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 Santa Teresa, NM

*The Angi rating for Real Estate Service companies in Santa Teresa, NM 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 Santa Teresa, NM 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 06, 2025

Reviewed in June 2013
Samanta Valle, a representative of Sandy Messer and Assoc, was my realtor in buying a home recently. Samantha demonstrated what customer service really means! She first showed me a house I thought I was interested in but once I saw it, I wasn't that thrilled and kept looking. I was honest with...
SANDY MESSER & ASSOC
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Reviewed in September 2011
She has been working for us since April. She communicates with us very well, always letting us know what is going on with our house and the open houses.
Judith Schlosberg
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Reviewed in August 2012
It wasn’t his fault that our house didn’t sell; we put it on the market the month everything fell apart. We chose him because I had heard so many good things about him. He was very relaxed and he was very professional. He was here when he said he would be here and he gave us helpful...
Jack Bumgardner
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Reviewed in December 2008
When we began to search for a rental home in El Paso, we contacted John, who provided us information on the homes we were interested in and showed us several homes at our convenience. John was extremely patient while we viewed each home and allowed us to explore and discuss things together as a...
DAN OLIVAS & ASSOCIATES
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Reviewed in October 2014
First I had a meeting with one of the agents. He answered all of my questions (I had a lot), told me how their contracts work, and gave me some discount codes to local suppliers to help me with my rehabs. They had a list of contractors in the area that were reliable for doing investment rehabs....
New Western
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Reviewed in May 2011
I finally closed the house in November. I was referred to him by one of my friends. I called him up and wanted to establish a relationship. I received a letter that my mortgage was going to go up from $1,399 to $1,700. They did the research and found that they had overpaid my taxes. They...
Marquis Realty Inc
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Reviewed in June 2011
Overall I give Yolanda Sifuentes of Majestic Realtors and A+. She handled everything from listing to negotiations in a very professional manner. Yolanda also helped with the stress of selling a home and now is helping with us looking to buy another home to live. I would not hesitate to...
MAJESTIC REALTORS
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Reviewed in January 2014
I had house on market for two months. Angela helped me rent it in two weeks saving me thousands. Easily worth it.
SUCCESS REALTY
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Reviewed in October 2013
My husband and I were in the market to move to El Paso from Las Cruces. We had not been in Las Cruces all that long so only had a general idea of where we wanted to live in El Paso, primarily based upon my husbands work location. We have a toddler so in the future schools will be pretty...
Debbi Hester
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Reviewed in May 2019
Purchased a home with Jami as my realtor in May 2019. Jami was actually recommended to me by a coworker that had used him a year prior. She had nothing but great things to say, and I'm glad I listened to her. Jami, spent about 9 months finding the right home for my wife and I. He was patient,...
Jami Dennis, Realtor®
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Real estate agents in Santa Teresa

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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