In order to identify and leverage your home’s strengths (and address its weaknesses without compromising the final sales price), your agent needs to know everything there is to know about the sale–such as your reasons for selling, potential problems the house may have, the time frame in which you expect to sell, etc. Likewise, if you think that your agent might be keeping his/her reservations to him/herself, or if you sense some apprehension, you are within your rights to ask for disclosure.
Note: If your reason for selling is quite sensitive (say, you and your spouse are going through a divorce), you can ask your agent to keep this private.
Set your preferred methods of communication and manage your expectations when it comes to getting responses. If you’re better reached through your mobile number instead of email, make sure that your agent knows. Communicating on so many different platforms makes it hard to track your progress, so try to find one (or two at most) in which you can be sure to reach each other more effectively.
Also, this may not be an issue for highly motivated sellers and agents, but some people do not want to be called at unreasonable hours. If you’re the type of person who is comfortable being updated only between certain times in the day, then it’s best to say so early on. This also goes both ways; even though you’re paying for your agent’s services, it’s proper etiquette to set a window for phone calls and texts.
Sure, the asking price is usually an area of conflict between the seller and his agent, and it’s no secret that some agents have the tendency to encourage sellers to settle for a lower price than what was originally expected. However, don’t jump into the conclusion that your agent is not on your side. Ask yourself (again, honestly) if your emotions are causing you to become slightly realistic about how much your house is worth. If your house has been sitting on the market for a while now, this may be a sign that you’ve priced it too high–and that waiting for more offers might drive the price down even further.
