Three agents have walked through your living room this week. All three were friendly. All three said your house would “do great.” Now you have to pick one and sign a contract that runs for months.
The listing interview is where you find out who has a plan and who has a pitch. Plenty of advice online was written before the 2024 commission rule changes, so here’s the version for Arizona and Utah sellers right now.
Short answer: Before you sell, ask an agent to show their license, explain how they’ll price and market your home, say what they’ll change if it doesn’t sell, put every fee in writing (commission is negotiable), explain how buyer-agent pay works now, and tell you how to cancel the listing agreement.
What questions should you ask a real estate agent when selling?
Ask the ones that reveal a plan, not a personality. Here they are, ranked by how much each answer should change your decision:
- What price do you recommend, and which sales back it up? Ask for the actual comps.
- What happens at day 7, 14 and 21 if we’re not getting offers? A good agent has checkpoints.
- How are you paid, and what exactly does that cover? Get it in writing.
- How will buyer-agent compensation be handled? The rules changed in 2024.
- How long is the listing agreement, and how do I cancel? Read the cancellation terms before you sign.
- How will you market the home? MLS, photos, showings, online exposure.
- How often will I hear from you, and how? Weekly at minimum.
- Who else on your team will I deal with? Assistants, showing agents, the transaction coordinator.
- What’s your license number? Then look it up yourself.
How do you check a real estate agent’s license in Arizona and Utah?
Search the state’s free database by name or license number. It takes two minutes, and it’s the only question on this list you can answer without trusting the agent.
In Arizona, the Arizona Department of Real Estate public database lets you search salespersons, brokers and companies, with license information, license history, employment history and disciplinary actions. In Utah, use the Utah Division of Real Estate license search, linked from the Division’s “Verify a License” button, which searches real estate and appraisal licensees by name or license number. Confirm the license is active and that the brokerage matches the business card.
How do you know an agent’s pricing plan is realistic?
A realistic plan starts from recent closed sales, not the number you hoped to hear, and it says what happens if the market disagrees. The agent who quotes the highest price isn’t automatically the one who gets you the most money.
Here’s why it matters. Across Homie’s recent Utah sales, homes priced correctly at launch took about 34 days to sell, compared with about 101 days after a later price reduction, and Homie’s September 2026 market analysis found 53% of Homie’s sold Utah listings needed a price cut. Arizona is its own market, but the lesson travels. In Maricopa County, single-family homes spent a median 75 days on market and sold for 98.1% of list price in September 2026, according to Phoenix REALTORS (ARMLS data, as of October 3, 2026). Ask any agent to show you where your home fits in those numbers.
What should happen if your house doesn’t sell right away?
Your agent should check the numbers on a schedule and bring you a decision, not just reassurance. Homie uses three listing checkpoints:
Day 7: showings, online engagement and new competition. Day 14: feedback, repeat showings and offers. Day 21: decide whether to hold, add an incentive, improve or reposition.
Our take: ask every agent you interview what they’d do on day 21. If the answer is “wait and see,” keep interviewing. A good answer compares options side by side, such as a price reduction versus seller-paid closing costs or a rate buydown for the buyer, with a lender showing both the monthly payment and the cash to close.
How is a listing agent paid, and is commission negotiable?
Yes, it’s negotiable. The National Association of Realtors says broker fees and commissions are “fully negotiable and not set by law.”
Agents are paid either a percentage of the sale price or a set fee. Ask what the fee covers, when it’s owed, and whether anything is due if the home doesn’t sell. Homie is a flat-fee brokerage; see how Homie’s flat fee works. Whatever model you pick, get every dollar written into the listing agreement.
Who pays the buyer’s agent now?
It’s negotiated deal by deal. Since August 17, 2024, offers of compensation between agents are no longer allowed on MLS platforms, per NAR’s summary of the settlement. Sellers can still offer buyer-agent compensation outside the MLS, or offer buyer concessions such as closing cost help.
Buyers who tour through an MLS agent now sign a written agreement with that agent first. So ask your listing agent: will we offer anything to buyer agents, and how will we respond if a buyer asks for it in an offer? In a slower Phoenix or Davis County market, that answer matters. Our post on who pays real estate agents goes deeper.
What should you look for in the listing agreement?
Four things: the term, the compensation, what happens after it ends, and how you cancel. A real estate attorney can review the agreement before you sign.
