Questions to Ask Your Agent When Selling Your Seattle Home

May 17, 2022

By Emily Cressey

If you are thinking about selling, you are probably also thinking about hiring an agent. A good agent can change both your price and your stress level. These questions help you compare agents fairly.

What Is Your Experience and Background?

Ask how long they have been licensed and how much of their business is full time. I have been a licensed agent for over fifteen years, work full time in real estate and have been an investor for more than two decades. That helps me see homes as both a seller and an owner.

What Is Your Record of Closed Sales?

Ask for recent sales in your area and price range. Look at list price versus sale price and days on market. See examples on my recent sales page.

Do You Have Experience With Homes Like Mine?

A condo, a mid-century house, a townhome and a fixer all sell differently. For example, I have handled an Edmonds condo with HOA special assessments and a Shoreline bungalow that sold in two days. Ask for stories that match your property.

What Is Your Marketing Plan?

Look for specifics: photography, video, MLS, social media, open houses and timing. Ask what they do in the first week. My A-PLUS seller guide explains my approach.

How Will You Price My Home?

Good agents show comparable sales, not just opinions. Ask them to explain the price range and what would move it.

How Will We Communicate?

Ask how often you will get updates and who you will talk to. A smooth sale depends on clear communication.

What Will It Cost and What Will I Net?

Ask about commission, fees and expected costs. Use my seller net proceeds calculator to see what you would keep.

Common Questions

Should I interview more than one agent? Yes. Talk to at least two or three.

Is the highest price estimate the best? Not always. An inflated estimate can cost you time.

Want to Interview Me?

Request a free home value report, book a free 15-minute call, or call or text me at (206) 245-8813.

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What others are saying…

Beautiful Tudor Style Home In Bothell, WA – Martha Lake Neighborhood

Matt and Ana were relocating from Portland to Seattle for a new job and found me through “The Living In Seattle” YouTube Channel. They were looking for home that would accommodate both their daughters, including one who liked to fix up cars and trucks and really needed a garage.
They came to town several times from Portland to explore different areas and get a feel for what neighborhoods they might like best.

We made a few offers that got beaten by higher bidders, but we didn’t give up.
Eventually we found a wonderful home and made a strong offer with the help of their amazing lender, Austin, who helped them with their financing – knowing they would be able to get the loan so they could waive their contingencies in order to make their offer stronger. This turned out to be important since we were up against an all-cash-offer.
They won the house, gave the seller a lease-back and were able to move in at the end of the school year – perfect timing for both families.

Now they are enjoying living near Martha Lake in Bothell, WA and I owe them a night out on the town to celebrate!

MATT AND ANA

Slowly but Surely: Embrace the Journey
and Savor Every Step

It wasn’t an easy transaction either. The lender they were working with was verrrrry slooooowwww and ended up delaying their transaction by almost three weeks. (This is why I recommend working with vetted lenders, who don’t do this.)

However, I called the buyer and lender daily (I even buzzed her from Sea World while I was on vacation) to continue to push the deal forward, cleared contingencies like getting water quality reports from their HOA, and worked closely with the Seller’s Agent, so we would not lose our seller, who was concerned about whether we would be able to close at all.

It was a pressure cooker of a deal, and a good illustration of why who you work with matters.

In the end, we HAPPILY got the job done. There was a LOT of cheering all the way around on this one. And the buyers were pleased to move in and make it their own – Jim even carried his beautiful bride over the threshold on the day of closing!!! Hurrah!

Congratulations on sticking with it, even when it was VERY TOUGH!

Well earned cheers on this one!

Deborah Barros and James Wolfe

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Testimonials

These First Time Homebuyers Were Referred By Other Buyers We Had Helped Earlier In The Year. They Used A Great Loan Program to Get A $17,000 Grant Toward Their Down Payment and Closing Costs.

First-Time Home Buyers begin their journey to homeownership & building their real estate empire at a young age.

“My wife and I were referred to Emily as our real estate agent when we bought our first home in Everett. She was insightful, thorough, and extremely helpful as we toured different properties, considered the possibility of a fixer-upper versus something more fancy, and weighed the options near school, work and the price. Emily let us set the pace and let us take our time, which made for a fun and more exciting experience. We actually got the first condo we made an offer on under contract but had to cancel the deal because of issues with the HOA. Emily reassured us that this was fine and an important part of the due diligence process. In the end, we were able to find a home we liked at a comfortable price point, and Emily negotiated for us to not only have an inspection (in today’s competitive market) but also to have some repairs done by the seller. We were so happy when the home finally closed. Even though it was cold and dark, Emily met us at the property with keys in hand to celebrate the move-in together. We enjoyed working with Emily Cressey as our real estate agent and would happily recommend her to others.” – Sam and Tran Webb

TRAN AND SAM WEBB

She was so helpful and made the experience a breeze. She was knowledgeable, but not pushy. My style is kind of enjoying going through a house at my own pace. She has so much real estate experience and knowledge to share but her priority is putting her clients at ease and giving them the best value and experience. I’d recommend her any time!

LC CUNNINGHAM