Questions to Ask a Realtor Before Hiring One in Minnesota

How many homes have you sold in my city in the last year?

An agent can sell a lot of homes and still not know your market.

Pricing, buyer demand, and days on market change from one Lake Minnetonka community to the next.

Ask what the agent has sold near your home, and ask them to walk you through one of those sales.

What did it list for?

What did it sell for?

What would they do differently?

What comparable sales would you use to price my home, and why those?

Pricing is the decision that shapes everything else.

A good answer names specific recent sales and explains the adjustments.

A vague answer about the market being strong is not a pricing strategy.

Ask for a net sheet at the list price they suggest, and at a price below it.

The guide to the cost of selling a house in Minnesota shows the full stack of costs that net sheet should include.

What is your total fee, and what do you recommend offering a buyer agent?

There is no standard commission rate in Minnesota.

Fees are negotiable, and the buyer agent offer affects how workable your home looks to buyers who bring their own agent.

Get the full answer in writing before you sign a listing agreement.

The breakdown in realtor fees in Minnesota explains how those fees are structured.

How often will I hear from you, and who do I actually talk to?

Some agents hand you off to a team after the listing appointment.

Ask who attends showings feedback calls, who negotiates offers, and how fast you should expect a reply when something urgent happens.

Clear communication is the thing past clients mention most.

It is reasonable to ask an agent to describe their update routine week by week.

What would you fix before listing, and what would you leave alone?

The right answer is usually a short list.

Paint, light repairs, and cleaning do most of the work in a typical west metro sale.

An agent who wants a full renovation before listing should be able to show you the math behind that advice.

What is your plan if we get showings but no offers in the first two weeks?

This question tells you whether the agent has a process or just a hope.

Look for a specific answer: review showing feedback, compare new competing listings, adjust price or presentation on a set date, and report back on each step.

If your home already sat on the market once, the notes on selling an expired listing in the west metro cover what a second attempt should change.

Lake Minnetonka lakefront sellers should ask how the agent handles shoreline, dock, and lake access questions from buyers.

Growing families buying and selling at the same time should ask how the agent sequences the two moves so you do not move twice.

Downsizers should ask how the agent handles a sale when the next home is not found yet.

Buyers looking at new construction should ask whether the agent will attend builder meetings and review the builder contract with you.

The best question is the one tied to your actual move.

CJ Norman and Katy Norman are the husband and wife team behind Norman Homes at Pemberton RE in Mound.

They work with Lake Minnetonka lakefront sellers and buyers, growing families, downsizers, and new construction buyers across the west metro.

Bring this list to a first meeting with them, or with any agent you interview.

The answers should be specific, in writing where money is involved, and tied to your home and your market.

If an agent cannot answer these questions clearly, keep interviewing.