Questions to Ask a Real Estate Agent at an Open House

If you are house hunting in the St. George area you’re probably visiting some open houses on the weekend. To make the most of your open house visit here are some basic questions you should be asking the real estate agent.

#1. Why is the homeowner selling?

It’s important to understand why they are selling and even if the agent is at 100% honest with you about the reason, you can get a feel for the real reason behind selling, maybe they are retiring or downsizing, or that could be a bigger red flag. A bit of digging can help you understand the real reason for selling.

#2. How long has the property been on the market?

Open houses are usually conducted within a couple of weeks of listing but, your house it’s on the market the more aggressive the agent will tend to be and they may hold more open houses than necessary. If the house is that on the market for months, there’s probably a red flag here too. You may want to ask have been other offers and if the house has gone from pending to active again.

#3. Have there been many price reductions?

It’s important to ask about the price because the home could be overpriced and undergone multiple price reductions were, the agent could be testing the waters to find out if people are interested at the current price.

#4. When does the seller want to move?

If the seller is extremely motivated they may want to try and ask for a quick closing, so it’s important to know how motivated they are in order to make a competitive offer.

Read More: Are you really ready to buy?

#5. Are there any defects that the seller has disclosed?

There’s typically a sellers disclosure report that the homeowner fills out stating anything they know of that could be a problem with the home such as damage, additions, or any major construction issues. If the homeowner doesn’t know they have to report that as well. The real estate agent sitting the open house may even have a copy of this form for you to go over.

Read More: Looking for what sellers try and hide.

#6. Ask about the neighborhood and the neighbors.

During an open house, you’ll often get nosy neighbors coming through so the real estate agent may actually be able to tell you a little bit about the neighbors. Plus, if the agent is proficient in this community, they should be able to tell you a little bit about the neighborhood as well such as school districts and zones, parks in the area, and commute times to certain major companies, grocery stores or modern conveniences.

Related: are you trying to buy after a foreclosure?

You a good sense of the home before considering making an offer will make you more comfortable in your purchase and if you do decide to buy the house, you’ll know a little bit about the neighbors as well.