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 Parlier, CA

*The Angi rating for Real Estate Service companies in Parlier, 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 Parlier, 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 April 02, 2025

Reviewed in June 2013
I'm a first time home buyer. We are a family of 3 that moved from SF Bay Area last year. I was referred to Gloria Scarazzo at Guarantee Real Estates (Wood Ward Park Office) by my coworker. My co worker has been using Gloria for his last 3 home selling/purchases. I first interviewed Gloria in...
Gloria Scarazzo
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Reviewed in April 2012
She helped us tremendously in securing the home of our dream. We were looking for a property in a competitive market and often we had to make quick decisions to have a good chance of having our offer considered. Dorothee is very knowledgeable of the market, the listing agents, financial...
Dorothee Crawford, Real Estate Broker 29 Years
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Reviewed in April 2013
We haven't worked with them much. My husband and I are looking for a house and their is a specific Realtor that we liked and are going to use. Our experience with Stacey Jarvis in particular was a good one. We are going to keep working with her. She wasn't overly aggressive and her...
Muljat Group Realtors
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Reviewed in August 2013
I was extremely happy with them. My husband passed away during the process and we had suspended the operation. They have gone far beyond their call of duty. I did refer them to somebody and the house was sold quickly. I dealt with Knuckles, her husband and their daughter. We were referred...
Guarantee Real Estate
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Reviewed in June 2012
Ruthie is awesome. She is very easy to work with. She is very thorough. She makes sure that everything is done correctly. Whatever she does not know, she researches it. She is very amazing.
Guarantee Reality
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Reviewed in July 2013
Eldon Daetwiler at Fresno Modern worked his tail off to get our home in Fresno sold at a good price. He navigated us through a complicated sale that failed leaving us with the earnest money. He quickly found another potential buyer and invested another two and a half months to get the deal...
Eldon Daetwiler- Fresno Modern Real Estate
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Reviewed in September 2014
Amazing!! You simply call her and give her your vision, next thing you know you will be house hunting for your perfect home!!
Brenda McReynolds - Century 21 C Watson Realty Inc
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Reviewed in May 2012
They have been very helpful. They build a house every year, and they donate it to St. Jude. They are very friendly and professional as well.
DeYoung Properties
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Reviewed in April 2013
We contacted Rip on a whim when a home in what we thought was our dream starter area went on the market. We chose him because I had dealt with him professionally prior, and he had seemed helpful, plus his office was a Dave Ramsey ELP. The house we initially contacted him about turned out to be...
GUARANTEE REAL ESTATE
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Reviewed in August 2012
They took out a small fee. They were great, the agent was great. They did a lot of extra work because it was a short sale. She stayed right on top of everything. It took almost 5 months. We got a half off deal, we got a half million dollar home for $250k - 3300 square feet. They were the...
Century 21 Yarrow & Associates
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Real estate agents in Parlier

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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