What Questions Should I Ask a REALTOR Before Listing My Home?

Ask the questions before you sign, not after. The most important one is the first one: how did you arrive at this price? Every other answer, the marketing plan, the communication promise, the commission, hangs off the pricing math, so start there and make the agent show you the closed sales behind the number. This post gives you the exact questions to ask; the what to look for post covers the evidence to check while they answer, and the buyer-side question list differs because a listing agent represents you rather than the buyer.

The question list, in the order to ask it

Run every candidate through the same script: pricing, marketing, communication, fees, paperwork. An agent who answers all five with specifics and dates is showing you how they will handle the transaction. One who talks around the questions is showing you that too.

Start with the pricing math

The National Association of REALTORS consumer guide, "Ten Questions to Ask a Seller's Agent," puts pricing and market familiarity at the top of the list, and for good reason. Ask how they arrived at the list price, which closed sales in your neighborhood back it up, and what adjustments they made for condition, lot, and upgrades. Then ask for two track-record numbers: the agent's average list-to-sale price ratio and average days on market over the last 12 months, which HomeLight's 24-question seller guide also covers. An agent who quotes a flattering price to win the listing and cuts it in six weeks is not doing you a favor, because the first week of an overpriced listing is the most expensive week of a listing. If you have not run your own numbers yet, the first-things-first seller post shows the order to run them in.

What happens in the first 14 days?

Zillow's 20 questions for sellers has you asking what services are included and how the home will be marketed. Get specific: when does the listing hit the MLS, what do the photos and description cover, does the plan include video or a virtual tour, and what happens if there are no offers in the first two or three weeks? An agent who cannot describe the follow-up plan for a slow start has not thought past the sign. Ask for the plan in writing.

Who do I talk to, and how often?

Zillow's guidance also has you asking who you will be communicating with: the lead agent or a team member. Sellers complain about silence more than almost anything else, so ask how often you will hear from them, weekly updates or only when a showing happens, and how you reach them after hours. Get the answer in the same conversation where you get the price. The timing post covers when to start this conversation so nothing is rushed.

What does the commission cover, and what else do I pay?

Commissions in Texas are negotiable, and Zillow's research found roughly 51% of sellers who used an agent negotiated a lower commission. Ask what the fee covers: the MLS listing, photos, the sign, showings, negotiation, and closing coordination, or is any of that extra? Ask about additional fees too, and read the listing agreement before you sign. Texas law sets no maximum term for a residential listing agreement; the term is whatever you negotiate, commonly about six months, and it must have a definite expiration date. Automatic renewal clauses are not allowed, so the agreement has to be extended or renewed expressly. And under Occupations Code Section 1101.806(c), a commission cannot be recovered unless the agreement is in writing and signed by the party to be charged, so the signed listing agreement is the contract that actually matters.

The TREC paperwork tells you who you are hiring

Two pieces of paper matter here. First, the Information About Brokerage Services form, TREC Form IABS 1-2, effective January 1, 2026. Texas law requires a license holder to give it to you at your first substantive communication about your property under Occupations Code Section 1101.558 and TREC Rule 531.20, before the listing agreement is signed. It explains the brokerage relationship and the duties the agent owes you. Second, verify the license yourself on TREC's license holder search: the status must read Active, the expiration must be in the future, and a sales agent's record will name the sponsoring broker. TREC does not publish a residential listing agreement form; the one most Texas agents use comes from the Texas Association of REALTORS.

What the San Antonio market adds

The San Antonio Board of REALTORS September 2026 report put the metro median at $302,999, down about 2% from a year earlier, with homes averaging about 88 days on market and roughly six months of inventory. That is a balanced market: homes sell, but pricing and condition decide how long yours waits, so the pricing questions above matter more, not less. Ask each candidate how they priced homes in your area in the last six months and what happened to those listings. Local proof beats a generic promise every time. And because I hold both a Texas real estate license and a mortgage license, I can price the listing honestly and line up your next purchase financing from the same desk; the sell with Patrick page explains how the dual role works on the seller side.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sincerely, Patrick, The Mortgage Patriot

Sources: National Association of REALTORS, Ten Questions to Ask a Seller's Agent (October 2024 consumer guide: pricing, market familiarity, services, listing contract contents, and references); Zillow, 20 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent When Selling (services included, negotiable fee, who you communicate with, and the roughly 51% of sellers who negotiated a lower commission); HomeLight, 24 Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent Before You Hire One (referrals, neighborhood sales, average days on market, list-to-sale ratio, and commission details); Texas Real Estate Commission, Information About Brokerage Services Form (TREC Form IABS 1-2, effective January 1, 2026, required under Texas Occupations Code Section 1101.558 and TREC Rule 531.20 at the first substantive communication); TREC, Can Listing Agreements Be Extended? (no automatic renewal; a listing must have a definite expiration date and be extended or renewed expressly); Texas Occupations Code Section 1101.806 (a commission cannot be recovered unless the agreement is in writing and signed by the party to be charged); Texas Public Radio, October 16, 2026 on SABOR's September 2026 report (median $302,999, down about 2% year over year; homes averaging about 88 days on market; roughly six months of inventory). Figures verified October 30, 2026. Market statistics are a snapshot, not a forecast. This article is general education, not legal, financial, or tax advice; Texas contracts and disclosures require care, and a licensed Texas agent or attorney is the right source for your specific situation.