# Choosing a Realtor: Who’s Paying Attention to What You Can’t See?

By Will Cupp (@willcupp) · Published 2026-09-29

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_By Will Cupp, Realtor with Realty Executives Associates, serving Sevierville and East Tennessee_

I met a couple while we were waiting in line at a ball game. Somehow, real estate came up. I don’t know why that keeps happening to me.

I told them I’d been in real estate my whole life, because I pretty much have. Bam. I could see it coming.

Rebecca, who seemed to be the leader of the group, pulled out her phone and showed me a picture of the cutest little house.

“What do you think?”

Now, I have a bad habit of looking right through pretty and getting down to the matter of fact. The house was charming. It had the kind of picture that makes you start placing your furniture before you’ve even seen the living room.

But I saw something else.

A creek appeared to run near the property, and the house looked like it sat in a low area. I pulled up the listing on [Realtor.com](http://Realtor.com) and took another look. The creek was still there. So was my question.

“Rebecca, has anyone checked whether this place has ever flooded?”

She looked at me. “You know, our Realtor never mentioned that. She’s been really high on this house.”

The next day, low and behold, Rebecca came back with a newspaper clipping.

There was that cute little house, half under water.

I hope its flooding history was disclosed somewhere, but Rebecca had no knowledge of it. The creek I saw in the picture had looked as big as an ocean to me. Somehow, it hadn’t made it onto her Realtor’s radar.

I’d love to tell you I noticed it because I have a 150 IQ. I don’t. I’ve just seen what can happen when people fall in love with a home before anyone thinks to ask what happens when it rains.

That brings me to a question I think every buyer and seller should ask:

**What does the Realtor I’m about to hire know to look for?**

## A nice picture only tells you so much

In more than 30 years in real estate, I’ve worked with buyers and sellers who were ready for just about anything. They did their homework, asked great questions, and knew what they wanted. They needed someone to work alongside them and help get the job done.

Most folks don’t buy or sell enough homes to know every question to ask. They have jobs, families, and a hundred other things on their minds. That’s why the Realtor’s experience matters.

I’ve asked agents, “What do you do for a living?” Of course they say, “I’m a Realtor.” Fair enough. But we’re also professional salespeople. We ought to study people, property, negotiation, contracts, and the art of getting everyone to the closing table with their sanity still reasonably intact.

I may have another article in me about that. Lord knows I have opinions.

For today, I’m talking about the person _you_ choose.

## How much experience should your Realtor have?

Here’s my honest suggestion. If you look at my picture, yes, I am pleasing to the eye. My wife thinks so. I think. Anyway, that alone does not qualify anyone as a great Realtor.

Neither does a really nice car, a trip around the world, or the fact that he’s your niece’s cousin’s boy. Though I’ll admit, he sounds like a fine young man.

When someone calls me after their home listing has expired, I often ask why they decided to change Realtors. One answer I hear far too often is, “I haven’t heard from them in weeks.”

Weeks.

Then I ask how they chose that agent in the first place. I get a wide variety of answers, some of them downright bizarre. I can tell you with complete confidence that being somebody’s cousin and owning a shiny car are not the qualifications you want to rely on.

So start with two simple questions: **How long have you been in real estate, and how many homes have you sold?**

If someone has been in the business less than three years or has sold fewer than 25 homes, I would want a very good reason to choose them. There are exceptions. I’ve known newer agents who were sharp, hardworking, and wise enough to lean on experienced people. But if that is the case, ask who is helping them. When your home and your money are involved, you deserve to know whose experience you’re counting on.

I’ve led agents. I’ve seen new agents work their hearts out. I’ve also seen a lack of knowledge turn a manageable problem into a painful one. Enthusiasm is a wonderful thing, but it won’t tell you what a creek has done to a basement.

## Does every real estate deal have to be so hard?

I’ve heard agents say, “Every deal I do is hard. There’s always a problem.”

Well, there _are_ problems. Homes have histories. Inspections find things. Financing changes. People change their minds. A deadline that seemed a month away suddenly shows up at breakfast.

But when every single deal is a nightmare, I have to wonder who is steering.

Experience doesn’t make problems disappear. It helps you recognize them sooner. It teaches you which phone call to make, which question to ask, and when a small concern deserves a closer look.

A good Realtor doesn’t promise you an easy road. They pay attention to the road you’re on.

## Who is watching your home sale after you sign?

Your home sale has a life of its own. It needs attention.

I make calls. I send emails. I follow up with lenders, title companies, inspectors, and the people involved in the transaction. I ask what has happened, what needs to happen next, and whether anyone is waiting on an answer. There are days when I feel like I’ve spoken to everybody but the creek.

That work isn’t always exciting to watch. Neither is checking the weather before a ball game. You tend to appreciate it once the rain starts.

When you interview a Realtor, ask, “How often will I hear from you? What will you do if something goes wrong? Who will be paying attention after I sign?”

Then listen closely. You want a plan, and you want a person who will actually follow it.

## Choose the person who sees the whole picture

Talk with experienced agents in your area. Ask about the transactions that taught them the most. Find out how they work and whether they listen when _you_ have a concern.

And pray about it.

For a long time, I thought God put me in my clients’ lives so I could make a difference for them. I’ve learned that He puts people together because we both have something to give and something to learn. I bring the wisdom this business has taught me. You bring your questions, your hopes, and the life this decision will affect. We need each other to get it right.

I keep thinking about Rebecca holding up that picture at the ball game. She saw a home she could love. I saw why we needed to ask one more question.

The right Realtor should be able to see both.

God bless,

Will Cupp