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 Portage, IN 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 06, 2025

Reviewed in June 2016
Great, She is always so willing to take you to see a home anytime. She is always so available.
Patti Jastroch - First Weber Realtors, Inc.
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Reviewed in April 2021
Margaret was a TOTAL rockstar in finding us a new house from 2,600 miles away even when we thought it would be an impossible task. She was a true asset the entire time... from paying close attention to learn exactly what we were looking for... to setting up virtual showings... to giving us...
Margaret Vestal at RE/MAX Executive
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Reviewed in July 2016
The Indy Homes Team was fantastic. When we first were looking to move to Indianapolis, we contacted Kristie who determined what we needed and then immediately got us in touch with her buyer's agent, Amy. A couple weeks later we made our way down to Indy, and due to expressing our lack of...
Indy Homes - Kristie Smith
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Reviewed in August 2020
Ron is a great realtor to deal with. He is responsive and goes out of his way to accommodate your needs. He facilitated a sale that was long distance for us making it unnecessary for us to travel back and forth to the property as circumstances would otherwise have required. His pleasant demeanor...
Ron Plecher
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Reviewed in March 2014
We met Shawn through Coldwell Real Estate when we were listing our home. Shawn walked us through the whole process. Shawn was always professional and we would call him when it is time to sell again.
Shawn Spaw Team-Stray Dog Properties, LLC
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Reviewed in November 2014
Everyone has different expectations when deciding to purchase a home. My wife and I are the type to do extensive research before making any long term commitments so as to make informed decisions based on our individual needs. Picking the right person to help with the home purchase process is...
McColly Real Estate
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Reviewed in June 2013
Debbie Sjoerdsma was the realtor we worked with. She was absolutely fantastic. We we're trying to sell my parent's house in Crown Point, but we all live out of state, and she made the logistics work. She helped us so many different ways. It was great customer service, way beyond just doing her...
SOURCE ONE REAL ESTATE
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Reviewed in June 2019
Working with Pam on the Matt Mulder team was a great experience. We were looking in the area and from out of town and she was very responsive and timely when it came to looking at houses. She helped us put together an offer in a short amount of time that allowed us to get the offer accepted on...
Matt Mulder Realty Team
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Reviewed in August 2012
She was very good both in finding us what we wanted and helping us to sell us the house that we had.
Mary Behrens
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Reviewed in November 2011
In today’s world it is uncommon to find an organization or even a person who will do their job, much less to step out of the box or go the extra mile. I can tell you this, if you want the very best then Tonda and Steve Hoagland of the Keller Williams Hoagland Group are the real deal. I...
Hoagland Group - Steve & Tonda Hoagland
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Real estate agents in Portage

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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