- What are the most effective ways to advertise real estate properties to prospective buyers? See answer
- Did you win any sales awards or get top listing or selling agent recognition with previous employers? See answer
- What did you do to prepare properties for open house events? See answer
- What training and experience do you have that qualifies you as a real estate agent? See answer
- What information do you think is the most important when you?re creating a new listing on the MLS?
- What?s your process for organizing and prioritizing your appointments to ensure you consistently arrive prepared and on time to client meetings and showings?
- What?s your process for building a strong client base?
- Are there any essential resources you share with your buyers to help inform them during their house hunting experience?
- Do you use any technical programs or software to enhance the selling process?
- What?s the average number of homes you sell every year?
- Do you use social media or other sites to sell houses, buildings or other properties?
- Describe your process for keeping clients engaged when showing them several properties in a day.
- Are there any specific questions you ask clients to make sure you exceed their needs or preferences in a new home?
- Tell me about your experience creating virtual or video tours to show a property to remote buyers.
- What?s your process for inspecting a property? Are there any questions you prepare for the owner?
6 Real Estate Agent Interview Questions and Answers
Q:
What are the most effective ways to advertise real estate properties to prospective buyers?
A:
A successful real estate agent understands how to use the resources available to them. They know how to conduct research, find the target demographic for the property and showcase it appropriately to attract those buyers. They should also know how to create campaigns to increase traffic and generate higher sales volumes. Listen to what types of marketing tools they use and discuss their techniques further after they answer.
What to look for in an answer:
- Digital marketing skills
- Experience selling real estate to a specific group of buyers
- Creativity
“I’ve had a lot of success placing strategic ads on the agency’s website, running social media campaigns for each residence and creating stand-alone feature sheets to give visitors full details when they stop by the property.”
Q:
What information do you think is the most important when you’re creating a new listing on the MLS?
A:
Real estate agents create MLS listings for properties and record all vital details about the place. They know which features are required by the database and use the service frequently.
What to look for in an answer:
- Meets Multiple Listing Service deadlines
- Understands how search preferences work on the MLS
- Maintains current information for all listings
“Buyers search for properties based on square footage, number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the school district they’re in. Buyers also want closing-cost details ahead of time, so I make sure that I include all those details on each MLS listing.”
Q:
Did you win any sales awards or get top listing or selling agent recognition with previous employers?
A:
Discussing the sales awards and achievements with the real estate agent shows you if they are a motivated seller. If they have achieved the highest sales volumes at previous agencies, then they should have won several awards through local real estate associations. Ambition is an important trait for a Realtor.
What to look for in an answer:
- A proven track record of sales
- Advance credentials that make them more valuable to you
- Experience selling and listing properties
“I won top listing agent through my previous firm three years in a row. I have awards for top seller and broker of the year, and I am listed in the Who’s Who in Real Estate for the state.”
Q:
What did you do to prepare properties for open house events?
A:
Staging a property helps buyers see what it looks like when it is furnished. It lets them evaluate the space and determine if the home meets their needs. When you ask the applicant about their staging practices, they should identify what they add to properties to make them more inviting and welcoming to visitors who are interested in the listing.
What to look for in an answer:
- Experience staging properties for open houses
- Understanding of personal touches that are attractive to buyers
- Experience advertising open house events
“In the past, I launched aggressive marketing campaigns to advertise each event. I worked closely with the owner to stage the property to make it highly appealing to buyers. I also booked caterers for my open houses to make prospects more comfortable and encourage them to stay longer.”
Q:
What training and experience do you have that qualifies you as a real estate agent?
A:
When becoming a real estate agent, an individual completes certain training courses and may complete either an internship or work with a licensed Realtor to learn the job requirements. Discuss accreditation with the National Association of Realtors and any state prerequisites with the candidate to see if they meet your preferences. Determine if they want to improve their skills or further their career through your agency.
What to look for in an answer:
- Valid real estate license
- At least two years’ experience as a real estate agent
- A record of listings and sales for previous employers
“I completed Realtor school and obtained my licenses as a real estate agent, and I worked closely with managing brokers to improve my buying and selling skills. I was the primary listing and selling agent for two of my previous employer’s subdivisions for the last nine years.”
Q:
What's your process for organizing and prioritizing your appointments to ensure you consistently arrive prepared and on time to client meetings and showings?
A:
Real estate agents are usually in charge of showing several properties and managing many client accounts. They'll need impressive organizational and time management abilities to properly prioritize tasks, quickly locate properties their clients are interested in and book showings at convenient times. Look for a candidate who uses a clear organizational system that demonstrates their time-management, organizational and multitasking skills.
The candidate's answer should emphasize:
- Organizational and time management abilities
- Structure for storing and managing properties, tasks and client accounts
- Software or computer programs they use to list their tasks
An answer to this question could look like this:
"I use a to-do list and task management system to organize and prioritize the appointments and followup tasks I must complete for each of my clients. I typically have at least one appointment with a client each day of the work week, so I'll write each one down in my calendar with a reminder that notifies me of upcoming appointments. To keep all of my listings and client accounts sorted, I use an Excel spreadsheet that features each of my client's accounts, the available properties, the homes they're interested in and the listings they've already visited."