James Sanson
Team Lead and Listing Agent
AZ License SA535310000
22+ years in Maricopa real estate. 1,300+ closings. Specializes in seller representation and complex transactions.
What Home Sellers Want From a Real Estate Agent, and What They Want to Avoid
What home sellers want from a real estate agent comes down to three jobs, and what they want to avoid is the flip side of each. Here is what two national seller surveys found, and how to check any Maricopa agent against each finding.
1,300+ Closings
267 Zillow Reviews averaging 5.0, October 2026
FastExpert 2026 Top Agent for Maricopa, AZ
James Sanson | Real Broker | Licensed in Arizona
Sellers in NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers most wanted three things from their agent: marketing the home to potential buyers (23 percent), pricing it competitively (19 percent), and selling within a specific timeframe (19 percent). What they want to avoid is the flip side of that list: selling for less than they hoped, missing their deadline, and an accepted offer that falls apart before closing. Before you sign a listing agreement in Maricopa, ask how the agent handles each of the three, and check every answer against a record you can see.
Both surveys below are national. They show what sellers care about when they hire an agent, not what will happen to your sale. Maricopa runs at its own pace, with new builds competing for the same buyers, so every question on this page asks the agent to answer with City of Maricopa evidence.
Use these questions on any agent you talk to, including us. Our answers to the marketing and pricing questions are below, with where you can check them.
What do home sellers want most from a real estate agent?
NAR asked recent sellers what they wanted most from their agent. Marketing came first, with pricing and timing tied for second.
| What sellers wanted | Share |
|---|---|
| Market the home to potential buyers | 23% |
| Price the home competitively | 19% |
| Sell within a specific timeframe | 19% |
| Find ways to fix up the home to sell for more | 13% |
| Find a buyer | 12% |
| Negotiate and deal with buyers | 6% |
| Handle paperwork, inspections, and settlement prep | 4% |
Top seven responses. Source: National Association of REALTORS®, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, Exhibit 7-6. Sellers who sold between July 2024 and June 2025. National figures.
Zillow asked a different question in its 2026 Consumer Housing Trends Report: which agent service was the most valuable. Pricing help and local market knowledge came out on top: the first choice of 42 percent of sellers who used an agent, and in the top two for 67 percent.
| Service | First choice | In top two |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing help and local market knowledge | 42% | 67% |
| Hosted open houses | 18% | 36% |
| Led contract negotiations | 17% | 40% |
| Helped choose an offer | 12% | 33% |
| Coordinated listing photography | 10% | 25% |
Source: Zillow, Consumer Housing Trends Report 2026, seller results published October 14, 2026. National figures.
The two surveys asked different questions. NAR asked what sellers wanted most from their agent. Zillow asked which service they valued most. Read together, sellers hire an agent to get the home seen, priced, and sold on time, and they rate the pricing help highest.
What do home sellers want to avoid?
Each job a seller hires for has a flip side, an outcome they do not want. Zillow's 2026 report has a related figure for each.
Selling for less than they hoped
Maximizing profit was the top priority for 52 percent of sellers in Zillow's 2026 report, down from 58 percent in 2025. In our experience, a list price above what today's buyers will pay does not raise what you net. Often the home sits, and price cuts follow. Ask how the price was built, covered below.
Missing their deadline
Selling within a target timeframe was the top priority for 36 percent of sellers, up from 33 percent the year before. For many sellers the date is set by something else: a new job, a home they are buying, or a lease ending. Ask the agent what days on market they expect for your home, which recent sales that estimate comes from, and what they would change, and when, if showings are slow.
An accepted offer falling apart
Nearly half of sellers in Zillow's 2026 report (47 percent) said at least one offer fell through, down from 54 percent in 2025. Among those sellers, financing problems were the leading reason (44 percent), followed by a buyer who could not sell their own home (21 percent), an appraisal below the price (18 percent), and inspection issues (14 percent). Separately, one in five sellers (20 percent) said an offer failed because the buyer could not get homeowner's insurance.
Zillow adds a caution: its own listing data shows 1 to 4 percent of listings going from pending back to for sale, far below what sellers report, so some answers likely count delays, surprise hurdles, or offers that were never accepted. The worry is real either way, and it is where screening each offer and tracking each contract date matters.
