How to Choose a Real Estate Agent: What Sellers Consider

Quick answer: choose based on what the agent can document, not the number they promise. The highest estimate is usually a trap — the agent buys your signature with it and then cuts the price anyway. Ask for comparable completed sales, a concrete plan for the first two weeks, a contract to review at home, and a clear answer about where the listing will be visible.

Selling a property is the biggest financial transaction most people make in their lifetime. Yet the decision about who will handle it usually happens in twenty minutes at the kitchen table with a likeable person holding a folder and a number.

It's worth spending those twenty minutes differently.

How sellers typically decide

When you ask people who recently sold a property why they chose that particular agent, the answers repeat:

• family or a friend recommended them,
• they promised the highest price of all candidates,
• they called first after the owner posted their own listing,
• they were selling a property two units down and the owner knew them from there.

A recommendation from someone who actually sold with them has value — that person saw the entire process through to closing. The other three reasons mainly show who was faster or more aggressive with their estimate. None of them say anything about whether the agent can prepare a proper listing, bring buyers, and close the paperwork.

Price inflation: the costliest mistake right at the start

Agents compete for your business. You choose from several people, and the only figure you can compare at first glance is the price each one mentions. Whoever quotes the highest number usually walks away with your signature.

But this number means nothing at the moment of the meeting. What follows is a familiar scenario: the property is listed at an inflated price for two months, the phone doesn't ring, then comes the first "we need to come down a bit," then another. Interested buyers who have been following the listing from the beginning see repeated price cuts and start waiting for the next one. They wonder what's wrong with the property if it hasn't sold. The listing loses momentum and often ends up lower than it could have been from the start.

The defense is simple and takes five minutes:

1. "What specific completed sales is this price based on?" You want realized prices of comparable properties, not asking prices. Asking price is a wish; realized price is fact.
2. "What's our plan if we don't get any serious interest within six weeks?" The right answer is a plan — adjusted presentation, different photos, different channels, targeted campaign. If the only answer is "we'll lower the price," you know what you're dealing with.
3. "How much did you sell the last three properties similar to mine for this year, and how long did each take?" An honest agent can answer this off the top of their head.

If you want to form your own picture beforehand, research how property valuation works and how to price a property for sale. Then you go into negotiations with your own number, not just theirs.

What's actually included in the commission

Commission in this market is typically calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and for standard properties falls in the single digits. The percentage alone tells you nothing — two agents with the same rate can deliver completely different work.

So ask for a list of what's included in the commission and have it written into the contract. It should usually cover:

• professional photography, possibly video and floor plan,
• property preparation (cleaning, minor repairs, home staging at least in basic form),
• energy performance certificate if you don't have one yet,
• advertising and its specific scope, where and for how long,
• viewings including evenings and weekends when people have time,
• screening the buyer and their financing before booking,
• reservation and purchase agreement prepared by a lawyer,
• escrow of the purchase price,
• property handover, meter readings protocol, and utility account transfer.

An agent charging 3% who does all of this is cheaper than one charging 2% who photographs the property with a phone and waits for someone to call.

Exclusive agency contract

Without an exclusive contract, few agents invest heavily in listing preparation because they have no certainty they'll be compensated. At the same time, it's a commitment that binds you for a period. The practical difference:

Non-exclusive representation means the same property appears on portals three times in three different versions and at slightly different prices each time. Buyers notice this and read it as a signal that the seller is desperate. No one does marketing; everyone just waits to see if it works out.

Exclusive representation gives the agent reason to invest in the sale. In return, they want security from you. Before you sign, review:

• how long the contract lasts and whether it auto-renews (with consumers it's typically for a fixed term of several months and can be repeatedly renewed; verify current terms in the real estate brokerage law),
• under what conditions you can terminate and what it will cost,
• whether there's a clause requiring you to pay commission even if you find the buyer yourself,
• what happens if the agent doesn't deliver on promises and whether that's written down anywhere.

Always take the contract home to read. The phrase "this is our standard form, everyone signs it" is not an answer.

Money and insurance: two things you don't compromise on

Purchase price must be held in escrow — by a lawyer, notary, or bank. Funds are released only after the property right is registered, so neither party takes the risk. A real estate agent cannot offer escrow themselves; they may only provide it on the client's written request and under terms set by law. If someone asks you to send a reservation deposit or purchase price to the agency's account, ask for an explanation and insist on independent escrow anyway.

Liability insurance is required by law for real estate agents. Ask for the insurance certificate. How they respond to this request is itself quite telling. A professional will send it in five minutes because they have it on their phone.

