Brooklyn Homebuyers: 5 Questions to Ask Your Real Estate Agent

After sharing our guide on questions to ask when selling a Brooklyn home, it’s time to look at the buyer’s side.

When searching for your ideal Brooklyn home or townhouse, partnering with a skilled local buyer’s agent makes all the difference, from navigating co-op board approvals to crafting winning offers in competitive neighborhoods.

As local real estate agents who guide buyers through Park Slope, Prospect Heights and surrounding Brooklyn communities every day, we know that finding the right fit can sometimes feel overwhelming. To help you choose the right partner, here are five essential questions to ask when interviewing prospective buyer’s agents.

Find out how long the agent has been in real estate and which neighborhoods they specialize in, as well as how long they have been working in Brooklyn, or more specifically the neighborhood in which you’re hoping to call home. You can also inquire about their track record buying and selling property in Brooklyn.

Any real estate experience is reassuring, but an agent with hyperlocal market wisdom and a stellar reputation amongst Brooklyn agents can offer unparalleled advantages when it comes to pricing, inventory, insider knowledge on upcoming listings, informed neighborhood comparisons and an established rapport with sellers’ agents, which can help in negotiations.

A proficient Brooklyn real estate agent will seamlessly guide you through the labyrinth of securing a formal pre-approval letter from a trusted mortgage banker, advise you on how much a down payment will be and help you decipher how realistic your future home wish list is. Ask them what the homebuying process is like and exactly what they can do for you so that you know what to expect during a transaction.

You can ask your potential Brooklyn buyer’s agent to discuss projected closing costs, which you should review further with a lender. Buyer’s agents tend not to charge a fee for helping you find a home, as the commission fee is paid by the seller upon closing and split between the seller’s agent and buyer’s agent.

Ask what their agent-client relationship is like so that you know if you will have direct communication with the agent you’re speaking to or whether you will be passed on to other team members or assistants. Find out how the agent communicates (e.g., phone, text, email) and how frequently so that you know how often you can expect to hear from them.

This question is especially important if you’re new to Brooklyn—or just to Park Slope, Ditmas Park, Windsor Terrace or wherever else you’re looking to buy a home. An agent who has lived in the area for a significant amount of time should have a deep pool of trusted vendors who can help you secure funding, inspect the property, make any repairs or home renovations you desire, service your home’s boiler or HVAC system, or other services that can come in handy for homeowners.

A knowledgeable Brooklyn real estate agent should also be able to point you in the right direction whether you’re looking for the most efficient modes of transportation in Park Slope, the newest restaurants and coffee shops in Windsor Terrace, where the neighborhood parks are in Prospect Heights, or what cultural and recreational activities exist in Kensington.

As you learn more about each agent and decide whether they’re right for you, take the time to learn about their past client experiences by asking for specific success stories and seeing what former homebuyers have to say. You can likely find reviews by Googling agent names, but if not, ask where you can read some.

Finding your ideal Brooklyn home is much smoother with an experienced advocate on your side. Asking these key questions can help ensure you team up with someone who knows the local market inside and out.