Interview two or three agents and compare their plans, not just the price they quote. Hire the one whose suggested price is backed by recent nearby sales, who shows you a specific marketing and communication plan, and whose listing agreement lets you leave if they don't deliver. Commission is negotiable, so ask about it directly.
I'm Wes Johnston, a Realtor with Trueblood Real Estate in Fishers. I'm one of the agents you might interview, so read this with that in mind. It's the same checklist I'd hand a friend who wanted to pick someone other than me.
Here's the thing: the agent who quotes the highest price isn't automatically the one who gets you the most money. Ask every agent to show you the sales behind their number, walk you through their first two weeks on the market, and give you their listing agreement to read before you sign anything.
Ask everyone the same questions so you can compare the answers side by side. These are the ones that separate a real plan from a sales pitch.
You want specific addresses, sale dates and prices from the last few months, close to your home and similar in size and age. A range with no sales behind it is a guess.
Photos, listing copy, the day it goes live, showing instructions, and when you'll hear feedback. Those first weeks get more attention than any other stretch of the listing, so the agent should have them planned before the sign goes up.
Some agents hand you to a team member or assistant after you sign. That can work fine, but you should know up front who answers your calls, who handles showings, and who negotiates the offers.
Agree on how (call, text or email) and how often. A weekly update plus a call every time an offer comes in is a reasonable place to start.
Get the commission, any other fees, and what the agent pays for (photos, signs, marketing) in writing. Commission is negotiable. No law or association sets it, so talk about it openly with every agent you interview.
Compare the reasoning, not the number. A solid pricing opinion starts with recent closed sales near your home, then adjusts for differences like size, layout, condition, updates and lot. Active and pending listings show you the competition, but closed sales are what the buyer's appraiser will lean on when their loan is approved.
If one agent comes in well above the others, ask them to walk you through the sales that support it. If they can't, that number is there to win the listing, not to sell the house. I go through what drives a price in what affects your home's value.
At a minimum: professional photos, accurate listing copy, entry into the MLS (here, the MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative, which feeds the big home search sites), and a clear plan for showings. Ask how they'll get the listing in front of buyers' agents, and what they'll do if showings are slow in the first week.
Ask to see a recent listing of theirs so you can judge the photos and description they actually produce. Be wary of a plan that's mostly about the agent's own brand rather than your house.
Enough that you never have to wonder what's going on. Before you sign, settle how fast they return calls and texts, how showing feedback reaches you, and how offers get presented to you.
Pay attention to how they communicate while they're trying to win your listing. If they're slow to get back to you now, it won't improve after you sign.
Read it before you sign, not after. Look at how long it runs, whether and how you can cancel early, what happens if a buyer who saw the house during the listing comes back after it ends, and exactly what you owe and when.
A shorter term, or a cancellation clause you're comfortable with, gives you a way out if the agent doesn't do what they said. An agent who believes in their plan shouldn't mind. For legal questions about the agreement, talk to a real estate attorney.
This is the big one. It feels good at the kitchen table and costs you later. The house sits, buyers start wondering what's wrong with it, and you end up reducing anyway, after the busiest weeks of the listing are gone.
No one can promise what a buyer will pay. An agent can promise effort, a plan, and honest updates.
A good agent will leave you the agreement to read and give you time to talk to the other agents you're interviewing.
If you can't get a straight answer about who shows the house or who negotiates, expect that to be a problem later.
Long terms with no cancellation option protect the agent, not you.
It helps most when the buyer's inspection report comes in. Before real estate, I spent about ten years designing homes and managing their construction for a custom builder in Hamilton County. When an inspector flags something, I can usually tell you whether it's a real problem, a cheap fix, or a normal item that doesn't call for a price cut. That matters in the repair negotiation.
It isn't the first thing to look for, though. Pricing, marketing and communication come first.
The other seller questions I get most: how long it takes to sell, whether to sell before you buy, and what affects your home's value. When you're close to listing, read up on the Indiana seller's disclosure and closing costs. Also answered: what it costs to sell, how to price your home, what to fix before selling, and selling on your own or with an agent.
I'll walk your house, show you the sales I'd use to price it, and give you my listing agreement to read before you decide anything. If I think you should wait to sell, I'll tell you that too.
No pressure to sign at the appointment.
Fishers-based. A real number before you list. Committed to your success.
Tell me about the house and your timing. I'll tell you how I'd price it and market it.
Send a MessageStart with an instant estimate, then let's look at what recent sales near you actually support.
Send the address and your timing. I'll get back to you with how I'd price it and what I'd do first.
No obligation, and no pressure to sign anything.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Listing agreements vary; read yours before you sign and ask a real estate attorney about legal questions.