According to the National Association of REALTORS® 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 77% of repeat buyers and 81% of sellers interview only one real estate agent in Woodbury, MN before signing. One conversation. One decision. That’s it.
That means the questions you ask in that single meeting can shape the largest financial move of your life. And after the NAR settlement changes that took effect August 17, 2024, the questions you should be asking have changed too.
At The Dave Reed Real Estate Team, we’ve helped families across Stillwater, Hudson, Lake Elmo, St. Paul, and the rest of the St. Croix Valley work through these decisions for years. If you’re searching for a Stillwater realtor or weighing options across two states, the six questions below give you a real way to vet anyone before you sign.
Quick answer if you’re in a hurry. Ask any agent you’re considering:
- Are you licensed in the state (or states) where I’m searching?
- What will the written buyer agreement you ask me to sign actually say?
- How do you handle dual agency if it comes up in my deal?
- How many homes have you sold in my specific area in the last 12 months?
- How is your commission structured, and which parts are negotiable?
- Can you share recent client references and a verifiable track record?
Now, here’s why each one matters in today’s market.
Why the Questions You Ask Now Carry More Weight
Two practice changes from the NAR settlement reshape how buyers and agents work together. Per nar.realtor/the-facts:
- Offers of compensation to a buyer’s broker can no longer appear on the MLS, not in listing fields, not in public remarks, not in private remarks.
- Agents who are MLS Participants must enter into a written agreement with buyers before touring a home.
There’s a nuance most articles miss: you do not need a written agreement to chat with an agent at an open house or ask about their services. The agreement gets triggered when an MLS Participant agent starts working with you and you want to tour a home.
So the questions below matter even more now. You’re not just picking someone to “show you houses.” You’re entering a documented working relationship with terms you’ve agreed to in writing.
“Real estate agents remain indispensable in today’s complex housing market.” Jessica Lautz, NAR Deputy Chief Economist, commenting on the release of the 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.
Question 1: Are You Licensed in Both Minnesota and Wisconsin?
If you’re house-hunting around the St. Croix Valley, this question is bigger than most national blogs admit. Properties in Stillwater, Bayport, and Lake Elmo sit minutes from listings in Hudson, Houlton, and North Hudson. Different states. Different rules.
An agent licensed only in Minnesota cannot legally represent you on a Wisconsin listing, and vice versa. Some agents hold both licenses. Some partner with a co-licensed colleague. Some refer you out.
What to listen for:
- Active licenses in both states (verifiable, see below)
- Recent closed transactions on each side of the river
- A clear plan if your search crosses state lines mid-process
How to Verify a Real Estate License in 60 Seconds
- Minnesota: Use the Minnesota Department of Commerce License Lookup at mn.gov/commerce/licensing/license-lookup/. The directory shows license status for realtors, brokers, and other licensees.
- Wisconsin: Use the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services license search at dsps.wi.gov.
Don’t rely on a business card. Pull the license yourself. It takes a minute and tells you whether the agent is active, in good standing, and credentialed where you actually need them.
Question 2: What Will Be in the Written Buyer Agreement You’ll Ask Me to Sign?
This question barely existed before August 17, 2024. Now it’s central.
Per NAR’s settlement guidance, the written buyer agreement must include:
- A specific, conspicuous disclosure of the agent’s compensation amount or rate, or exactly how it will be calculated. Numbers must be objective ($0, flat fee, percent, or hourly), not open-ended.
- A prohibition on the agent receiving compensation from any other source that exceeds the rate you agreed to.
- A conspicuous statement that broker fees and commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law.
Ask the agent to walk you through their actual form, not a description of it. You want to know:
- Is it exclusive or non-exclusive?
- What’s the term length (one tour? 30 days? six months?)
- What happens if you change your mind?
- What’s the agreed compensation, and how is it paid if the seller’s side doesn’t cover it?
A good estate agent in Hudson, WI has zero problem walking you through this line by line. If you sense rushing or vague answers here, that’s a real flag.
Question 3: How Will You Handle Dual Agency If It Comes Up in My Deal?
This is where Minnesota’s statutory framework really matters.
