Realtor Interview Checklist: 19 Questions Maryland Sellers Should Ask

They open the laptop. If an agent presents a marketing deck before asking why you are selling, where you are going and when you need to be there, they are running a script. Your timeline, your net proceeds target and whether you are buying next should shape the entire strategy. An agent who pitches first is selling themselves, not solving for you.

They cannot repeat it back. If they did not ask, they cannot answer.

The highest number in the room with no comparable analysis behind it. Buying a listing is the oldest move in the business. The price should come with a competitive range, a read on likely buyer reaction and a plan for what happens if the market disagrees.

A number with no method behind it. Ask whether it is measured against original list price or final list price. Those are different numbers, and the gap between them is exactly where price reductions hide.

Sales volume quoted instead of transaction count. Volume can be three expensive houses.

No answer, or an immediate price cut. A price cut is a default, not a plan.

A blank look. Your deed and title history should be reviewed before you list, not discovered in the title search after you are under contract. Old liens, unreleased mortgages, judgments, easements, boundary and access problems, a name never removed after a death or a divorce. These take weeks to clear and they surface at the worst possible moment.

"The title company will handle that." They will, eventually. The question is whether you find out in week one or week nine.

They wait for you to raise it. In Southern Maryland these drive both value and marketability. An agent who does not ask is not local, whatever the bio says.

They do not know what it is, or worse, they tell you it applies to your primary residence. It does not. A 1031 exchange defers capital gains on investment or business property, and the timeline is unforgiving. The exchange has to be set up before you close, not after. A good agent raises it early and connects you with your CPA and a qualified intermediary. If they have never mentioned it, ask why.

Silence. Maryland withholds tax at settlement from nonresident sellers. As of January 1, 2026 the rate is 8.75% for individuals, estates and trusts, and 8.25% for business entities. That money comes out before you ever see a check.

They have never heard of Form MW506AE. You can apply to the Maryland Comptroller for a certificate of full or partial exemption, but the application has to be filed at least 21 days before closing for the state to review it and issue the certificate in time. Miss that window and the money is withheld regardless. This is the most common avoidable surprise for out-of-state sellers, and it is entirely a calendar problem. An agent who flags it at the listing appointment saves you the scramble. An agent who flags it at closing saves you nothing.

Hesitation, or reaching for the form. This is where deals die and where sellers quietly lose leverage. An agent should be able to explain the practical effect of the deadlines without reading them to you.

Treating them as the same thing. They are not, and one carries considerably more risk to you.

"We take the highest one." Price is one term. Financing type, appraisal gap language, inspection posture and closing date can each matter more than a few thousand dollars.

A template with your address swapped in. Ask about launch timing, copywriting, photography, video, aerials where appropriate, paid exposure, direct agent outreach, showing access and reporting.

Vague team language. Teams are fine. Unclear accountability is not.

"As needed." Ask for a cadence and a format.

Any hesitation at all. Look it up on the Maryland Department of Labor licensing search. Confirm the status and the brokerage. It takes two minutes and almost nobody does it.