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

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

Do I need a real estate agent as a buyer?

<div>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.</div>

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

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Last update on April 02, 2025

Reviewed in October 2023
Denny and Leyla are the best! We have used them to buy/sell property 4 times now in both dc and VA. They are responsive, organized and knowledgeable. They know the market well and helped us with both buying and selling of investment properties as well as our own home for one property. We had to...
The Denny & Leyla Team
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Reviewed in November 2012
Great guy to work with! Down to earth, friendly, informative. He stuck with us and even when things looked like they were not going to happen, he gave us new ways to get the deal done. Thanks Jason!
The Jason Zisk Group - Realtor - CRS
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Reviewed in October 2016
The house sold within weeks and no problems. The sale was really close to the asking price. ...
Jeff Tricoli-Keller Williams Realty
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Reviewed in June 2019
Cheryl's team was very good to work with. We appreciated her comprehensive, full service approach to assisting us with the sale of our mother's house. The team is set up to recommend and coordinate with various vendors to get the house ready for sale. Working with stager, Dana, was a pleasure...
Cheryl Grant Real Estate Keller Williams
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Reviewed in June 2019
Kathy was amazing throughout the whole home buying process. She has an amazing staff that lined up property visits when I only had a few days available for viewings. It is clear that she knows the market well and was able to help me through a very difficult decision.
Aparo Griffin Properties
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Reviewed in July 2015
We needed a special person to help us understand the process of relocating out-of-state. We could not have done it without her guidance and patience with the various agents ( insurance, title company, mortgage co. ) She went out of her way to smooth the process . She has excellent communication...
Teri McGinn - REALTOR, Berkshire Hathaway
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Reviewed in April 2019
Susan was FANTASTIC! She even negotiated an extra $5,000 above what I was willing to accept. She provided excellent professionals for electrical, plumbing, cleaning and moving. At every turn Susan went above and beyond to handle my long distance sale. She even convinced the city to cover the...
Susan Hertz-Berkshire Hathaway
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Reviewed in May 2013
All of Brett's recommendations were good ones. The contractors he recommend to improve the look of the house preformed well and at a fair price. He met with the appraiser to facilitate that process. He also handled the contract negotiations very professionally and conducted business in a way...
REMAX Classic - Brett Furman
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Reviewed in November 2015
Mike and Andrew are exclusive buyer's agents, and were on our side the entire time during the transaction. At the recommendation of a friend, we had originally called another regular agent who started playing games with us even before showing us houses, so we quickly knew we needed someone...
Michael Marshall - Buyer's Resource Realty Svcs.
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Reviewed in January 2021
Carol Thomas is an detail-oriented, experienced and dedicated realtor. She helped me coordinate the sale of my family home in Woodcliff Lake after I moved my father into assisted living near where I reside in Connecticut. Long distance sales can be challenging, and Carol handled it all with...
The Gubb Team - Keller Williams Ridgewood Realtor
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Real estate agents in Durham

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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