5 Vital Questions to Ask Your Realtor Before Investing with Them

[Eric Fernwood]

When investing in real estate, having a knowledgeable realtor is crucial. To ensure they have the skills you need, below are five questions to ask. If they cannot provide a satisfactory answer to any of these questions, move on to another candidate.

• Tell me about your investment team. If they don't have one, consider finding another realtor.
• Who chose the properties, you or the client? If the client has made selections, find another realtor.
• What were the primary criteria used to select properties? You're looking for a reasonable answer based on data analysis, not personal opinion or "feelings."
• Can you describe the target tenant pool? If they cannot provide a clear answer or do not understand the question, move on to the next candidate.
• How were rent and time-to-rent estimated? If they reply Zillow, Redfin, Rentometer, or any online site, they do not have the expertise to evaluate investment properties. No online tool can provide accurate, property-specific rental estimates.

There are more questions I can add, but the above is a reasonable start.

Do you see anything critical missing?