Selling in Kentlands or Lakelands? The Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Listing Agent

If you are getting ready to sell your home, the agent you hire will shape almost every part of the experience, from how the house is prepared to how much you walk away with at settlement. Yet most homeowners spend more time researching a new kitchen appliance than they do researching the person they trust with their biggest asset. In Kentlands and Lakelands, where buyers weigh small differences in layout, location, and condition, the gap between the right listing agent and the wrong one can easily show up as tens of thousands of dollars. The good news is that a little homework and a handful of the right questions make the choice much clearer.

It helps to start with what you are actually hiring for. A listing agent is the agent a seller hires to sell the property, and the job has four main parts: guiding the preparation of the home, advising on pricing, marketing the property as widely as possible, and supporting the transaction from contract to settlement. That last piece often gets overlooked. Getting the house under contract is often the easy part. Keeping that contract on track through inspections, appraisal, financing, and every deadline in between is where experience really matters, because a ratified contract that falls apart before settlement leaves you back at the starting line.

A buyer's agent, by contrast, represents the buyer. In Maryland, the agent whose sign is in your yard cannot also represent the buyer in the same sale. If the buyer and seller both work with agents from the same company, the broker assigns a separate agent to each side, and both parties have to consent in writing (Maryland Real Estate Commission, Understanding Whom Real Estate Agents Represent). It is also worth knowing that not every agent is a Realtor. A Realtor is a member of the National Association of Realtors and is bound by its Code of Ethics, which puts the interests of clients and the public ahead of the agent's own, so it is fair to ask any agent you interview which one they are.

Before you schedule a single interview, do a little research close to home. Notice whose signs go up again and again in your community, because repeat business usually reflects a track record and a reputation. Ask neighbors who sold recently what the experience was like, how well their agent communicated, and whether the agent they hired was the person they actually worked with or whether they were handed off to someone else. Most sellers want the agent they hire to be the one who talks with buyers and their agents, since that is the expertise you are paying for. 

Stopping by a few open houses can tell you a lot, too. Watch whether the agent greets visitors, asks thoughtful questions, and follows up, or simply sits in the kitchen. Local presence matters for practical reasons as well. When a buyer wants to see your home on short notice, you want an agent who is nearby and can make it happen, and in a market this nuanced, an agent who knows how buyers value each street and floor plan has a real advantage.

When you do sit down with agents, ask for the first conversation to happen at the property, not over the phone or on a video call. A good agent needs to see the home to give you meaningful advice, and if a different team member shows up in place of the agent you called, it is reasonable to wonder why. Use that meeting to compare three things side by side. First, compare the preparation advice and whether each agent can show you the expected return on the money you would spend, along with an estimate of your net proceeds. Second, compare marketing plans, which vary far more than most sellers expect. Some agents put a sign in the yard, enter the home in the MLS, and hope for the best, while others invest real effort and money in getting the home in front of as many buyers as possible. Third, compare responsiveness from the very first contact. Did the agent confirm the appointment, return your call promptly, and answer your questions clearly? How an agent communicates before you sign is usually a preview of how they will communicate once your home is on the market.

From there, five questions will tell you most of what you need to know. Start by asking what past clients say, and then verify it yourself by reading reviews on Google and Zillow, looking for a steady volume of detailed, consistent praise rather than a handful of generic comments. Next, ask how many homes the agent lists and sells, not just how many transactions they close in total, because preparing, pricing, marketing, and negotiating for sellers is a different skill set from helping buyers. Third, ask exactly how they will help you prepare the home. The strongest teams can coordinate vendors, manage the details, and even handle some of the heavy lifting so you can focus on your next move. Fourth, ask to see the full marketing plan along with real examples, such as professional photography, video, a virtual tour, aerial images when they suit the property, social media, and how the agent makes listings easy to find for buyers who now search with AI tools. Finally, ask how they evaluate offers. You want to hear how they confirm a buyer is qualified, how they vet the lender and the agent on the other side, and how they lay out every term so you can see how each one affects your bottom line before you decide.

Save one more question for the end: how do your fees work? Since August 17, 2024, practice changes from the NAR settlement have required agents who work with buyers through the MLS to have written agreements with those buyers, and commissions remain fully negotiable and not set by law (National Association of Realtors, What the NAR Settlement Means for Home Buyers and Sellers). A seasoned listing agent should be able to explain clearly how compensation works today, which parts of it are open to negotiation, and how buyer requests for compensation can be handled within an offer. If the explanation is vague, or the agent cannot tell you how the rules affect your sale specifically, take note.

"The interview is not about who you like the most. It's about who is going to be the most prepared and the most effective at selling your home," says Meredith Fogle, owner of The List Realty.

If you are thinking about selling in Kentlands, Lakelands, or elsewhere in Gaithersburg and want to walk into your agent interviews prepared and confident, reach out to The List Realty for a no-pressure conversation about your home and your timeline. You can also watch Meredith walk through every question, including the bonus question on fees, in our video Selling Your Home in Kentlands or Lakelands? Ask These Questions Before You Hire Anyone.