Ask Realest: Hiring a Realtor
Ask Realest > Choosing a Realtor
How do I choose a Realtor in Northwest Indiana?
Talk to two or three agents and check each license on the state’s free lookup. Then hire the one who can show recent sales near you and puts their pay in writing. In Indiana, your listing or buyer agreement has to be in writing with a definite end date, so read it before you sign. The steps are the same in Lake County and Porter County.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Check the license first
Every Indiana real estate broker license is on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s free Search and Verify tool. Search by name and make sure the license shows as active. It takes about a minute.
Indiana and Illinois license agents separately. If your move crosses the state line, check the agent on the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation License Lookup too.
Realtor with a capital R means the agent belongs to the National Association of Realtors and agrees to follow its Code of Ethics. Every Realtor is licensed, but not every licensed agent is a Realtor.
Questions to ask each agent
Fifteen minutes on the phone is enough. Ask every agent the same things so you can compare:
- What have you sold, or helped someone buy, in this town in the last year?
- Will you show the homes and write the offer yourself, or will someone on your team?
- How fast do you answer during offer week, and who covers when you’re at a closing?
- If you’re selling, how would you price my house?
- If you’re buying, how do you write an offer that wins without overpaying?
- When would you tell me a house is wrong for me?
Our blog post on how to interview a Realtor before you hire one has the full checklist.
Read the agreement before you sign
Since July 1, 2024, Indiana law has required a written agreement between a broker and a seller client or a buyer client. It must be on paper or in electronic form and show a definite end date. The broker gives you a copy within three business days of signing. The rule comes from House Enrolled Act 1068, now Indiana Code 25-34.1-12.
Before you sign, find three things on the page: the end date, the work the agent will do, and how they get paid. Pay is negotiable, and no law sets a rate. Ask what happens if you want to end the agreement early. The answer should be in the agreement itself.
Buying? Our answer on Indiana buyer agreements and commission walks through the buyer side line by line.
If one agent could represent both sides
Indiana calls this limited agency. Under Indiana Code 25-34.1-10-12, an agent can act for both the buyer and the seller only with the written consent of everyone in the deal. You don’t have to consent.
A limited agent can’t tell the other side that a buyer will pay more or a seller will take less, or what is driving either one, without written consent. Ask each agent how often it comes up and how they handle it.
Ask us the same questions
Realest is a Crown Point brokerage at 112 S. Main St., Suite B. Pamela “Pam” Joveski is the founding owner of Realest. We’re licensed in Indiana and Illinois. Ask us everything on this page, and look us up on both state tools before you sign anything with us.
Related
Do I need a written buyer agreement?, How much will I net when I sell?, Moving from Illinois to Northwest Indiana, Learn Buying, Learn Selling, Search homes for sale
Quick answers
How do I choose a Realtor in Northwest Indiana?
Interview two or three licensed agents and check each license on the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency’s free lookup. Hire the one with recent sales near you who puts their pay in writing. In Indiana, your listing or buyer agreement has to be written with a definite end date. We are licensed in Indiana and Illinois.
How do I check if a real estate agent is licensed in Indiana?
Use the free Search and Verify tool from the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Search by name and confirm the license is active. For Illinois, use the License Lookup from the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
What is the difference between a Realtor and a real estate agent?
A Realtor is a licensed agent who belongs to the National Association of Realtors and agrees to follow its Code of Ethics. Every Realtor is licensed, but not every licensed agent is a Realtor.
Do I have to sign an agreement with a Realtor in Indiana?
Yes, if you want them to represent you. Since July 1, 2024, Indiana law has required a written listing or buyer agreement with a definite end date, and you get a copy within three business days of signing.
Can one agent represent both the buyer and the seller in Indiana?
Only with the written consent of everyone in the deal. Indiana calls it limited agency, and you do not have to agree to it.
Sources: Indiana Professional Licensing Agency, written listing and buyer agency agreements (June 27, 2024), IC 25-34.1-10-12, Indiana Professional Licensing Agency Search and Verify, Illinois License Lookup, National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics.
Interviewing agents this week? Call the shop and ask us the same questions.
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Call (219) 801-0432
We’re the shop at 112 S. Main St., Suite B, Crown Point, IN 46307. Love Thy Neighbor. General information, not legal advice.