How to Choose the Right Agent for Your Property

Most sellers pick an agent based on fee and a few photos on a listing. That’s the wrong way round. The right way is to look at how an agent handles price, presentation and process, because those three things, more than anything else, decide what you end up walking away with.

Be wary of a quote that doesn’t match the market

Every seller has a dream price. That’s normal. The problem starts when an agent quotes a range just to win your business, knowing full well it’s not realistic, in either direction.

Underquoting is the obvious one: telling you a figure well below what comparable sales in the area actually support, just to get buyers through the door. Overquoting is the less-talked-about version, and it happens just as often. An agent tells you your place is worth more than it is, wins the listing, then spends the campaign walking you back down to reality once the buyer interest doesn’t show up.

A properly quoted range should sit close to what similar properties nearby have actually sold for. If an agent’s number feels disconnected from those comparable sales in either direction, ask them to walk you through exactly how they got there.

Understand how they’re actually paid

Ask whether the agent works on a straight percentage of the sale price, or on a fixed dollar fee. A performance-based percentage means the agent is only rewarded for getting you a better result. If the price doesn’t land, neither does their full fee.

A fixed fee works differently. If an agent quotes you a fee as a locked-in dollar figure rather than a percentage, their incentive to chase the top of the market softens once that figure is covered, because whether the home sells for your number or well above it, their pay packet doesn’t move.

One extra thing to watch: a fixed fee set against an inflated price estimate. If the real value is lower than what’s quoted, the dollar fee can quietly work out to a higher effective percentage once the property actually sells, the opposite of the discount it was pitched as.

A good question is worth asking out loud

One useful test: ask the agent, up front, if they’d drop their fee on the spot to win your business. How they respond tells you a lot about how they’ll negotiate on your behalf later, whether they hold their ground or fold at the first bit of pressure. The same applies to a lowball offer from a buyer: ask how they’d actually handle it, and how they manage things if multiple offers come in at once.

Beyond price, ask about process. Is there a clear, defined way their office runs an offer? Is it transparent, or best-and-final? If it’s a private sale, how exactly does that play out? An agent who can’t describe their process clearly is probably making it up as they go.

Presentation and marketing aren’t optional extras

If an agent suggests cutting marketing costs (skipping a video, trimming the campaign), ask why. A home that’s properly presented and marketed consistently stands out against the other options a buyer is scrolling through, and buyers can tell when a seller and agent have actually put the work in versus when a place has been listed as-is and hoped for the best.

The first couple of weeks a property is live are the ones that generate the most attention. A price that’s too high in that window puts off buyers who are scrolling comparable homes in the same range. Even if you plan to adjust it down later, you don’t get those crucial first weeks back.

Being there matters

Ask whether the agent will personally be at inspections, meeting and greeting buyers, rather than handing that job to someone else on the team. It affects how buyers experience the home, and it affects how well the agent can read the room and report back to you accurately.

A short list to work from

• Check any price quote against actual comparable sales nearby. Be cautious of numbers that seem too high or too low
• Ask whether the fee is a straight percentage or a fixed dollar figure, and how that interacts with the price they’ve quoted
• Ask if they’ll drop their fee, and watch how they respond
• Ask how they handle a single offer, multiple offers, and whether the process is transparent
• Don’t skimp on presentation and marketing. The first two weeks online matter
• Ask whether the agent will be at inspections themselves
• A recommendation from someone who’s actually sold through an agent is generally worth more than a long list of sales or online reviews. Ask to speak to their last few clients, not just read a review page

This article draws on a conversation between Juan and Josh Merchan on the Selling Frankston podcast. Juan has been selling property in Frankston and Frankston South for more than 25 years.