Creating a relationship and trying to uncover the true motives, fears and goals of our clients depends on how good we are at digging deep. The less we talk and the more we listen the more we will learn about how to really serve their needs and exceed their expectations. From our experience and the input of dozens of agents these are all questions that will help you dig deep with your seller. Consider using some of these questions in your next listing presentation.

1. Tell me about your past experiences with real estate agents.

2. What did you like most about what your last agent did? What did you like the least?

3. What do you like most about your home? Why?

4. How will we know if we have priced your home correctly?

5. Do you have a proper network to sell the home yourself, such as an attorney, a home inspector, a termite inspector and an escrow officer?

6.. If you are considering selling your home yourself, have you considered security issues about people being in your home?

7. What’s important to you is important to me. Tell me what you want this transaction to look like?

8. Tell me about the reasons behind you deciding to sell?

9. How long have you been considering the sale of your home?

10. Tell me about the conversations you have had with each other or family members about selling your home?

11. Have you worked with a real estate agent before? Why aren’t you using them this time?

12. What one thing could I do today to make my representation of you perfect?

13. Have you interviewed other agents? Tell me about how you felt about them?

14. What do you think the biggest challenge will be in getting your home sold?

15. How long are you willing to wait to find the right buyer?

16. Are there other family members who will be helping or assisting you with the decisions that we have to make as we work together?

17. What types of marketing do you think would work best with your home? Why?

18. Have you searched the internet and looked for other homes for sale? Which sites did you visit?

19. If you could have this transaction and relationship be any way you wanted, what would you like?

20. Have you visited other homes for sale in your neighborhood? Tell me what you learned by doing that?

21. Do you have a sales price in mind for your home? What factors did you consider in arriving at that price?

22. What are you most afraid or apprehensive about regarding the sale of your home?

23. What one thing is most important to you in the sale of your home?

24. If you had the opportunity to tell a buyer just one thing about your home, what would that be?

25. How often would you like to receive communication and status reports from me? In what medium would you like to receive those?

26. When you contact me, what do you consider to be an acceptable response time?

27. How would you like to communicate?

28. Do you have an amount of money in mind that you would like to walk away from this transaction with? Why is that number important to you? What would you do with those funds?

29. If I can meet all of the objectives and goals you have are you willing to hire me tonight?

30. Do you know yet where you will be relocating to? Would you like some assistance in finding an individual there to help you?

31. Do you know that I also help my clients as buyers while we are in the process of selling their home?

32. At the end of this transaction what are you looking forward to the most after the sale of this home?

33. Have you ever tried to sell a home yourself? Tell me about that experience.

We want to help you be a collaborator. There is more power in all of us working together than there is any of us working separately. Would you please share with us one great question that you would ask any seller? You can add it as a comment to this post. We look forward to your contribution.