How many agents do sellers compare before they hire?
Usually one. Two-thirds of sellers who used an agent in Zillow's 2026 report (67 percent) contacted one agent before hiring. In NAR's 2025 Profile, 80 percent contacted a single agent, and 66 percent used an agent they were referred to or had worked with before.
A referral is a fair place to start. The risk is hiring on a pitch instead of a record. Whoever you call first, check the record before you sign: the license on the Arizona Department of Real Estate site, the agent's closings in your subdivision over the past 12 months, any listings that expired or were cancelled, and reviews with names and details. The full process is in the step-by-step checklist for picking an agent.
What do sellers look for in the agent as a person?
Zillow's 2026 report asked sellers who used an agent which traits were very or extremely important when choosing an agent. The top five:
- Trustworthy on first impression: 80 percent
- Responsive on first impression: 77 percent
- Local market or neighborhood knowledge: 75 percent
- A positive reputation in the community: 74 percent
- A strong sales history: 69 percent
NAR's 2025 Profile points the same way. Sellers named the agent's reputation (35 percent) and the agent's honesty and trustworthiness (22 percent) as the most important factors in choosing.
Most of these can be checked before you hire. Sales history sits in the MLS record and on public profiles. Reputation shows in reviews that carry names and specifics. Responsiveness you can test: call, and see how quickly you reach the agent and whether you get straight answers. Run the same test on our client reviews and sales record.
How do you check an agent against what sellers want?
Turn each finding into a question, and ask to see the answer in writing or on screen.
Marketing: what will the listing include?
Ask for the marketing plan as a list: photography, video, a virtual tour, a floor plan, where the listing will appear, and how showings are booked. Then ask to see a current or recent listing that has every item on it.
Sellers weigh this when they hire. In Zillow's 2026 report, 78 percent said they were more likely to hire an agent who offers high-resolution photography, and 75 percent one who offers virtual tours or interactive floor plans.
When you list directly with James, the listing includes professional and twilight photography, two videos, a Zillow 3D tour, 2D floor plans, Realtor.com Spotlight placement, paid social ads, showings scheduled through Aligned, the 100+ point listing system, and a free CMA and Listing Record. See how James runs a Maricopa listing.
Price: how was the number built?
Ask which sales the price comes from, how old each one is, and which active listings and new builds your home will compete with. Comps should be as close to today as possible. In a market that has moved, a sale from six months ago can point to the wrong price.
The easy mistake is hiring the agent whose number matches the one you hoped to hear. Ask what happens in the first 30 days if showings are slow, and what the agent's past sellers received compared with what they expected. If you are already living with a price that did not work, read your options after a listing was priced too high.
James's answer to that last question: RateMyAgent's Price Expert badge measures sale price against the seller's expectation. His RateMyAgent dashboard shows 93 percent, and the badge requires 90 percent (October 2026).
Timeline and closing: how will the agent protect the deal?
Ask how the agent screens an offer before you accept it: who the buyer's lender is and whether the agent has spoken with that lender, how much earnest money the buyer is putting down, whether the buyer has a home to sell first, and whether the buyer has started on insurance quotes.
Ask who tracks the inspection, appraisal, and loan dates in the contract, and how often you will hear from the agent between acceptance and closing. A closing depends on the buyer's lender, appraiser, inspector, and insurer, so a good answer names the checks and the dates. For reading offers beyond the price, see comparing offers on more than the sale price.
When does another option fit better?
- Certainty matters more than top price. Compare a cash offer with a full listing before you decide: weighing a cash offer against listing in Maricopa.
- You would rather sell on your own. Weigh the trade-offs first: selling by owner compared with hiring an agent.
- You are behind on payments or owe more than the home is worth. Start with MaricopaShortSales.com, our site for owners in that situation.
- You would rather work in Spanish. David Ruiz takes the listing in his own name, on James's marketing system with the same marketing package, and James consults with him. See listing your home in Spanish with David Ruiz.
Talk to James before you hire anyone
Call 520-838-8037 and ask James every question on this page, or send the form below. He will walk you through the price evidence for your home and what the listing would include, so you can check each answer before you sign anything.
