
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Reviewed in June 2014
We used Charles McCann who works out of this office. Cell #: 707-498-3830. Extremely helpful! Definitely had our best interest in mind. We are very happy in our new house thanks to Charles!
COMMUNITY REALTY
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Reviewed in September 2013
Our agent was Edward Orasi. He was amazing. Not only was he hard working and attentive to details, but he was a nice person as well. We found him to be knowledgeable and trustworthy. We live out of State but communication was never a problem. He answered all of our emails promptly. Once...
Tonnesen Team Real Estate - Las Vegas, NV
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Reviewed in March 2013
Me and my wife just purchased our first home. We tried several Realtors before Lupe and had no luck. They all wanted to push buying the first house we looked at. We found out about Lupe from a friend. Right away we knew she was different then the other Realtors. We had a small ...
Lupe Springer-Hodges - Bella Vie Real Estate
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Reviewed in April 2013
We have sold three homes in the bay area and Imperial County before and have not had a real estate agent so instantly available, so committed to our best interests, or as personable as Maya. We give our highest recommendation to anyone ready to sell their home in the area. Our home in Diamond...
Re/Max 2000
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Reviewed in July 2015
We contacted several potential agents and were impressed with Mike's credentials. He is a licensed real estate broker and Realtor, with his own office and with years of experience. After meeting with him we were impressed by his listening skills, knowledge and sensible approach. We asked him...
Mike Stone Real Estate
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Real estate agents in Columbia

Real estate services FAQs

Real estate agents work on commission, so the cost of hiring an agent will depend on the cost of the home you’re buying or selling. The listing contract should include information about the commission for both agents, which is usually 6 percent of the sale price in total or 3 percent per side. With an average national home value of around $440,000, the typical commission per agent is $13,200. However, you won’t pay this total out of pocket. Instead, the commission comes out of the sale price of the property.

Interviewing real estate agents is the best way to find the right person for the job. Consider asking the following questions to find the best agent for you:

How will you show my property?
Will you do open houses to market my home?
How will you handle dual agency (representing the buyer and you as the seller)?
Should I make repairs to my home before listing?
Will you get professional photos taken of my home?
What is the best price you think we can get for my property?
How long do you expect the sale to take?

Yes, hiring a real estate agent is worth it. Many homeowners make the mistake of trying to sell their homes by themselves, thinking that they’ll save money on the commission, but what they save on the commission, they very often pay for in frustration and concessions on the sale price. Hiring a real estate agent to handle the sale of your home not only makes the process far easier and takes the burden off of you, but most homeowners get more for their homes when going through an agent because of the marketing and salesmanship they bring to the table.

You don’t legally need a real estate agent as a buyer, as you can represent yourself, but you should always hire an agent as a home buyer. A professional real estate agent will have access to local MLS services to find homes that meet your criteria and needs, can connect you with other professionals—like a mortgage broker and real estate attorney—you’ll need for the purchase, and can often negotiate a better price for your home to help save you money. Plus, as the buyer, your agent’s commission comes from the seller’s proceeds from the sale of the home.

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