What questions should I ask before hiring a real estate agent?

Ask how many homes they closed in the past twelve months in your neighborhood and price range, how they arrived at their suggested price and which comparable sales support it, what their written marketing plan includes, who on their team you will actually work with, and what their commission covers. Then ask for two recent client references and call them.

How to choose a real estate agent: 7 steps to vet the right one

Q: How many real estate agents should I interview?

Two to three is the standard recommendation. One interview gives you no basis for comparison, and more than four usually produces diminishing returns and decision fatigue. Ask each agent the same core questions about recent local sales, pricing rationale, marketing plan, and communication standards so you are comparing consistent answers rather than personalities.

Q: What are red flags when choosing a real estate agent?

Watch for a suggested list price well above other agents with no comparable sales to support it, pressure to sign a long agreement on the spot, vague answers about recent transactions, no written marketing plan, and poor responsiveness during the interview itself. How an agent communicates while trying to win your business is the best preview of how they will communicate after.

Q: Should I hire a friend or family member as my real estate agent?

Only if they clear the same bar as anyone else. Apply the identical test: recent closings in your neighborhood and price range, a defensible comparative market analysis, and a written marketing plan. The real risk is that the relationship makes it awkward to fire an underperforming agent or to negotiate the commission, so agree on expectations and an exit path in writing up front.

Written by Samantha SheltonNMLS 1647301Updated September 2026

Homeowners interviewing an agent in their living room while deciding how to choose a real estate agent

This article is general information, not legal advice. Agency and licensing rules are state law and change. Take contract questions to a Michigan real estate attorney.

Choose a real estate agent on evidence rather than reputation: recent closed sales in your price band and your neighborhood, a comparative market analysis you can audit line by line, a license you verified yourself, and a clean read on the red flags. Ninety-one percent of home sellers used an agent in the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, the highest share on record, and 88% of buyers purchased through one. The live question is almost never whether to hire an agent. It is which one, and on what proof.

This guide picks up after you have a shortlist. Still building one? Start with how to find a real estate agent; for the question set itself, see how to interview a real estate agent.

Learn how to choose a real estate agent, including which production data to demand, how to read a CMA critically, how to verify a license, and the red flags that should end a candidacy, or start with our Selling a Home guide.

Key takeaways:

Ask for 12 months of closings, not career totals: An agent who closed several homes in your price band and your area in the last 12 months knows what actually appraises and what actually sells there.
The CMA is a test, not a formality: Ask which closed sales support the number, how recent they are and how far away they sit. 3 flattering comparables and no adjustments is a pitch, not a valuation.
License verification takes about 2 minutes: Michigan salespersons are licensed only after 40 clock hours of prelicensure education and renew on a 3-year cycle, and the state’s public database shows active status plus whether an enforcement action is on file.

What evidence should you demand from a shortlisted agent?

Five items, in writing, before anything else.

Closed transactions, last 12 months: Count closings, not “production volume,” not years in the business, not awards. A 20-year career with 4 closings last year is a part-time practice.
Closings inside your price band and area: An agent with 30 closings at $180,000 has proven nothing about a $700,000 listing. Ask for the subset by address and close date.
List-to-sale price ratio: Final sale price divided by original list price, averaged across those closings. It shows how close the agent’s pricing lands to what buyers pay.
Days on market: Median, not average, and measured from the first list date. One stale listing drags an average; the median shows the typical outcome.
Current listing load: How many sellers the agent serves this month, and who handles showings, feedback and negotiation. Capacity is a real constraint, and nobody volunteers it.

Ask where each number came from. Multiple listing service production reports are verifiable; portal profiles are self-reported. Zillow, Redfin and realtor.com run agent directories, and placement on them usually reflects advertising spend rather than performance, useful for building a list, useless as a report card. NAR’s research on how buyers and sellers select agents is the better read.

How do you read those production numbers without being fooled?

Each has a failure mode, and the agent quoting it knows what it is.

A high list-to-sale ratio can mean underpricing: It is measured against a list price the agent chose. Price a home 8% under market and it sells in a weekend at 101% of list.
Days on market resets: Withdrawing and relisting starts a fresh clock in many markets. Ask for cumulative days from the first list date.
Averages hide the misses: Ask for the denominator, listings taken versus listings sold in the last 12 months. The gap is what nobody prints.
Team volume is not individual volume: Ask which closings this person handled, and who you reach on a Tuesday night.

