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 Payette, ID

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Last update on April 07, 2025

Reviewed in August 2020
We recently relocated to Twin Falls and thanks to JacQuie's help, it was a seamless & stress-free process. My husband and I were originally looking in Nampa but ultimately found Twin to be more affordable for us. Once we decided on Twin, I asked her to refer us to the listing agent of a home we...
JacQuie Madariaga - Team One Group
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Reviewed in March 2016
Billie is very professional and helpful. She showed us multiple homes and helped us find homes to look at that were suited to what we were wanting. We were very picky and she put up with our pickyness! The home we finally purchased, was one we had looked at previously, but was a bit out of...
Billie Stoddard Assist to Sell
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Reviewed in January 2013
We used Kilah Wilkinson of Magic Valley Realty to purchase a home in Twin Falls. We were moving from out of state and she was so responsive and wonderful in everything related to the purchase. She made herself available each time we were in town to look at homes, she listened to what we asked...
Keller Williams Sun Valley Southern Idaho
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Reviewed in August 2013
We first met her at an open house and even though we had already had a realtor at the time, Jamie was so accommodating and responsive that we switched to her right away. She bent over backwards to find us a house that not only met all of our needs, but one that we are going to love for a very...
Gem State Realty
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Reviewed in April 2013
He is very knowledgeable, gracious, and responsive to communication. We were very impressed with him. We unfortunately could not continue business with him because we came across a home listed by owner. I would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a home. He is just excellent.
Bruce Winter - Prudential
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Reviewed in March 2015
Kim Powell with century 21 greater land co. was amazing. this lady will knock your socks off. best experience ever. let us do our own search and when we needed our hands held she did that. whatever we needed when we needed it. great advice when we had questions. she found houses for us to look...
Century 21
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Reviewed in April 2012
They were my realtor. They found me a home. They were conscientious of what I was looking for in my home search.
Prudential Idaho Home & Property
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Reviewed in August 2018
We had a great experience looking for and buying a house in Portland, Oregon with Janet Rajcich. We were moving from out of state so her local knowledge was vital. She really listened to us and quickly honed in on houses that fit our needs and preferences. She was exceptionally good at...
Janet Rajcich
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Reviewed in October 2013
I interviewed three realtors before selecting Paulette Lym to handle the sale of my home. I was already living out of state when I listed the home and knew that I would require extra assistance to prepare the home for the market. Paulette and I performed a walkthrough of the home during which...
Paulette Lym
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Reviewed in March 2012
She put in a lot of time with us. She worked with us quite a bit. We just decided it was not going to work because of the economy.
GAIL BYERS REAL ESTATE
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Real estate agents in Payette

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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