What If I Pick the Wrong Agent? Here's How to Tell Before You Sign

They Hired a Friend of a Friend. Then silence.

It started like most stories do: a friend recommended someone who “helped them buy a place a few years ago.”

Everything “seemed great.”

A few weeks later, they were locked into a contract, ghosted by their agent, and regretting everything.

Don’t let that be you.

And here’s the truth no one tells you:

Even bad agents can have good stats.

And even great agents can be the wrong fit for you.

The real key to finding the right one isn’t in their resume, it’s in their process.

How they work, communicate, and problem solve.

Do they have a clear strategy for helping you find your next home or sell your current one?

And does that strategy actually make sense for your situation?

You're not hiring someone’s résumé.

You're hiring how they’ll move you forward.

This Week’s Highlights

Market Insights: Week of September 15th, 2025 Housing Update 

Ask Mike: Who Pays the Buyer's Agent? 

Deal of the Week: Only 2018 Waterfront Home Under $1M in Pines 

News You Can Use: Mortgage Rates Fell Ahead of Fed Meeting. 

Weekend Watch: Weekend Round Up 

Local Spotlight: Have You Seen Stoneridge Lake Estates? 

This Isn’t a Checklist. It’s a Filter

You’ve probably seen those lists of questions to ask agents:

• “Are you full-time?”

• “How long have you been in real estate?”

• “How many homes have you sold?”

Those are fine for gauging experience but they’re surface level.

They don’t tell you how that agent will actually work with you. 

They don’t reveal how they handle pressure, bad news, conflict, or strategy.

This isn’t that list.

These are the hard questions.

The ones that make mediocre agents squirm and real professionals lean in.

If you want to avoid hiring someone who vanishes when it actually counts, these are the questions to ask before you sign anything.

1. What’s your plan for my home (or search), not just what you do for every client?

Good agents customize their approach. Ask how they’ll position your property specifically or how they’ll structure your home search beyond just MLS alerts. If they rattle off a generic plan or lean on buzzwords (“maximum exposure!”), keep digging.

2. How often will I hear from you and what happens when things go sideways?

Anyone can text you after a showing. But how do they communicate when the inspection comes back messy? When an offer falls through? Do they have a communication plan? Weekly reports? Real-time updates? Or are you expected to chase them?

3. Show me how you market properties (or find off market ones) not just the MLS.

Sellers: Do they use paid social? Email blasts? Videos? Targeted digital ads? Or are they just putting it on the MLS and hoping for the best?

Buyers: Are they plugged in enough to find deals before they hit Zillow? Do they door-knock? Network? Hustle?

4. Tell me about a deal that almost fell apart and how you saved it.

This is where the real agents shine. You’ll hear about navigating tough inspections, keeping buyers from walking, catching bad contract terms, or outmaneuvering other offers. If they can’t name a single example? They haven’t been tested.

5. What’s your biggest weakness as an agent and how do you deal with it?

Most agents are never asked this. And the answer will tell you more than any sales stat ever could. You’re looking for honesty, self awareness, and how they compensate with systems, support, or partners.

6. Can I see a real time snapshot of your market knowledge right now?

Ask them what’s happening in your neighborhood this week. How many active listings? What’s the average days on market? What’s inventory doing? The pros don’t need to “look that up.” They live and breathe this stuff.

7. What happens if I’m not happy with your service after we sign?

This is uncomfortable, but it matters. Good agents will have a process for resolving issues and some will even offer an easy exit clause. Bad agents will get defensive.

Final Thought

There are thousands of agents in South Florida.

Some will charm you.

Some will wow you with stats.

But only a handful will sit across from you, take a breath, and tell you the truth, even when it’s hard.

These are the kinds of questions you ask to find that agent.

Not the ones they hope you’ll ask but the ones they secretly hope you won’t.

The ones that cut through the script and surface the truth.

If an agent dodges, deflects, or gives you the polished pitch instead of a real answer?

That’s your answer.

Stay Safe,

Mike