Tennessee Guides
How to choose the right agent
A good agent saves you time, money and second-guessing. Talk to two or three before you sign anything, and choose the one whose answers are clear.
Five steps
- 01
Decide what you need
Buying, selling or both; the towns you are looking at; the kind of property (a home, land, a farm, a new build); and your timeline. An agent who works that kind of property in those towns will answer faster.
- 02
Interview two or three agents
A short call is enough. Ask the same questions of each, so the answers are easy to compare.
- 03
Ask who they will represent
Ask each agent to explain, in plain words and in writing, whose side they are on in your transaction and what that means for you. If anything is unclear, ask your agent or an attorney before you sign.
- 04
Read before you sign
Any agreement should say how long it lasts, what it covers, how the agent is paid and how it can end. Take it home and read it.
- 05
Check the license
Every real estate licensee in Tennessee can be looked up on the state’s license verification site. Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, license verification.
Questions to ask every agent
- Which towns and kinds of property do you work most?
- How many buyers or sellers are you working with right now?
- Who will I talk to day to day: you, a teammate or an assistant?
- How fast do you answer calls and texts?
- What will you need from me, and when?
- Who do you represent in my transaction, and can you show me in writing?
- What would you have me sign, and for how long?
- How are you paid, and by whom?
- Which lenders, inspectors and attorneys have you worked with here?
- What happens if I want to stop working together?
- How do you share homes that are not on the big websites yet?
- Can I talk to a recent client?
Your checklist
- I know the towns and the kind of property I want
- I talked to at least two agents
- I asked every agent the same questions
- I know who each agent would represent, in writing
- I read every agreement before signing
- I know how long the agreement lasts and how it ends
- I know how my agent is paid
- I looked up the license
- I know who answers my calls and texts
- I feel comfortable asking this agent anything