Then call two clients who closed in the last six months. The useful question is not “were you happy,” it is “what went wrong, and how fast did you hear.”

How do you read a comparative market analysis critically?

A comparative market analysis is the agent’s estimate of your home’s value drawn from recent comparable sales, and it is the most revealing thing a candidate hands you. It is not an appraisal, and its quality lives entirely in the comps behind it. Ask for those, not the summary page.

Closed sales only: Active and pending listings are asking prices, opinions. Closed sales are the only evidence of what a buyer paid.
Recency: Ask how many comps closed within the last 6 months, and what adjustment was applied to older ones.
Proximity and similarity: Similar square footage, age, lot and condition, ideally in the same subdivision and school district. A comp across a major road is a different market.
Adjustments, shown: A credible CMA shows dollar adjustments for the finished basement, the extra bath, the newer roof. One with no adjustments is a list of addresses.
The exclusions: Ask which nearby sales were left out and why. Excluding a low comp for a stated reason is analysis; excluding it silently is salesmanship.

Then run the buying-the-listing test. When one candidate’s number sits well above the others, ask which closed sales support the gap. If the answer is enthusiasm rather than addresses, you have found the red flag this exercise exists to catch: an inflated price wins the listing, then bleeds you through 90 days of reductions. Our Selling Strategies hub covers what that costs.

How do you verify an agent’s license and disciplinary history?

Through the state licensing authority’s public database, in about 2 minutes, for every finalist. Licensing is state law, so verify in the state where the property sits.

Confirm the license is active: Status, license number, issue date and expiration. A lapsed license is not a paperwork detail. An unlicensed person may not lawfully act as your agent.
Confirm the license type: Salesperson, associate broker and broker are different credentials with different requirements, and a salesperson’s employing broker is public record.
Check for enforcement actions: Michigan’s system flags whether a disciplinary action exists. One old administrative item is not disqualifying; a pattern involving client funds, misrepresentation or disclosure failures ends the candidacy.

Two distinctions matter here. REALTOR® is a registered membership mark of the National Association of REALTORS®, not a synonym for a licensed agent: every practicing agent holds a state license, and only NAR members may use the mark. And no agent may practice law, your contract, title and tax questions belong to a Michigan real estate attorney and a tax professional. The CFPB’s guide to the home buying process sets out who does what.

What red flags should end a candidacy?

Nine, and most surface in the first meeting. Any one is a conversation; two together means move to the next name on your shortlist.

A price with nothing behind it: A suggested list price above the other candidates with no closed comparables behind the gap. The most expensive flag on this list, because it feels like good news.
Pressure to sign immediately: An agreement presented as a now-or-never item. Reputable agents let you read one overnight.
A long term with no exit: Ask in writing what cancels the agreement before you sign it.
Unverifiable production claims: “Top producer” with no closings list. Vague answers about last year are almost always a thin year.
No written marketing plan: Photography, staging, syndication, showing process and feedback cadence on paper, with who pays.
Poor responsiveness during the interview: How an agent communicates while competing for your business previews how they communicate after winning it.
A quoted “standard” commission: Real estate commission has always been negotiable and there is no standard, typical or customary rate.¹ An agent who calls a rate standard is either misinformed or counting on you being.
Neighborhood characterizations instead of data: Asked whether an area or school district is “good,” an agent should point you to objective public data. Steering buyers toward or away from areas based on protected characteristics violates the federal Fair Housing Act, and Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act separately bars a broker or salesperson from discriminating in a real estate transaction or making a discriminatory statement or advertisement.
An undisclosed financial interest: Being routed to one lender, title company or inspector with no disclosure and no alternative. Section 8 of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act prohibits kickbacks, referral fees and unearned fees for referring settlement service business. Ask about business relationships directly.

One more is a decision rather than a defect: an agent proposing to represent both sides. That is dual agency, permitted in Michigan only with informed written consent, and it curtails loyalty and confidentiality. Read what to know about dual agency first.

How do the agreement and compensation terms factor into the choice?

Earlier than they used to, because of practice changes effective August 17, 2024 under the National Association of REALTORS® settlement. Offers of buyer-agent compensation may no longer be communicated through a multiple listing service, and an MLS-participant agent working with a buyer must have a written agreement with that buyer before touring a home.² Compensation remains negotiable and can still be offered off-MLS or as a seller concession. What changed is where it may be communicated.