Sources. National Association of REALTORS®, 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, Exhibits 7-2, 7-3, 7-6, and 7-7 (sellers who sold July 2024 to June 2025), summarized in NAR's report on sellers and agents, November 11, 2025. Zillow Research, seller results from the Consumer Housing Trends Report 2026, October 14, 2026. Both are national surveys, not City of Maricopa data.
Tell us about your home, or what you are looking for
Tell us about your situation. We will connect you with whichever team member fits best. No pressure, no spam, just real help.
Meet your Maricopa team
Three specialists, one mission: help you buy or sell in Maricopa with confidence.
David Hoos
Buyer Specialist
AZ License SA685039000
7 years in Maricopa. Works with first-time buyers and relocating buyers. Patient, thorough, and answers the phone.
David Ruiz
Bilingual Buyer Specialist
AZ License SA681464000
Habla español. 8 years experience. Works with buyers in 85138 and 85139 across Maricopa, including first-time buyers and relocating buyers.
Frequently asked questions
What do home sellers want most from a real estate agent?
In NAR's 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, sellers most wanted help marketing the home to potential buyers (23 percent), pricing it competitively (19 percent), and selling within a specific timeframe (19 percent). Zillow's 2026 Consumer Housing Trends Report found pricing help and local market knowledge was the service sellers who used an agent valued most: 42 percent put it first.
What outcomes do home sellers want to avoid?
The flip side of what they hire an agent for: selling for less than they hoped, missing their deadline, and an accepted offer falling apart. In Zillow's 2026 report, 52 percent named maximizing profit as their top priority, 36 percent named selling within their timeframe, and 47 percent said at least one offer fell through.
Why do accepted offers fall through?
Among sellers in Zillow's 2026 report who had an offer fall through, financing problems were the leading reason (44 percent), followed by a buyer who could not sell their own home (21 percent), an appraisal below the price (18 percent), and inspection issues (14 percent). Separately, one in five sellers (20 percent) said a buyer could not get homeowner's insurance. Zillow's listing data shows far fewer homes going from pending back to for sale, so some reported failures may be delays or offers that were never accepted.
How many agents do sellers talk to before hiring one?
Usually one. In Zillow's 2026 report, 67 percent of sellers who used an agent contacted one agent before hiring, and NAR's 2025 Profile put it at 80 percent. Whoever you call first, check the license, the agent's recent closings in your subdivision, any expired or cancelled listings, and detailed reviews before you sign.
What should a listing agent's marketing plan include?
Ask for it as a written list: photography, video, a virtual tour, a floor plan, where the listing will appear, and how showings are booked, plus a current or recent listing that shows every item. When you list directly with James Sanson, the listing includes professional and twilight photography, two videos, a Zillow 3D tour, 2D floor plans, Realtor.com Spotlight placement, paid social ads, showings scheduled through Aligned, the 100+ point listing system, and a free CMA and Listing Record.
How can I tell if an agent's suggested price is realistic?
Ask which sales the price comes from, how old each one is, and which active listings and new builds the home will compete with. Sales close to today carry more weight than sales from six months ago in a market that has moved. Also ask what the agent's past sellers received compared with what they expected.
How can a listing agent help keep a sale on track?
A closing depends on the buyer's lender, appraiser, inspector, and insurer. Ask the agent how they screen each offer before you accept it, who tracks every contract date, and how often you will hear from them between acceptance and closing.
Are these survey results specific to Maricopa?
No. Both surveys are national. They show what sellers care about, not how a sale in the City of Maricopa will go. For your home, ask any agent for local evidence: recent sales in your subdivision, the current competition, and days on market from ARMLS.
Do sellers who prefer Spanish get the same marketing?
Yes. When a seller would rather work in Spanish, David Ruiz takes the listing in his own name, on James Sanson's marketing system with the same marketing package, and James consults with him.
Talk to a Maricopa specialist today
Whether you're buying, selling, or just exploring, call us. No obligation.
5.0 average across 267 client reviews on Zillow, as of October 2026.
520-838-8037James Sanson | Real Broker | Licensed in Arizona
Ready to talk? Tell us what you need
Call 520-838-8037 right now, or fill out the form. We aim to respond within the hour during business hours.