By MoJo Real Estate Team · Updated September 4, 2026
Choose a Kansas City real estate agent by comparing recent experience with homes like yours, the person who will represent you, a specific buying or selling plan, and the written terms of the relationship. Reviews and production awards can help you build a shortlist. The interview should establish how the agent will handle your actual move.
Start with two or three conversations. Give each agent the same brief: your target areas or property address, approximate budget, timing, and any complication such as selling before buying or moving from another state. Use the questions below to compare their answers.
Six questions to ask before hiring an agent
| Ask the agent | Evidence to request | What the answer tells you |
|---|---|---|
| Which recent purchases or sales are most similar to mine? | Examples with area, property type, price range, date and the agent’s role. | Whether the experience applies to your situation. |
| Who will be my main contact, and who provides backup? | Names, responsibilities, communication schedule and escalation contact. | How the team will handle daily decisions and urgent issues. |
| What would your first steps be for my move? | A proposed sequence, immediate decisions and records needed. | Whether the plan reflects your goals and constraints. |
| How would you handle an inspection issue or low appraisal? | An explanation of options, deadlines and when another professional is needed. | How clearly the agent explains tradeoffs. |
| What services and costs are included? | The proposed agreement and an explanation of each fee and responsibility. | What you are agreeing to and what could cost extra. |
| Can I speak with a recent client in a similar situation? | A reference who has agreed to be contacted. | How the service worked in practice. |
There is no useful universal minimum number of annual closings that makes an agent the right choice. Ask about relevant experience and current workload together. A team’s total production also does not tell you how many transactions your individual agent personally handled.
Check the Missouri or Kansas license and the agency relationship
A Kansas City search can cross the state line. Check the professional who will handle the property through the Missouri Real Estate Commission’s licensee search or the Kansas Real Estate Commission’s license and company search. Confirm the individual, current status and brokerage. A team name or a metro-wide service claim does not replace that check.
Ask whose interests the professional will represent and what happens if the buyer and seller are working with the same brokerage. Have the agent explain the applicable disclosure before you share negotiating limits or other confidential details. Missouri publishes a broker disclosure form; Kansas provides consumer resources on brokerage relationships. Read the documents that apply to your transaction.
Match local experience to the property
“I cover Kansas City” is a starting point. Follow it with a specific example: a resale home in Liberty, a lake-community property near Parkville, a condo in central Kansas City, or a home in Overland Park. Ask which recent comparable sales the agent would examine and what could make those comparisons misleading.
For a property with an association, ask how the agent will help obtain current governing documents, dues, assessments and transfer requirements. For a condo or new construction, discuss the additional documents and decision points before assuming the process matches a detached resale home.
If you are still deciding where to look, use our Kansas City neighborhood and metro area guide to compare commute, property needs and total housing costs. Then narrow the agent conversation to your actual shortlist. Verify school assignments and other address-specific facts with the responsible source.
What buyers should expect from the interview
A useful buyer conversation connects your search criteria to an offer and closing plan. Explain your timing, financing status, preferred locations and how you will make decisions if a suitable home becomes available. Ask how tours will be arranged and who will help you compare a property’s condition and price with other choices.
Discuss inspection, appraisal and financing questions before making an offer. An agent should explain the choices and deadlines in the proposed contract; your lender, inspector or attorney can address matters within their expertise. If you also need to sell, ask for a sequence that accounts for both transactions rather than assuming both closing dates will align.
MoJo’s buyer process covers the initial consultation, financing preparation, search and tours, offer negotiation, and coordination through closing. Use it as a starting point for a conversation about your circumstances.
What sellers should ask to see
Request a pricing explanation supported by relevant closed sales and current competition. Ask which differences in condition, location, updates or concessions affect the comparison. If two agents suggest very different asking prices, have each explain the evidence and the plan if the property does not attract the expected interest.
Ask for a written preparation and marketing plan: which work is necessary before launch, what photography or other assets are included, who pays for each service, and how showing feedback will be reported. Discuss when you will review the strategy together.
Compare estimated net proceeds using the same assumptions. Ask the agent to show proposed compensation, estimated transaction expenses and any seller concessions separately, with uncertain items identified. A suggested list price alone does not explain what you may receive at closing. Explore MoJo’s seller services before the interview.
Understand the agreement and compensation
Real estate compensation is negotiable and is not set by law. Compare the services, fees, agreement duration, exclusivity and exit terms in writing. Do not assume a standard Kansas City percentage or an automatic split between the two sides.
NAR’s consumer guide to written buyer agreements explains that many professionals require an agreement before touring together, including virtual tours. Asking about services or attending an open house on your own does not require that agreement under the guidance. The written compensation must be clearly defined rather than open-ended.
Buyers should ask what they would owe under the agreement and how any negotiated seller or broker contribution would be applied. A contribution is not assured. Read the actual terms and get an explanation before signing; state law and the circumstances of the transaction also matter.
Use reviews and awards as supporting evidence
Read recent reviews on the original platform and look for details about communication, problem solving and the type of move. Keep Google, Zillow and other platform ratings separate. A total review count is not a count of exclusively five-star reviews, and a displayed team total is not an individual agent’s record.
Ask follow-up questions about patterns you notice. A testimonial about a seller’s experience may not answer your questions as a first-time buyer. References can add context, provided the former client has agreed to the introduction.
For awards, check the source, year, geography and category. MoJo’s recognition and news page distinguishes those details. You can also read client reviews and meet the team before deciding whom to interview.
Bring your shortlist to a MoJo conversation
MoJo Real Estate Team works with residential buyers, sellers and relocation clients across the Kansas City metro through Keller Williams Kansas City North. Review the MoJo Method, then ask us the same questions you would ask any other team.
Bring your target areas or property address, approximate timing and the three things that matter most to your move. Contact MoJo to discuss the right next step. Our Kansas City agent services page explains how to get started.
MoJo: 816-268-6068
Keller Williams Kansas City North · Brokerage: 816-452-4200
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