For buyers, that agreement is now part of the selection decision. Read four things: the term, whether it is exclusive and over what geography, the compensation amount and who pays it, and what happens if the relationship ends early. The benefits of hiring a buyer’s agent are real and worth paying for. The number and the term are still yours to negotiate. For sellers, ask what the fee covers and what marketing spend is included versus billed.

How do you score two or three finalists and decide?

On a scorecard, using the same six rows for every candidate, filled in during the meeting rather than from memory. Two to three finalists is the working range: one gives you no basis for comparison, four produces decision fatigue.

What you are scoring	What a strong answer looks like	What ends the candidacy
Closings in your band and area, last 12 months	A list with addresses and close dates	Career totals, awards, no subset
CMA quality	Closed comps, recent, adjusted, exclusions explained	The highest number with the thinnest support
Written marketing plan	Deliverables, timeline and who pays, on paper	“We’ll put it everywhere”
Communication standard	Named channel, response window, feedback cadence	Slow or vague during the interview itself
License and record	Active, verified by you, no pattern of actions	Expired, or an unexplained enforcement history
Agreement and fee	Term, exclusivity, fee and exit all in writing	Pressure to sign, or a “standard” rate

Score the rows before you weigh rapport. Rapport breaks ties between two qualified candidates; it does not replace evidence. Once you have chosen, our guide to working with a real estate agent takes it from here.

What Michigan buyers and sellers should know

Michigan licensees are regulated by the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs under Article 25 of the Occupational Code, and the state publishes enough to verify a candidate yourself.³

Verify through the state’s licensing system: Search by name or license number at michigan.gov/licenselookup, confirm active status and license type, and check whether an enforcement action is flagged before your first meeting, not after.
The license is a floor, not a credential to choose on: Michigan’s prelicensure hours, the broker experience requirement and the continuing-education cycle are set out in how to find a real estate agent and in full in real estate agent licensing. Everything that distinguishes two licensed finalists is on this page instead.
The license is held by the employing broker: A salesperson’s license goes to the broker of record, so the firm behind your candidate is public record and worth looking up alongside the individual, see the difference between an agent and a broker.

Your agent choice and your financing are independent decisions. Align Lending is a mortgage broker, not a real estate brokerage or agent referral service; we neither pay agents for referrals nor are paid by them. See the benefits of working with a mortgage broker.

How Align helps when you are selling

If you are buying your next home too, the order matters. Samantha lines up your next mortgage before your home lists, so the sale and the purchase run on one timeline instead of two.

Over the last 12 months, her loans averaged under 14 days from application to clear to close, across more than 100 loans. Your closing date is set by your purchase agreement. Her job is to have your loan ready well before it.

She lives and works in Oakland County, and local agents bring her in for second opinions when their buyers arrive preapproved elsewhere. You get one person who knows your goals from the first call to the closing table, with a processor supporting her behind the scenes.

Plan a buy before you sell

Sources: Align Lending loan records, 12 months to October 2026.

FAQ: Choosing a real estate agent

Here are answers to common questions about choosing a real estate agent.

How many real estate agents should I interview?

Two to three. One interview gives you nothing to compare a comparative market analysis or a production record against, and more than four produces diminishing returns. Ask every candidate the same questions in the same order so you compare answers rather than personalities. See how to interview a real estate agent.

What should I ask an agent to prove before I hire them?

Four things, in writing: closings in the last 12 months inside your price band and area with addresses and dates, the closed comparables behind their suggested price, a marketing plan with deliverables and who pays, and their license number so you can verify status yourself. Build the shortlist first with how to find a real estate agent.

What are the biggest red flags when choosing a real estate agent?

An inflated price with no comparable sales behind it, pressure to sign on the spot, vague answers about recent transactions, no written marketing plan, and any agent who calls a commission rate standard when commission has always been negotiable. Add anyone who characterizes a neighborhood by who lives there rather than pointing to public data. See real estate agent contracts before you sign.

Should I hire a friend or family member as my real estate agent?

Only if they clear the same bar as everyone else. Apply the identical test (closings in your band and area, a defensible CMA, a marketing plan, a verified license) and be honest that the relationship makes it harder to negotiate the fee or fire an underperformer. Agree on expectations and an exit path in writing. See what a buyer’s agent agreement is.

