Anyone can put “Realtor” on a business card after passing a licensing exam. The gap between a good agent and a mediocre one shows up later — in how a deal gets negotiated, how a listing gets priced, and whether problems get caught before they blow up a closing. Here’s what’s actually worth checking before you hire someone.
Ask how many transactions they closed in the last 12 months — not their career total
A career total of “200 homes sold” sounds impressive, but it tells you nothing about whether they’re active right now. An agent who closed 4 deals last year is a different resource than one who closed 30, even if their all-time numbers look similar on paper. Recent volume is a better proxy for how current their market read is.
Check whether they actually work your specific area
Columbus isn’t one market — pricing dynamics in German Village don’t match Dublin, and Dublin doesn’t match Hilliard. An agent who mostly works the east side won’t have the same feel for comps and buyer behavior on the west side. Ask directly: how many deals have you closed in this specific neighborhood?
Understand how they get paid, and what that incentivizes
Commission is typically negotiated as a percentage of the sale price, split between the listing agent and buyer’s agent. That structure is normal — but it’s worth asking directly how your agent’s commission is structured, because it clarifies who they’re representing and how. A buyer’s agent is legally obligated to work in your interest, not the seller’s, but that only matters if you understand the relationship going in.
Look at how they market a listing, not just that they will
“Professional photography and MLS listing” is the baseline every agent claims. The differentiator is what’s underneath it: Do they stage the home first? Do they shoot video or a walkthrough, not just static photos? Do they have a plan for the first 48 hours after listing, when a lot of buyer interest gets decided? Ask to see an actual example of a recent listing they marketed.
Ask what happens when something goes wrong
Inspections turn up problems. Appraisals come in low. Financing falls through days before closing. These aren’t edge cases — they’re routine parts of a transaction. A good agent has a specific answer for how they’ve handled each of these before. A vague answer here is a bigger red flag than almost anything else on this list.
Local brokerage vs. national brand — it matters less than you’d think
Big national brands have name recognition, but the agent working your deal is what actually matters, not the sign on the yard sign. A smaller, local brokerage can move faster on decisions and often has deeper knowledge of specific neighborhoods than a rotating roster of agents at a national franchise. Ask about the person, not the logo.
A few questions worth asking directly in an interview:
- How many homes have you closed in this specific area in the past year?
- Can you walk me through how you’d price my home / what homes you’d show me?
- What’s your plan if the appraisal comes in below the offer price?
- Can I see a client reference from a deal that didn’t go smoothly?
That last one is the most telling. Anyone can produce a happy client from an easy transaction. An agent who can point to a deal that got complicated — and explain how they handled it — has actually been tested.
Choosing an agent isn’t about finding the friendliest person in the room. It’s about finding someone with a specific, current track record in your neighborhood, a clear answer for how they get paid, and a real plan for when things don’t go smoothly. Meet the Crosier Group or see what past clients have said about working with us.