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 Valley, NE

*The Angi rating for Real Estate Service companies in Valley, NE 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 Valley, NE 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 2020
Dan is very easy to work with, uses all the latest tech, kept us informed, explained everything and put great effort into selling our home quickly and for a great price. His photos and 360 degree walk through would be great anytime, but during social distancing they were key to our fast sale. He...
Dan Brassil
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Reviewed in August 2022
Matt and his team have been a tremendous asset during the home buying process. They’ve been very responsive with all our questions and we felt like we weren’t just a number to him and his team. Matt worked tirelessly to find us a home and we couldn’t be more happy with the result. We would...
The Zachary-Tennant Team LLC
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Reviewed in May 2020
What an incredible experience! While some say home buying is a stressful experience ... I can wholeheartedly say that having Tyler by my side 100% of the way made it stress-FREE. He was so very patient with me and diligent in his quest to find me a home that fit my needs and budget. Tyler really...
Exp Realty -Your Advantage Team Omaha -Tyler Bundy
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Reviewed in June 2012
She is a christian woman who is the sweetest and most caring. We were out of touch with the community besides my mother's friends who still live there and Jeana did a lot of handholding. When I wanted her to do something, I would email or call her and she would call me back immediately. She...
Godfrey & Ivy Realty Inc.
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Reviewed in August 2012
Our agent was great. We moved from another State and she was really helpful working with us over the phone and via e-mail and then dropping everything basically when we could schedule to come here and look at homes. She worked with us through the process once we got it off and accepted it and...
Trudy Meyer
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Reviewed in June 2013
John is very professional and detailed. He did a three hour inspection of our newly under contract home and then spent an hour going over the details with us and showing us the areas he had found deficiencies. He even gave us a fully printed book with pictures about his findings. Would highly...
SUREHOME INSPECTION CO
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Reviewed in January 2012
Kathryn was extremely professional and understanding. She is a great real estate agent. I really enjoyed getting to know her and her expertise in home buying. I would definately use her services again, in addition to recommending her to anyone I can!
Kathryn Rouch
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Reviewed in February 2011
My work community is far away from my residence; hence, I was looking for a realtor to sort my property out for me. My experience with them was fine. I liked their listing on the website. Their site is up to date and easy to access. The realtor we worked with was, Jean. He is very friendly and...
NP DODGE
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Reviewed in August 2012
They were very helpful and did find a home for us. They were cordial and easy to work with. We had a good agent. I would rate them overall an A and would absolutely use them in the future if needed.
CBS HOME REAL ESTATE CO
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Real estate agents in Valley

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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