Before you sell your home, ask every listing agent the same questions: how many homes they’ve sold, how they got to your price, how they’ll market the home, what the fee is, what the listing agreement says, and how long the sale should take. Their answers will tell you more than a sales pitch.
The same list works as questions to ask a realtor, since a Realtor is a licensed agent who belongs to the National Association of REALTORS. Below, each question comes with our own answer, plus the New York rules and recorded sales that back it up.
How many homes have you sold, and for whom?
Ask for a count, not an adjective, and ask how many of those sales were for sellers. So far in 2026 our team reports 60 closed sales, and 34 of them were listings worth $45.2 million.
Then check what past clients say. We have 144 Google reviews, more than any other Midwood agency, and you can read them on our client reviews page. One seller, E.B., wrote: “They had the best knowledge of the neighborhood and brought qualified clients to see the house not the lookie loos.”
How did you arrive at the suggested list price?
A good agent names recent sales near your home, not a borough average. We start with the closest comparable sales, then adjust for the block, condition, property type, parking and outdoor space. That written comparison is called a CMA.
Ask how many sales the price for your home rests on. Here’s how much recorded data each of our neighborhoods had this year.
| January to August 2026 | Recorded sales | Houses | Co-ops and condos | Median price | Median vs 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Midwood | 146 | 81 | 65 | $900K | Up 5.6% |
| Madison | 122 | 90 | 32 | $996K | Up 9.9% |
| Marine Park | 131 | 115 | 16 | $820K | Up 2.5% |
New York City Department of Finance Rolling Sales, Brooklyn, file dated September 9, 2026, and Annualized Sales for 2025. Houses with one to three families, condos and co-ops at $100,000 or more, January 1 to August 31 of each year.
Split the comparisons by type. A co-op and a two-family house on the same street don’t sell to the same buyers, so one median can’t price both. Our guide to selling a Brooklyn home shows how we price block by block.
How will you market my home?
Ask how potential buyers will find the home, then ask to see the plan on a past listing. Here’s what we include when listing your home:
- Photos from trusted independent teams of professional real estate photographers.
- A professionally created floor plan with every listing.
- A professional 3D or Matterport virtual tour with every listing, featured on a property website we build for the home.
- Open houses and broker previews, scheduled weekly or around the plan and times you agree to.
Professional drone and aerial photography is available too.
Is your fee negotiable?
Yes. The National Association of REALTORS puts it plainly: “Agent compensation for home buyers and sellers continues to be fully negotiable.”
The fee is part of the negotiation, so get the split in writing. On March 3, 2026, a condo seller posted a question to r/AskNYC: “Selling condo. Broker wants 6.75%. Am I tripping?” They later spoke with the broker and updated the post. It had been a mistake, and “the 4.5% is total with 2.25% to each buyer/seller.” One reply summed it up: “fees are always technically negotiable.”
Since August 17, 2024, offers to pay a buyer’s agent can’t be posted on the Multiple Listing Service, or MLS. Sellers can still offer that pay outside the MLS, or offer buyer concessions such as help with closing costs.
What’s in the listing agreement, and can I cancel it?
Ask how long it runs and how you can end it early. New York law defines the listing agreement as a contract that authorizes the agent to sell, so cancelling depends on its terms.
Before you sign, the agent must also give you the state’s agency disclosure form and get your signed acknowledgment. Across the top it reads “THIS IS NOT A CONTRACT.” It explains that a seller’s agent owes you “reasonable care, undivided loyalty, confidentiality, full disclosure, obedience and duty to account.”
Will you also represent the buyer?
Ask this one directly. Under New York Real Property Law section 443, a broker can represent both sides if both the buyer and the seller give informed consent in writing.
That kind of dual agent “will not be able to provide the full range of fiduciary duties,” and both sides are “giving up their right to undivided loyalty.” Know what you’re agreeing to before you sign.
Should I fix or stage the house first?
Ask which fixes buyers on your block will actually pay for. It’s a common worry. A r/RealEstate thread from July 15, 2026 drew 533 comments after a seller asked, “what is the appropriate amount of staging? what is over-staging?” A top reply was blunt: “Your decor is clutter.”
In another thread, an owner wrote that their agent “assured us that if we priced it right, it would still sell quickly.” The first showing came back with feedback that the condition, especially the walls, didn’t match the price. The top reply: “Paint is so cheap and easy!!!!”
We don’t stage homes ourselves. If you ask, we can refer you to trusted professionals for repairs, cleaning, staging and moving.
How long will it take to sell?
Be careful with a confident number. We don’t have one standard average for days on market, because timing depends on the property type, price range, condition, location, market activity and the marketing plan you agree to.
A better question is how similar homes in your area moved, and what the agent will change if the first showings go quiet.
Who will I be talking to?
Ask who handles your showings, feedback and offers day to day, and what language you’ll work in. Our agents speak English, Hebrew, Farsi, French, Spanish and Russian.
Common follow-up questions
Can I interview more than one listing agent?
Yes. You can meet as many agents as you like before you sign with one. Asking each one the same questions makes it easier to pick the right agent.
Is the agency disclosure form a contract?
No. The form says so at the top. It explains the kinds of agency and who the agent works for, and the agent keeps a copy of your signed acknowledgment for at least 3 years.
Do sellers still pay the buyer’s agent?
It’s something you negotiate, not a set rule. Offers to pay a buyer’s agent can’t go on the MLS anymore, but a seller can still make one outside the MLS or offer concessions instead.
What is a CMA?
A CMA, or comparative market analysis, is an agent’s look at recent nearby sales, adjusted for differences from your home, used to suggest a list price. Ask to see the sales it uses.
From The Behfar Team
We work from our office at 1524 East 23rd Street in Midwood and have closed 494 buyer and seller transactions. So far in 2026 the team reports 60 closed sales worth $80.7 million, 34 of them for sellers. Our 144 Google reviews are the most of any Midwood agency, and our agents speak six languages.
Ask us these questions yourself
If you’re getting ready to sell your home, bring this list to a first conversation about your own home and block. You can also call the office at 347-988-2526.
Legal points here come from New York Real Property Law section 443 and the National Association of REALTORS, and sale counts from the New York City Department of Finance. This is general information, not legal advice. Talk to a real estate attorney before you sign anything.