Under Minn. Stat. §82.67, four agency relationships are available in Minnesota: Seller’s Broker, Buyer’s Broker, Dual Agent, and Facilitator. Most consumers don’t realize that until they sign a representation contract, the licensee they’re talking to may be acting as a facilitator with no fiduciary duty other than confidentiality.
Dual agency happens when one broker, or two salespersons under the same broker, represents both the buyer and the seller in the same deal. The statute is direct on what this costs you: dual agents “may not advocate for one party to the detriment of the other.”
That’s a real limit. In a tight negotiation, you want someone advocating fully for your side.
What to listen for:
- A clear policy on dual agency (some teams refuse it, others manage it with written consent)
- An explanation of what happens if you fall in love with one of their own listings
- Comfort talking about facilitator vs. agent representation
If you’re working a Wisconsin search, the equivalent document to ask about is the WB-36 Buyer Agency/Tenant Representation Agreement, approved by the Wisconsin Real Estate Examining Board. The WB-36 form itself states: “There is no standard market commission rate. Commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.”
Minnesota Agency Relationships at a Glance
| Relationship Type | Who They Represent | Fiduciary Duty Owed to You? |
| Seller’s Broker | The seller | No (you’re the other party) |
| Buyer’s Broker | The buyer (you) | Yes |
| Dual Agent | Both parties | Limited, cannot advocate for one over the other |
| Facilitator | Neither as a client | Confidentiality only |
Source: Minn. Stat. §82.67
Question 4: How Many Homes Have You Sold in My Specific Area in the Past 12 Months?
National volume doesn’t help you. Local closings do.
The NAR 2025 Member Profile (released August 6, 2025) gives you a real benchmark to compare against:
- The typical REALTOR® had 12 years of experience in 2025, up from 10 the year before.
- Agents with 6 to 15 years of experience closed a median of 11 transactions for $3.2 million in sales volume.
- Agents with 16 or more years closed a median of 10 transactions for $2.6 million.
- 40% of agents with 16+ years said repeat clients made up more than half their business.
Use this as a sanity check, not a hard cutoff. A newer agent with deep local roots can sometimes outperform a high-volume agent who rarely works your zip code.
Ask for specifics:
- Number of closings in your city or zip in the last 12 months
- Average days on market for their listings in your area
- List-to-sale price ratio on their listings over the past year
If you’re hiring a Hudson WI realtor, insist on Hudson and St. Croix County numbers, not metro-wide totals. If you’re hiring in Stillwater, ask for Washington County data.
Question 5: How Is Your Commission Structured, and Which Parts Are Negotiable?
Two things are true at the same time. Commissions are negotiable by law, and there are published market averages you can use to gauge what’s reasonable.
Per NAR’s settlement guidance: “Agent compensation for home buyers and sellers continues to be fully negotiable.”
Recent market data, presented as ranges from public sources, not what any specific agency charges:
| Source | Reported Average | Date |
| Redfin | 2.43% buyer’s agent commission | Q2 2025 |
| Clever Real Estate | 5.32% to 5.44% combined commission | June 2025 |
| Clever Real Estate | 5.57% total (2.82% listing / 2.75% buyer’s) | September 2025 |
Use these as a frame of reference when you discuss compensation with any agent. Then ask:
- How is the fee calculated for the specific service you’re buying?
- What’s covered (photography, staging, marketing, paperwork, negotiation, closing coordination)?
- What happens if the seller’s side offers less than your agreed buyer’s agent fee?
- Are flat-fee or hybrid options on the table?
One thing worth flagging: there is no federal or state law that has ever required a seller to pay the buyer’s broker. The system has historically worked that way because of how mortgage financing handles closing costs, not because of any NAR rule. That’s the part of the headlines that often gets missed.
Question 6: Can You Share Recent Client References and a Verifiable Track Record?
The NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers found that 35% of sellers cite reputation as the most important factor in choosing an agent, and 21% point to trustworthiness and honesty. Combined, that’s more than half of all sellers picking on character.
You can’t verify reputation through one Google review. Cross-check it.