The term is the expiration date. Shorter terms keep everyone honest. The compensation section should match what you agreed to verbally, including anything offered to a buyer’s broker. Ask if you’d owe a fee if a buyer the agent introduced comes back after the listing expires. In Arizona, the listing contract and its addendum are MLS forms, and the August 2024 Arizona REALTORS Listing Contract Addendum lets the parties change the compensation and the term expiration.
Can you cancel a listing agreement?
Sometimes, depending on the agreement. Ask about cancellation in the interview, not after you’re unhappy.
The Arizona REALTORS Listing Contract Addendum includes two cancellation options: one with no conditions, and one where the parties set conditions that must be met first. Both include a mutual release. In Utah, read the cancellation terms in the listing agreement you’re offered. Either way, ask the agent to point to the cancellation clause and explain it, and have a real estate attorney look if it’s unclear.
How will the agent market your home?
At minimum: the MLS, professional photos, and an organized showing plan. In metro Phoenix that MLS is ARMLS; along the Wasatch Front it’s UtahRealEstate.com.
Ask to see a recent listing the agent marketed, with photos, the description and the showing count from the first two weeks. Ask what happens with “coming soon” or office-exclusive options, and what you’d give up by staying off the MLS. On Homie’s sell page you can see what a Homie listing includes: MLS, professional photos, a yard sign and social promotion.
How often should your agent update you?
At least weekly while you’re listed, and the same day you get an offer. Settle the channel too: text, call or email.
Weekly updates should carry numbers (showings, feedback, online views, new competing listings in your subdivision), not just “it’s going well.” That’s what makes the day 7, 14 and 21 decisions possible. If you’re selling a Gilbert home while you’ve already moved to Salt Lake City, ask how the agent handles remote signing and showings.
What are the red flags when choosing a listing agent?
A price with no comps, vague fees, and no plan for a slow start. Here’s how to read the answers you get:
| You ask | Good answer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| What price do you recommend? | A range built on recent closed sales near you | The highest number in the room, with no comps |
| How are you paid? | Every fee in writing, with what it covers | “Standard rate,” or reluctance to negotiate |
| What if it doesn’t sell? | Checkpoints and specific options | “Let’s give it time” |
| Can I cancel? | Shows you the clause and explains it | Changes the subject |
| Are you licensed? | Gives the number; it checks out | Can’t find it in the state database |
Quick answers
How many agents should you interview before selling?
Two or three is usually enough. Ask each the same questions in the same order, and get their price recommendations with comps in writing so you can compare them side by side. If one price is far above the others, ask that agent to explain which closed sales support it. A big gap without evidence is a warning sign.
Does my agent need an Arizona license to sell my Arizona home?
Expect to work with an agent licensed in the state where the home sits, so a Mesa listing calls for an Arizona licensee. If you’re moving between Utah and Arizona, you may hire a different agent in each. Check each license in that state’s database, and ask the Arizona Department of Real Estate or a real estate attorney about cross-state questions.
Should you pick the agent who suggests the highest price?
Not on that basis alone. An inflated list price can mean more days on market and a later cut. Across Homie’s recent Utah sales, homes priced correctly at launch sold in about 34 days versus about 101 days after a later reduction. Pick the agent whose price is backed by closed sales and who has a plan if buyers disagree.
Where can you find a local agent to interview?
Start with neighbors who sold recently, listings in your subdivision, and brokerage directories. Homie’s agent directory introduces Homie’s local agents, and our older guide on how to find a real estate agent in Arizona covers the basics. Then run the license check before the first meeting.
The bottom line
Personality matters, but the plan matters more. Our take: hire the agent who shows you comps, names the day they’ll revisit the price, and puts every fee and the cancellation terms in writing before you sign.
Want to see how a Homie agent would answer these? Sell with Homie and talk with a local agent in Arizona or Utah about pricing, marketing and your timeline. Whether you’re buying, selling, or doing both, Homie has your back.
— The Homie Team
*Examples are for illustrative purposes only. This article is general information, not legal, tax, lending or insurance advice.
*All brokerage fees, including listing and buyer agent compensation, are fully negotiable and determined solely by the seller and service provider. Flat-fee pricing and service availability may vary by location.
*Market data from Phoenix REALTORS (ARMLS data, September 2026) and Homie’s September 2026 market analysis. All data obtained from sources deemed reliable but not verified. Information not guaranteed.