The Question Most Sellers Forget To Ask Their Agent

By Chad & Sara Huebener

Chad and Sara are Executive Circle sales associates at Edina Realty and are committed to serving clients in a manner that is ethical and respects confidentiality without giving up the aggressiveness and tenacity it takes to get homes sold.

We meet with many sellers every year, and the questions we hear tend to follow a similar pattern. How will you market my home? What’s your fee? What do you recommend for staging? Where would you price it? All great questions, and any experienced agent should have solid answers to each one. There’s one question, though, that we almost never get asked, and it’s arguably the most important consideration when choosing someone to list your home.

How well does your agent understand the contracts? Representation agreements, purchase agreements, addenda, amendments, contingency timelines: all of these documents make up the framework of a real estate transaction. An agent’s knowledge of this paperwork directly affects how well you’re represented once an offer comes in, and it’s probably the most overlooked part of what we do.

A real example of why this matters. A common scenario we see is when a buyer goes through an inspection contingency period, the deadline passes, and then several days later, the buyer wants to extend the contingency or request additional inspections. By that point, the contingency has already lapsed.

If the buyer’s agent doesn’t realize that, the expectations on their side of the transaction become unrealistic, creating problems for the seller. With the right contractual knowledge, every party in the transaction stays informed about the actual timelines, the agreements, and each side’s obligations. Without it, issues that could have been handled cleanly sometimes surface too late to fix.

What sellers should do. When you’re interviewing a listing agent, ask them how they handle the contracts. A good agent is going to have a solid answer. Do your research and ask the questions upfront. Marketing, pricing, and staging are all part of selling a home, but contracts are where your protection lies. Ask about it before you sign, not after a problem shows up.

Watch our video for a full breakdown. If you have specific questions about listing your home or want to talk through the process, we’d love to help. Call us at 952-212-3597, email us at chad@chadandsara.com or chadandsara@edinarealty.com, or visit edinarealty.com.