The bottom line on choosing a real estate agent

Choose a real estate agent on evidence: closed transactions in the last 12 months inside your price band and area, a comparative market analysis whose closed comparables you reviewed yourself, a license you verified in the state database, and no red flags. Ninety-one percent of sellers used an agent in NAR’s 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, so the decision is which one, not whether. Interview two to three, score them on the same six rows, and treat the highest list price with the thinnest support as a sales tactic.

If you’re ready to pair a well-vetted agent with a strong preapproval, talk to Align Lending. We’ll shop your scenario across our lender network and show you the numbers side by side. Call 248-506-5727 or start online today. Take agency and contract questions to a Michigan real estate attorney and tax questions to a tax professional.

Footnotes:

1. Real estate commissions have always been negotiable and there is no standard, typical or customary rate. Nothing here is a quote, an estimate, or a representation of what any brokerage will charge, and Align Lending is a mortgage broker rather than a real estate brokerage and does not set or receive real estate commissions. Confirm all compensation terms in your own written agreement with your real estate broker. Return to text.

2. Align Lending is not a party to the National Association of REALTORS® settlement and is not a real estate brokerage. The practice changes described are administered by NAR and by individual multiple listing services, and local MLS rules and forms vary. Confirm how compensation is handled in your market with your real estate broker and, where appropriate, a Michigan real estate attorney. Return to text.

3. Michigan licensing education hours, examination, experience and continuing education requirements are set by state law and administrative rule and are subject to change; the figures above reflect Article 25 of the Michigan Occupational Code and Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs guidance as of publication. Licensing requirements differ in every state. Do not apply Michigan’s numbers elsewhere. Confirm current requirements, and any licensee’s status, directly with the licensing authority in the state where the property is located. Return to text.

Sources: Share of home sellers who used a real estate agent or broker (91%, the highest on record), share of home buyers who purchased through an agent or broker (88%), and sellers’ top priorities when choosing an agent (helping market the home, pricing the home competitively, and selling within a specific timeframe) National Association of REALTORS®, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, covering transactions from July 2024 through June 2025. Practice changes effective August 17, 2024 prohibiting offers of compensation from being communicated through a multiple listing service and requiring MLS participants working with a buyer to enter a written agreement before touring a home, and the statement that compensation is not set by law and is fully negotiable, National Association of REALTORS® settlement materials. Michigan real estate salesperson prelicensure requirement of at least 40 clock hours of approved courses including at least 4 clock hours on civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing, completed within the 36 months preceding application, and delivery of the salesperson license to the employing broker who retains custody of it, MCL 339.2504. Broker and associate broker prelicensure requirement of at least 90 clock hours including 9 clock hours on civil rights law and equal opportunity in housing, and the qualifying real estate experience requirement, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Michigan Real Estate Individual Broker and Associate Broker Licensing Guides. Continuing education of not less than 18 clock hours per 3-year license cycle, including not less than 2 hours per year on laws, rules and court cases regarding real estate and not less than 1 hour per year on local, state or federal fair housing law compliance, MCL 339.2504a and LARA continuing education guidance. License verification and enforcement-action lookup through Michigan’s professional licensing system, LARA. Prohibition on a person engaging in a real estate transaction, or a real estate broker or salesperson, discriminating in the terms, conditions or privileges of a real estate transaction, and on discriminatory statements and advertisements, Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act, 1976 PA 453, MCL 37.2502. Federal prohibition on discrimination and discriminatory advertising in the sale or rental of housing, Fair Housing Act, 42 U.S.C. 3604 and 3604(c). Prohibition on kickbacks, referral fees and unearned fees for the referral of settlement service business, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act Section 8, 12 U.S.C. 2607. Michigan real estate agency relationships, disclosure and dual agency, MCL 339.2517. REALTOR® is a registered membership mark of the National Association of REALTORS®. Further reading: NAR research on how buyers and sellers select agents and the CFPB’s guide to the home buying process.

A newly licensed agent can be the right choice when the supervising broker is strong, but the vetting questions are different. Read more on working with a newly licensed agent.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to provide legal, financial, or tax advice. Real estate licensing, agency and disclosure rules change and vary by state; confirm current requirements and any licensee’s status with the real estate licensing authority in your state, confirm agency and contract obligations with a Michigan real estate attorney, confirm tax questions with a tax professional, and confirm loan terms with your loan officer. Align Lending is an independent Michigan mortgage broker, NMLS #2041154, and is not a real estate brokerage, an agent referral service, or a law firm.