The questions to bring to your first real estate conversation

Most first meetings with an agent are one-sided. The agent presents, the client nods, and nobody establishes how the next several months are actually going to work. That is a wasted meeting. You are choosing someone to advise you on the largest transaction most people ever make, and the way to choose well is to arrive with questions and watch how they get answered.

A REALTOR® who is good at this will be pleased you asked. That reaction alone tells you most of what you need to know.

Ask yourself first

Before the meeting, answer three things for yourself, because the agent cannot do it for you.

Why are you moving, and is the reason firm. The reason sets the timing and the type of property, and an agent who does not hear it will guide you toward the wrong homes politely for months.

What is the deadline, and who set it. A lease ending, a school year, a possession date on another property, or nothing at all. Know which.

Who decides. If two people are buying, and one of them has not really agreed to the move, that surfaces eventually. It is cheaper to surface it now.

Ask how they arrive at a price

This is the question that separates agents fastest. Ask how they would price your home, or how they would tell you what to offer on someone else's, and listen for whether the answer is built on evidence.

A good answer talks about comparable properties that actually sold, not what is currently listed, and explains why each one is comparable and how it was adjusted for differences. Ask to see the comparables.

A weak answer is a range with confidence and no reasoning behind it. Be especially careful with an agent who tells you your home is worth more than everyone else says. A high opinion costs nothing to give and it is the oldest way to win a listing.

Ask what happens after an offer is accepted

Buyers and sellers usually think acceptance is the end. It is the beginning of the part where things go wrong. Ask the agent to walk you through it, in order, from acceptance to possession.

You want to hear about the subject period and what it is for: financing, an inspection, review of the strata documents including the Form B, and anything else specific to the property. Ask what the subjects actually protect you from, and what happens if one cannot be satisfied in time. Ask when the deposit is due, where it is held, and what happens to it if the deal collapses. Ask what the completion date and the possession date each mean, because they are not the same day and clients confuse them constantly.

Then ask what usually goes wrong. Anyone with real experience has a list. If they say nothing ever goes wrong, they are managing you rather than informing you.

Ask how they handle multiple offers, and who else will be involved

Multiple offers are where judgement matters most. Ask how the agent handles them on both sides. If you are selling, how are offers presented and what is their advice about the process. If you are buying, how do they find out what the seller cares about, and how do they advise you on terms rather than just price. Ask specifically what they think about writing without subjects, and listen for whether they explain the risk or wave it off.

Then ask who else is on the team. Will they be at showings and at the inspection, or will an assistant handle it. Who answers when they are away. There is nothing wrong with an agent who has help, but you should know who you will actually be dealing with on a Tuesday afternoon.

Ask what it costs, and when it is paid

Ask directly: how are you paid, by whom, when, and what is written down about it. Ask what is included and what is not. Ask what other costs you should expect through the transaction and roughly when they land.

Commission is negotiable and it should be discussed openly at the first meeting, in writing, not implied. An agent who is uncomfortable answering plainly is telling you something.

Some of your questions will not be for the agent at all, and a good one will say so. Title, contracts and estates go to a lawyer or a notary. Qualification and financing structure go to a lender or a mortgage broker. Tax treatment and ownership structure go to an accountant. Condition goes to a home inspector. An agent who refers you out at the right moment is protecting you. One who answers everything themselves is not.

How I handle a first meeting

I do more listening than presenting. I ask why they are moving, what the deadline is, and who decides, before I say anything about property. Then I explain the process end to end, including the parts where a deal can fall apart, because a client who understands the sequence makes better decisions under pressure.

I also say what I will not do. I will not tell someone their home is worth a number I cannot support with sold comparables. I will not give tax or legal advice. And I will tell a client when the honest answer is that they should wait, even when waiting means no transaction for me.

Bring your questions. If an agent treats them as an obstacle rather than the point of the meeting, you have your answer.

Thinking about buying or selling in the Fraser Valley? Message me and we will go through your options.