You can verify the company in two minutes using the business registry. Someone doing this work for two months and promising miracles isn't necessarily a scammer, but you'd be their learning ground.

Where the listing will be visible — and whether AI will see it

This question is almost never asked at meetings, yet it's changed significantly over the past two years. Some buyers today don't start on a portal but with an AI assistant: "Find me a 3-bedroom apartment in a major city for up to roughly €330,000, within twenty minutes of the center." The answer is compiled from what the AI can read.

And here's the catch. Many listing portals block AI crawlers or hide price and details in images and behind login walls. For ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, or Gemini, such a listing effectively doesn't exist, and you'll never know about that group of buyers because they won't contact you.

So ask the agent directly: "Where exactly will the property be listed and will AI assistants be able to see it?" If they hesitate, it's not necessarily disqualifying, but it's a gap you can cover yourself.

You can post the listing on the open platform AssetLog (assetlog.ai), which is built so AI assistants can read it. Data is structured (price, layout, area, location as separate fields). You can add a listing through an AI assistant without registering, or in ChatGPT or Claude connect AssetLog as a Custom Connector via https://api.assetlog.ai/mcp and ask it to add the listing or share a link to your existing one.

One practical note: if you have an exclusive contract, arrange the ability to list it yourself beforehand. Most agents have no problem with it — it brings leads to them too.

Red flags

Things you can politely decline and move on

• pressure to sign immediately ("I have two interested buyers coming tomorrow"),
• price estimate with no supporting documents,
• refusal to let you take the contract home to read,
• reservation deposit to the agency account without escrow,
• "I have buyers from my own database, we don't need to advertise" — could be true, but also an attempt to collect commission from both sides,
• no references from sellers.

Summary

A good agent is recognized by documents, not promises. Ask for comparable completed sales, a concrete plan for the first two weeks, a list of what's in the commission, a contract to review at home, and proof of insurance. Ask where the listing will be visible and count on buyers searching through AI. And remember: the number someone quotes at the kitchen table is worth nothing at that moment; the market will set the real price.

What criteria do most people use when choosing an agent?

Recommendations from friends, the highest promised price, and who called first after posting their own listing. Of these, only a recommendation from someone who actually sold with that agent has real value. The promised price is the riskiest criterion — it's the only figure an agent can inflate without immediate consequences because it's worth nothing at that moment.

What is price inflation and how do I spot it?

The agent inflates the estimate to win your business, then after a few weeks with no interest starts pushing for price cuts. You spot it when they can't back up the number with comparable completed sales and when asked "what's our plan if we get no serious interest in six weeks," they only answer "we'll lower the price." Meanwhile the property loses momentum on the market and often sells below what a realistic listing would have achieved from the start.

Do I need to sign an exclusive contract?

You don't have to, but without one few agents invest in preparing a quality listing because they have no guarantee they'll be compensated. With consumers, exclusive representation is typically set for a fixed term of several months and can be repeatedly renewed. Check the current terms in your local real estate brokerage law. In the contract, watch for auto-renewal clauses, penalties for early termination, and any clause obligating you to pay commission if you find the buyer yourself.

How much does a real estate agent charge and what's included?

Commission is typically a percentage of the purchase price and usually amounts to single digits. What matters more than the percentage itself is what it covers: professional photography, floor plan, energy certificate, home staging, viewings, buyer screening and financing verification, legal preparation of contracts, escrow, and property handover. Get this list in writing in the contract. A slightly more expensive agent who handles all this is cheaper than one charging less who only takes phone photos and waits for calls.

Who should hold the purchase price during a sale?

An independent escrow account held by a lawyer, notary, or bank. Funds are released only after the property is officially registered. Real estate agents cannot hold escrow themselves and may only facilitate it on your written request and within legal limits. If someone asks you to send the purchase price or deposit to the agency's account, ask for an explanation and insist on independent escrow.

How do I verify an agent?

Real estate agents are required by law to carry liability insurance — ask for the certificate and check the company in the business registry. Then look at their current listings: how many do they have, how professional are the photos and descriptions, and how long have they been listed. Ask for references from sellers they've worked with, not buyers. A buyer dealt with different issues than a seller.

Will AI assistants see my listing?

Only if it's on a website that allows AI crawlers. Many listing portals block them or hide details in images and behind login walls, so for ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini the listing is invisible. Ask the agent explicitly where the property will be listed and whether AI assistants can access it. Consider posting on the open platform AssetLog (assetlog.ai), where AI assistants read listings directly. If you have an exclusive contract, arrange this with your agent beforehand.