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 Johnston, SC

*The Angi rating for Real Estate Service companies in Johnston, SC 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 Johnston, SC 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 08, 2025

Reviewed in April 2022
Terrifically caring and interested in making the resident happy , would appreciate more steps to support the need of the man. extremely accommodation with exceptionalities and differences.
D & D Properties
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Reviewed in September 2020
I am a real estate agent in GA & SC. Every time I have needed a home inspection for one of my buyers and have called Brad to perform this service, he has been very quick to respond. He is great at what he does and I would highly recommend him to potential home buyers and other real estate agents.
DON WILLIS INSPECTION INC
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Reviewed in July 2010
Sylvia from Blanchard and Calhoun was great from the start; we came down to Ga for a house hunting trip in March 2010. We only had a week to look for a place so she cleared her schedule and drove my wife and I around for a solid week straight. We must of looked at 60 different places; the best...
Blanchard and Calhoun Real Estate
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Reviewed in November 2012
I accidentally stumbled across Toni's name when I was searching for a real estate agent in Augusta, and I couldn't have been more pleased with her dedication, hard-work, and professionalism. Me and a friend were looking at buying a foreclosed home in Augusta and got on Angie's list to find a...
Toni A. Hobson
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Reviewed in August 2013
Excellent service. I cannot say enough good things about this company as far as property managment. They were on time for appointments, organized, had paperwork ready and bent over backwards to work with us. They had the house rented in 1 week. We receive our monthly rent checks like...
CENTURY 21
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Reviewed in February 2014
In addition to the above information, there were a couple of times that we contacted her in Texas for advice on issues with the house and builder. She was very gracious and even contacted the builder once on our behalf, during the first year.
Christine Finley, REALTOR
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Reviewed in October 2017
Reasons supporting our recommendation: 1) We selected Faye after interviewing 6 real estate companies. Faye proved to be very knowledgeable about our development and how to move property in this area. She provided realistic comps along with a recommendation of what we needed to do to our home to...
Faye Henris ReMax Allegiance
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Reviewed in June 2014
She helped us every step of the way. This was our first house and she answered every question we had. She took all of our wants/needs into consideration and helped us understand the market at the time. She was always professional and she always responded to emails, texts or phone calls in an...
Regina Wadsworth
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Reviewed in September 2012
I was transferred to the area this summer and was initially interested in renting a house. My husband called several agents and Sue was the first to call him back. She showed us several houses for rent in our price range, spending lots of time in the evenings looking for property listings and...
Coldwell Banker United Realtors
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Real estate agents in Johnston

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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