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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Verified Reviews for Real Estate Service pros in Lakewood, OH

*The Angi rating for Real Estate Service companies in Lakewood, OH 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 09, 2025

Reviewed in October 2024
Brad Korb & his RealEstate Group is awesome! I recently moved from California to Ohio & Brad & his team walked me through the whole process. I was so relieved that they were so accommodating! Thank you all ! Why settle for less when Brad & his team are the BEST!
Brad Korb
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Reviewed in November 2018
Excellent service! 100% would hire again. Whitney Legros is the exact type of person you want helping you through the complicated and stressful process of buying and selling real estate. I am extremely happy with how she helped me with the purchase of my home and the sale of my last home.
Wittensoldner Realty
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Reviewed in May 2014
Rath Realtors, specifically Joe Rath, recently helped my wife and I put our home up for sale in Cleveland Heights. They were very professional and took added time to help stage our home and take high quality photos and a video (something I don't think most realtors do). Within 48 hours of...
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Reviewed in October 2016
Over the past 25 years, Mike Rath and ERA Rath has helped in the sale of four homes as well as purchase of 4 homes in Rocky River. We have always felt that Mike has been responsive and always had our best interest at heart. We have referred friends and other family members to ERA Rath and...
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Reviewed in October 2016
Mike Rath and Rath Realty did an outstanding job for me and our family in helping us to sell our mom's home. He was always available and went above and beyond to help in this process. I would highly recommend Mike and Rath Realty.
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Reviewed in October 2016
The process of buying a house, especially for the first time, was a daunting task. My wife and I were definitely on prepared for the entire process, but Mike and Xavier were able to walk us through it step-by-step. There was no question that they weren't able to answer and they were always...
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Reviewed in October 2016
The entire process lasted around 30 days which tells me the property was listed in the correct price range. All of the advice given by the broker proved to be very beneficial. .
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Reviewed in March 2012
I really can't say enough good things about Joe! We contacted his office as we started our home buying process and we were randomly assigned Joe. We called on a Thursday and he worked quickly so we would be able to see houses that we wanted to see that very weekend. He really listened to...
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Reviewed in February 2013
From the beginning Joe was great in helping us narrow down our housing search and talking through the whole home buying process. He helped us identify what we wanted in a home and pointed out items we would have overlooked. Whenever we had a question, Joe was just an email, text, or phone call...
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Reviewed in October 2016
On buying my new home, I wanted to take possession quickly which meant the seller would not have time to address the items identified by the home inspection. Mike not only negotiated a fair price of the repairs to be paid by the seller but recommended quality contractors to do the work. I also...
Mike Rath,ERA Rath, REALTORS®
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Real estate agents in Lakewood

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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