Bottom line: Hire the agent who can show you closed sales that match your property, prices your home from those sales instead of from the number that wins the listing, and tells you early what could slow your sale down.
Most sellers interview agents on personality and a price. Both matter less than people think. Here is what I would ask, and how I answer the same questions myself.
1. Ask for addresses, not adjectives
Any agent can say they know Fort Lee. Ask for the closed sales. Which streets or buildings, which years, and whether they were on the listing side.
My answer: 37 Fort Lee closings since 2004, most of them condominiums and co-ops, on the NJMLS record. I will show you the addresses that match your property type.
The property type matters as much as the town. A condo, a co-op and a single-family home can each sell to a different buyer, on a different loan, with a different set of documents. Ask for examples that match yours.
2. Ask how they will price it, and from which sales
The agent with the highest number is often the agent who needs the listing most. Overpricing costs you twice: the weeks on market, then the reduction buyers read as a signal.
In Fort Lee, I price from the closest comparable sales first: the same property type, similar size and condition, and the same part of town.
In a condominium or co-op building, that means the same building first, then the same line, floor and exposure. Monthly maintenance, parking and any open special assessment move the number too.
For a two-family, the rent roll carries real weight, because many of the buyers are underwriting the income.
Ask every agent you interview to show you the three to five sales behind their price. If they cannot, the number is a guess.
3. Ask what they know about your building before a lender does
This is where Fort Lee condominium and co-op sales most often stall. A buyer's lender reviews the building as well as the buyer. Reserves, delinquent common charges, pending litigation, commercial space and owner-occupancy can all limit which loans a building qualifies for. A co-op board adds its own approval step and financial requirements.
A good listing agent finds that out before the first showing. I order the association or co-op documents early, confirm the building's financing status, and price and market with that in mind. Financing eligibility is set building by building and can change without notice, so I confirm it for each sale rather than assume it.
4. Ask where Fort Lee buyers will actually see your home
Many Fort Lee buyers commute into Manhattan, using the George Washington Bridge and buses into Manhattan. They search online first, often from outside the area.
That means professional photography, a floor plan, and a listing description that answers the questions a buyer will ask up front: taxes, parking, what is included, and for a condominium or co-op, the monthly charges and building rules. Ask to see a recent listing each agent marketed, and read it the way a buyer would.
5. Ask who you will be talking to
Some teams hand the listing to someone else after the paperwork is signed. Ask directly who returns your calls, who is at the showings and who negotiates the offer.
With me, it is me. I price the home, I negotiate the offers, and I stay with the file through closing.
Questions to bring to every listing interview
- How many Fort Lee homes like mine have you sold, and which ones?
- Which sales support your price, and why did you leave others out?
- What will a buyer's lender, or the co-op board, find when it reviews my building?
- Where will my home be marketed, and can I see a recent example?
- Who will I speak with week to week, and how often?
- What happens if we get no offers in the first three weeks?
For the full selling process from preparation to closing, see How to Sell Your Home in Fort Lee. You can also read what past clients say on my reviews page.
FAQs
How many agents should I interview in Fort Lee?
Two or three is enough. Ask each one the same questions and compare the sales behind their price, not the price itself.
Should I choose the agent who suggests the highest price?
Not on that basis. Choose the agent whose price is supported by recent comparable sales. An inflated number usually ends in a reduction.
Does my listing agent need Fort Lee sales experience?
It helps, because details specific to Fort Lee move the price. Ask for closed sales in your property type, in town and nearby.
What does a listing agent cost?
Commission is negotiable and is set in your listing agreement. It is not fixed by law. Before you sign anything, I walk you through what you would pay and why.
Talk it through before you decide
If you are weighing a sale in Fort Lee, I am glad to walk through your numbers with you, with no obligation attached. Request an appointment, or take the 7-question quiz for a resource guide matched to your situation. For a full picture of the town, see my Fort Lee community guide.
Scott Selleck
The Selleck Group, KW City Views Realty
2200 Fletcher Avenue, Suite 502, Fort Lee, NJ 07024
Cell: (201) 970-3960 | Office: (201) 592-8900
Email: [email protected] | SelleckSellsNJ.com
Ask my AI assistant (an AI trained on my work, not me): delphi.ai/scottselleck
Licensed since 1993. 500+ transactions, counting buyer and seller sides.
NJ Real Estate Broker / Sales Associate License #9236275
Equal Housing Opportunity
Keller Williams City Views Realty. Each office is independently owned and operated.
