Raise this with your agent
- A written buyer agreement is required before touring a home with an MLS agent.
- A good agent points out weaknesses, not just features.
- Disaster risk and insurance costs belong in the conversation early.
Showings are where your agent’s value becomes visible. Anyone can open a lockbox and walk you through rooms. A good buyer’s agent does something different: they help you see the house as an owner would, notice what the staging hides and gather the facts you will need if you decide to make an offer.
Before the tour
Preparation starts the day before. A strong agent reviews the listing history, including how long the home has been for sale and whether the price has changed, looks at recent sales of comparable homes nearby and checks basic risks for the address, such as flood zone or other hazards. They plan the route so you see homes in a sensible order and have time to think between them.
Tip: Since August 17, 2024, you need a written buyer agreement before touring homes with an agent who uses a Multiple Listing Service. Sort it out before the first showing day so nothing is rushed. See Buyer Agreements and Agent Pay Explained.
Outside first
Before you go in, a good agent will often walk the outside with you. They point out the age and condition of the roof as far as it can be seen, where the land slopes and where water would go in heavy rain, cracks in walkways or the foundation, the condition of windows and siding, and what is next door. These things are hard to change and easy to miss once you are inside admiring a kitchen.
Inside: features and weaknesses
The listing agent’s job is to show the home’s strengths. Yours is to make sure you see the whole picture. Expect your agent to point out things like:
- Water stains on ceilings, under sinks and around windows.
- The age of major systems: furnace, air conditioning, water heater, electrical panel.
- Rooms that are smaller than the staging makes them look.
- Layout issues, such as a bedroom only reachable through another room.
- Signs of recent cosmetic work that may cover a problem.
None of this replaces a professional inspection, which comes after an accepted offer. But it helps you decide whether a home is worth offering on in the first place. Our guide to Your Buyer’s Agent and the Home Inspection picks up from there.
Questions your agent should ask for you
If the listing agent is present, your agent can ask questions you may not think of, and knows how to phrase them:
- Why are the sellers moving, and how soon?
- Are there any offers or a deadline for offers?
- What are the property taxes and typical utility costs?
- Is there a homeowners association, and what do the dues include?
- Have there been insurance claims, leaks or major repairs?
What your agent should not do
A good agent keeps your budget and your enthusiasm private in front of the listing side. They do not say you love it, that you can go higher or that you need to move by a certain date. They also do not rush you through a house because another showing is waiting.
After the tour
The most useful part of a showing often happens in the car. Your agent should help you compare the home with your must-haves and with the others you have seen, estimate the full monthly cost including taxes and insurance, and flag anything that would need a specialist’s opinion. If the home is a real contender, they will start building the case for a price, based on comparable sales rather than the asking price.
| Quick comparison after each home | Your notes |
|---|---|
| Fits must-haves? | Yes / partly / no |
| Biggest strength | |
| Biggest concern | |
| Likely repairs soon | |
| Estimated monthly cost | |
| Worth a second visit? |
Virtual tours
If you are buying from another city, many tours happen by live video. The same written agreement rules apply to live virtual tours as to in-person ones. A good agent makes a virtual tour useful by walking slowly, showing ceilings, floors and corners rather than only the staged views, opening closets and cabinets, stepping outside to show the neighbors and the street, and narrating smells and sounds you cannot pick up through a screen. Ask them to measure key rooms and photograph anything you want to look at again later.
Second visits
For a serious candidate, a good agent will suggest seeing it again at a different time of day and, if possible, driving your commute from it. They may also help you check things a first visit misses: noise in the evening, parking on a weekend, how the light changes. When you are ready to write an offer, see How a Buyer’s Agent Helps You Write and Negotiate an Offer.