15 Questions to Ask a Listing Agent in Orlando Before You Sign

Before you sign with an Orlando listing agent, ask how they will price your home, what it will cost in total, what the listing agreement locks you into, and who will actually do the work. A good agent answers with numbers and documents, and a weak one answers with confidence and nothing else.

This article is a companion to how to choose a realtor to sell your house and our listing agent page. Use it as a checklist for interviews.

Questions about pricing

1. How would you price my home, and which sales support that number?

A good answer: Closed sales within a reasonable distance and time, similar size, age and condition, with adjustments explained, plus current competing listings and how long homes are taking to sell. Ask for a written comparative market analysis. A home value check is a useful cross-check.

Red flags: A number with no comps. A price above every comparable sale. "Let's start high, we can always drop it."

2. What happens if we get no showings, or no offers?

A good answer: A plan with checkpoints: what you will review at two weeks and what you will change (price, photos, access, terms), and what the data says about that price band.

Red flags: "It will sell." No plan for being wrong.

3. What do you do if the appraisal comes in low?

A good answer: They explain reconsideration of value, comparable sales the appraiser may have missed, renegotiation, and how the contract handles it. See what a seller can do about a low appraisal.

Red flags: Blaming the appraiser, or no experience with it.

Questions about cost

4. What is my total cost to sell, in writing?

A good answer: A net sheet showing commission, any buyer-side compensation you choose to offer, title and closing costs, doc stamps, prorations and payoffs, with the assumptions listed. Run it on the seller net sheet calculator too.

Red flags: A single commission number, with fees "to be determined."

5. Are there any other fees, such as admin, marketing or transaction fees?

A good answer: "No," or a complete list with amounts.

Red flags: Fees that appear on the closing statement but not in the agreement.

6. How is buyer-side compensation handled?

Since the 2024 NAR settlement, buyer's agent pay is negotiated separately and is no longer posted on the MLS. A good answer explains your options, what you would offer and why, and the effect on your net. Red flag: An agent who does not explain it, or says it is not negotiable.

Questions about the agreement

7. How long is the listing agreement, and how do I cancel?

A good answer: A definite expiration date, which Florida requires, and a clear cancellation process with any cost stated. Florida law says a written listing agreement must include a definite expiration date, a property description, price and terms, the fee, and your signature, and that you get a legible signed copy within 24 hours (Fla. Stat. 475.25(1)(r)). The statute also bars a clause that requires you to give notice after the expiration date to avoid renewal.

Red flags: Long terms with no exit, an automatic renewal, or a fee to cancel that the agent will not put in writing.

8. Is there a protection period after the listing ends?

A good answer: The length, who is covered (buyers who saw the home during the listing) and the requirement for the agent to give you a list. Red flag: An open-ended or unclear tail.

Questions about marketing

9. What will you actually do to market my home?

A good answer: Specific items: professional photos, floor plan, video if useful, MLS entry with accurate remarks, a pricing and showing strategy, and how it reaches buyers beyond the MLS. Ask to see a recent listing of theirs and read it as a buyer.

Red flags: Generic phrases such as "maximum exposure." Photos from a phone.

10. When will it go live, and what has to happen before that?

A good answer: A schedule: prep, photos, pricing sign-off, launch day. Rushing a listing live with poor photos wastes the first weeks, when attention is highest.

Questions about the agent

11. How many homes have you sold in my area recently, and at what share of list price?

A good answer: Real numbers from their own sales, and honesty about how the sales differ from yours. I have no benchmark to quote you for what a good figure is; the point is whether they can answer with data and specifics.

Red flag: Vague claims such as "top producer" with nothing behind them.

12. Who will actually work on my listing?

A good answer: Names and roles. If a team member or assistant handles showings or calls, you should know that before you sign.

Red flags: The star agent pitches and then disappears.

13. How and how often will you communicate?

A good answer: A cadence you agree to: weekly report, showing feedback within a day, same-day answers on offers.

Red flags: Hard to reach during the interview.

Questions about the sale itself

14. How will you handle offers and negotiation?

A good answer: They explain how they compare offers on net, not just price: financing type, contingencies, inspection and closing dates, and buyer-side terms. They are ready for repair requests after inspection; see what a seller can do when a buyer asks for repairs.

Red flags: Only talks about price.

15. What do you need from me to get the best result?

A good answer: Condition prep, showing access, flexibility, and honest disclosure. A good agent will talk about disclosure obligations and what to fix and not to fix. See what to fix before selling.

Red flags: "Nothing, just sign."

How do I compare agents after the interviews?

Put the answers on one page: pricing and the comps, total cost, term and exit, marketing plan, who does the work, and how fast they reply. Weigh a clearer plan over a lower fee or a higher price opinion. A price promise is not a sale, and an agent who shows you the evidence for a lower price is often more useful than one who flatters you with a high one.

Also confirm the agent's license on the Florida DBPR license lookup, and ask whether they are a single agent or a transaction broker for you, since Florida requires that disclosure.

What should I do before the first interview?

Do a little homework so the answers mean something. Look up your own home's recent neighbors on the MLS-based tools, pull a rough range from a home value check, and write down your timeline: the date you need to be out, the number you need to net, and any repairs you are unsure about. Walk through the house as a buyer would and list what you would negotiate. Then you can judge whether an agent's pricing opinion and plan fit your situation or are a generic pitch. Ask each agent for a written proposal after the meeting so you are comparing paper, not memory.

What about talking to me?

I am happy to be one of the agents you interview, and I will answer all fifteen of these with numbers. Talk to Ryan, or read about how we work on the Orlando listing agent page.

General information as of November 2026. Statute cited: Fla. Stat. 475.25(1)(r), read in 2026. Not legal advice.