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 Stoutsville, OH

*The Angi rating for Real Estate Service companies in Stoutsville, 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 06, 2025

Reviewed in May 2024
The Rudler Team sold our house Oct/Nov. 2023. Jill signed us up, Julie did the filing & communications with us, Mark did the Open House, the rest of the showings were scheduled through a computer program and Jack took care of the legal details and negotiations. Listed on 10/6 & closed on 12/1...
Jill Rudler & The Rudler Team
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Reviewed in December 2023
This transaction was my fourth with Deb and Jerry. Deb strongly suggested one reasonable "improvement" to get my rental condominium sold - and she provided me with a terrific contractor referral. My property went into contract at 104% of listing price with a cash buyer in only 4 days. We closed...
Homes That Click Realtors
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Reviewed in October 2023
Jim Deskins at The HomeBuyer's Advocate did a great job of being patient with my wife and I on the purchase of our first home. We ended up going the new build route and we were glad to have Jim beside us during the several months of build time and inspections. All in all, a great service...
The HomeBuyer's Advocate
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Reviewed in October 2023
Jim did a phenomenal job at showing us houses that we cared about and helping us nail down our eventual new home. Jim is super knowledgeable about houses, efficient with scheduling showings and is patient and helpful throughout the whole process.
The HomeBuyer's Advocate
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Reviewed in October 2023
Our experience with Jim was wonderful! As first time home buyers in a crazy 2023 housing market, Jim guided us through each step with great knowledge and encouragement. He was in constant communication with us, made many stops to our house as it was being built to share any progress with us, and...
The HomeBuyer's Advocate
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Reviewed in October 2023
Jim has treated us like family from day one. I’ve literally told people that be brought a flashlight and checked out the entire house(s) with us, and we loved that. It was like he wanted to make sure the house was good enough for his own family—and that’s someone you can trust. He always made...
The HomeBuyer's Advocate
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Reviewed in October 2023
Jim would always get back to me whenever I had questions and would give me answers that I understood and if I didn’t he would explain it when we were out looking at houses he would have his flashlight and take notes and clipboard and we go over everything about the house, pros and cons. Jim as a...
The HomeBuyer's Advocate
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Reviewed in October 2023
My Wife and I bought our first home at the end of last year. From our first meeting till closing Jim made the entire process easy. He sat us down and explained all the steps to buying a home and set our nerves at ease. He was quick at setting up viewings and was very informative while doing...
The HomeBuyer's Advocate
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Reviewed in November 2023
I first used Deb & Jerry Harr 23 years ago, since then over a dozen sales or purchases and each time their advice was great. They are excellent stagers, negotiators, take great photos, and offered the best service. From small condos to larger homes they saved me thousands of dollars. The money...
Homes That Click Realtors
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Reviewed in October 2023
Jim Deskins is a professional that is adept at evaluating property values and guiding his clients to find their best fit. He's very good at pointing out potential issues with properties and since he only represents buyers, he has the buyer's best interest.
The HomeBuyer's Advocate
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Real estate agents in Stoutsville

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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