What to ask for:
- Three recent client references you can actually call
- Online reviews across multiple platforms, not just one
- A list of their recent closings (most agents can pull this from MLS in a few clicks)
- Years licensed (verify against the state lookup, not their bio)
A few red flags worth weighing:
- They can’t name a single closing in your city in the last 6 months
- They dodge questions about the written agreement terms
- They pressure you to sign anything during the first conversation
- They downplay dual agency risks
- Reviews are all glowing, but only on a single platform
One more useful data point: per NAR’s 2025 Profile, FSBO homes sold for a median of $360,000 versus $425,000 for agent-assisted homes. That’s a meaningful gap, which helps explain why 91% of sellers used an agent in 2025, and only 5% sold FSBO, the lowest share ever recorded.
What Minnesota and Wisconsin Buyers Should Know About Disclosure Law
Quick state-specific notes worth tucking into your conversations:
- Minnesota (Minn. Stat. §513.55): Sellers must give buyers a written disclosure of material facts before the buyer signs a purchase agreement. The disclosure must be made in good faith based on the seller’s best knowledge.
- Minnesota (Minn. Stat. §82.67): Agency disclosure must happen at the first substantive contact, not later. Ask any agent for the written agency disclosure form on your first real conversation.
- Wisconsin: The WB-36 Buyer Agency/Tenant Representation Agreement is the form that turns a buyer into a client and unlocks the agent’s full duties: negotiation, loyalty, information and advice, and disclosure of material facts.
If you’re moving between markets in Stillwater, Hudson, Lake Elmo, or St. Paul, double-check both states apply correctly to your specific deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to sign a buyer representation agreement to tour a home in 2026?
If the agent is an MLS Participant working with you as a buyer, yes, a written agreement is required before touring. Per NAR, the rule is not triggered by chatting at an open house or asking about an agent’s services.
How many real estate agents should I interview before hiring one?
NAR’s 2025 data shows 77% of repeat buyers and 81% of sellers interview only one. There’s no rule that says you have to. Interviewing two or three lets you compare directly on the six questions in this post.
Is the buyer’s agent commission still paid by the seller after the NAR settlement?
It can be, but it’s no longer advertised through the MLS. Sellers and listing brokers can still offer to compensate a buyer’s agent. The buyer and their agent must agree to the buyer’s agent fee in writing before touring a home.
What’s the difference between a realtor, a real estate agent, and a broker?
A real estate agent is licensed to represent buyers or sellers. A broker has additional licensing and can run a brokerage or supervise agents. A REALTOR® is an agent or broker who belongs to the National Association of REALTORS® and follows its Code of Ethics. Per the 2025 Member Profile, 64% of REALTORS® are licensed sales agents, 22% hold broker licenses, and 16% are broker associates.
What is a facilitator in Minnesota real estate?
Under Minn. Stat. §82.67, a facilitator performs services without representing either party as a client. They owe confidentiality but not the full fiduciary duties of a buyer’s or seller’s broker.
Should I hire a part-time real estate agent?
There’s no flat rule against it. What matters more is recent local volume, response time, and whether their schedule fits the pace of your deal. Ask how many active clients they have and how they handle competing demands. If you’re looking for real estate agents in White Bear Lake, MN, our local market experts are here to help.
Can I negotiate my buyer’s agent commission?
Yes. Per the WB-36 form in Wisconsin and NAR guidance nationally, commissions are fully negotiable and not set by law. Discuss the structure before you sign the written buyer agreement.
Ready to Hire With Confidence? Talk to a Local Team That Knows Both Sides of the River
The Dave Reed Real Estate Team, led by David Reed and Molly Dandelet, brings over 28 years of combined experience helping clients across Stillwater, Hudson, Lake Elmo, St. Paul, Woodbury, Mahtomedi, Bayport, and the wider St. Croix Valley. David’s background in homebuilding and Molly’s leadership in organizational management give buyers and sellers a partner who treats this like the major financial move it actually is.
If you’re ready to ask the six questions above, ask us first. We’ll walk you through every form, every fee structure, and every state-specific rule before you sign anything.
Call The Dave Reed Real Estate Team today to schedule a no-pressure conversation about your next move across Minnesota or Western Wisconsin. If you’re looking for a real estate agent in Bayport, our team is here to help.
