How to Choose a Realtor in Dallas: What to Ask and Check

How do I find a good realtor in Dallas?

Find two or three agents who have recently sold homes like yours near you, check their licenses, and interview each one. A short list built from evidence beats a long list built from ads.

1. Ask neighbors and friends who sold in the last year or two who they used and whether they would hire that agent again.
2. Notice whose names are on the sold signs on your street and nearby streets.
3. Look up each name on the Texas Real Estate Commission license search at trec.texas.gov to confirm an active license and see the sponsoring broker.
4. Ask each agent for a list of homes they sold in your area and two or three past clients you can call.
5. Book a meeting at your home, not a phone call. An agent who walks the house prices it better.

Every Texas agent must also give you the TREC Information About Brokerage Services notice early on. It explains who an agent can represent and how, and it is worth reading before you sign anything.

How do I know if a realtor is good? Does experience really matter?

A good realtor can show you, with specific closed sales, why your home should be priced where they suggest, and can explain a plan for selling it that fits your house and your price range. Years in the business matter, but only the right kind of years.

Signs of a good agent

• They name actual comparable sales and explain how your home is better or worse than each one.
• They tell you what buyers in your price range will object to, even when it is not what you hoped to hear.
• They have a written marketing plan with dates, not a list of adjectives.
• They answer calls and texts quickly during the interview, which is when they are trying hardest.
• They are clear about the agreement: the term, the compensation and how either of you can end it.

Experience that counts

Ask about situations, not years. Has the agent handled multiple offers, a low appraisal, a foundation report on an older home, a sale that had to close on the same day as a purchase, or an estate sale with several heirs? Each of these happens in Dallas every week, and each one goes better with someone who has seen it before.

Should I interview more than one realtor?

Yes, two or three is the right number for most sellers. One interview gives you nothing to compare. Five gives you so many opinions that the conversations blur together.

Give each agent the same facts: what you have updated, what needs work, when you want to move and what you owe. Then compare the reasoning behind each price, not the price itself. An agent who quotes the highest number to win the listing often comes back weeks later asking for a price reduction.

What questions should I ask before hiring a realtor?

Ask questions whose answers you can check. Bring this list to each interview and write down what you hear.

1. Which homes like mine have you sold in this area, and can I speak with those sellers?
2. What price range do you suggest, and which closed sales support it?
3. What would you fix, and what would you leave alone, before listing?
4. Exactly how will you market the home, and to which agents?
5. Who takes my calls, who hosts open houses and who negotiates the offers?
6. How often will I hear from you, and in what form?
7. What is the term of the listing agreement, how can it be ended, and is there a protection period?
8. What is your compensation, and what does it include?
9. What happens if the appraisal comes in low or the inspection finds a big problem?

Can I trust Zillow realtor reviews?

Use them as a starting point, not as proof. Reviews on home search sites and on Google tell you how some clients felt, but they do not show the agent's whole record, and they cannot tell you whether a home sold for the right price.

• Agents often invite their happiest clients to leave reviews, so the sample leans positive.
• Team listings and reviews may be credited to one name, even when other people did the work.
• A review rarely says what the house was like, what the market was doing, or what the seller gave up in the negotiation.

To verify, check the license on the TREC website, ask for a list of homes sold in your area, and call two or three past clients the agent gives you. Ask those clients what went wrong and how the agent handled it. That answer is worth more than any star rating. You can read what Andy's clients say and see his sold homes.

Is it better to use a local Dallas realtor? Should they live in my neighborhood?

Use an agent who knows your part of Dallas well, but they do not need to live on your street. What matters is recent work in your area and a clear understanding of what drives value there.

Dallas values can change within a few blocks. A local agent knows which streets carry through traffic, where a creek or floodplain affects lots, where school attendance zones split a neighborhood, how older pier-and-beam and slab homes behave on North Texas clay soil, and whether city conservation district rules in areas such as the M Streets or Lakewood limit what a buyer can build. An agent from across the metro may not.

Living in the neighborhood can help with word-of-mouth, but it can also make an agent reluctant to price a neighbor's home honestly. Ask about sales, not addresses. Explore the Dallas neighborhoods Andy works in.

Is a big real estate team better than one agent? Who shows my house?

Neither is better by default. A large team can split tasks among several people. A solo agent or a small team usually means the person you hired is the person doing the work. The risk with any setup is not knowing who is responsible for what.

Most showings in Dallas are run by the buyer's own agent, who books a time through a showing service and uses a lockbox. Your listing agent controls access, collects feedback afterward and hosts open houses. On a team, ask who prices the home, who negotiates, who hosts open houses and who answers your calls.

The GPS Group is a small team at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate: Andy Scott and Justin Reeves, with Mynetta Ragsdale as transaction coordinator. You know everyone by name from the first meeting. Call or write to Andy to set up a time.