BUYER & SELLER GUIDE
How to vet realtors
Most people pick an agent from a yard sign, a billboard or a cousin's recommendation. That works until your specific situation - a condo with a tricky HOA, a Hill Country lot, a relocation on a 45-day clock - needs someone who has done it before in that exact pocket of Austin.
What a strong Austin agent actually does
Beyond opening doors, the agent's job in this market is pricing judgment and negotiation under uncertainty. Austin inventory swings hard by price band and by area: a $500K house in a well-regarded school zone can see multiple offers in a weekend while a $1.4M new build two miles away sits for months with builder incentives stacking up. The agent's value comes in two ways: first, understanding your needs, priorities, and timeline, then matching those with the right opportunities on the market; and second, helping you make the best decision by leveraging deep local knowledge to identify risks and opportunities that aren't obvious online.
Local specifics matter and they should know which neighborhoods have recurring foundation or drainage issues, where wells or septic systems require extra due diligence, how different HOAs operate, and which contract terms, inspections, repairs, credits, or contingencies to negotiate so you're protected and positioned to get the best possible deal.
Five questions to ask before you sign
Which ZIP codes did you close in over the last 12 months?
Austin is not one market. An agent who lives in Mueller closings all year may never have written an offer on Hill Country acreage with a well and septic. Ask for actual closed addresses, not a list of areas they are willing to work.
How many of your clients last year were buyers versus sellers?
Listing a South Austin bungalow and winning a bidding war on one are different skill sets. Match the agent's recent volume to the side of the deal you are on.
What kind of availability do you have?
Will they have time to show homes and write offers when you need them? Based on your timeline, you might be okay working with a top-notch agent who has less availability, or if you're urgently looking, an agent who has more availability could be a better match.
How will communication work?
How quickly do they respond? Will you work directly with them or a team? Are they okay with texting or does it need to be emails and phone calls.
How is your commission structured, and what is negotiable?
Since the 2024 commission rule changes, buyer-side compensation is explicitly negotiated in writing. Ask what the agreement says before you tour homes.
Red flags
- Pressure to sign a long exclusive agreement before you have met twice.
- No closed-sale data for your target neighborhoods.
- Pricing advice with no comparable sales attached to it.
- Slow to respond during the week you are actively touring — inventory in hot Austin pockets moves in days.
- Steering you toward their own listings before understanding your budget.
How our matching works
Instead of asking you to cold-call agents, we score local agents against four things you tell us: the neighborhoods you are considering, your price range, whether you are buying or selling, and your timeline. You get three fits and no obligation to work with any of them. It is free — agents pay a referral fee only if a deal closes, so nothing is added to your side of the transaction.