Question 1

What does a top real estate agent do?

Accepted Answer

Top real estate agents have more local expertise, prepare in-depth market analyses, and have industry connections that you can’t find by yourself. They know your neighborhood like the back of their hand and use their market knowledge to sell your home faster than the average agent and for money.

Question 2

What should you look for when interviewing a real estate agent in California?

Accepted Answer

When you sell a house, your real estate agent becomes your business partner, financial advisor, and emotional support system. It’s crucial to partner with someone you trust, so make sure you’re looking for an agent who can answer all of your questions with confidence during the interview. During this process, you want to get to know the agent’s business and find out how well they know the area. You’re listening for things that signal experience, expertise in your community, and workload. Selling a home takes an enormous amount of work, so you need an agent who’s got a plan for prep, pricing, and marketing and who is ready to roll up their sleeves to get the job done.

Question 3

How important is it to hire a top real estate agent in California?

Accepted Answer

Our data shows that the top 5% of listing agents sell homes for as much as (+9%) more than the average real estate agent. A great agent makes a difference when you buy a house, too: We’ve found that the top 5% of buyer's agents on average save their clients 2.5% more on their home purchase. So, whether you’re in the market to find your dream home or sell your house at a great price, the right agent matters. We encourage you to connect with a top real estate agent if you’re buying or selling a home in California, MD.

Question 4

When is the right time to hire a real estate agent in California?

Accepted Answer

The best window to contact an agent to sell your home is anywhere from three to six months in advance of your list date. When you start the search for an agent several months before hitting the market, there’s plenty of time to find the best agent, make key renovations, and market your home effectively, all of which are essential steps in selling your home for a great price. You can also hire an agent based on the best time to sell in California to take advantage of seasonal and cyclical trends in the market. The right time to hire a real estate agent depends on the temperature of the housing market. For example, the best time to sell in California is in May. And since it takes around 3 months to close on a home, you should list in February. We recommend that you hire a real estate agent as soon as you're thinking of selling your home. Generally speaking, that's anywhere from 3 to 6 months prior to your desired move date.

Question 5

What is the average real estate agent commission for agents in California?

Accepted Answer

While individual real estate agent commissions do vary, most real estate agents in California work for 6% of the home price.

Question 6

Why should I use HomeLight to find a California real estate agent?

Accepted Answer

HomeLight analyzes all real estate agent in California to bring you custom, unbiased, data-driven recommendations. We use actual home sales transaction data to compare California real estate agent and will only introduce you to the top performing agents. They do not pay to advertise on our site and we do not pay to list them. To give you the best object recommendations, we consider things like: how fast a real estate agent sells, how many properties they work on, how much money they save or earn their clients, and what cities and neighborhoods they specialize in. You can trust that we’ll match you with the right agents for your needs.

Top Real Estate Agents & Realtors® in California, MD

How it Works

Top California agents sell faster and for more — here’s the gap.