Interview guide for real estate roles: a loop for brokerages hiring agents, assistants and coordinators

Real estate hiring is unusual because most of the people a brokerage brings on are not employees. Agents are often independent contractors paid on commission, they pay fees or splits, and they choose a brokerage as much as the brokerage chooses them. That makes the "interview" part sales conversation, part due diligence. Brokerages also hire employees: licensed assistants, transaction coordinators, inside sales agents and office staff. Both groups need a license check, both need a fair housing screen, and the contractor relationship has to be set up correctly from the first conversation. This guide gives managing brokers and team leaders a loop for agents and for salaried support staff.

The recruiter's first call, including license status, sponsoring broker and production, is in real estate agent screening questions. For employed sales roles with a base salary, the interview guide for sales roles fits better.

Two loops in one brokerage

The agent loop at a glance

Stage 2: the business plan review (40 minutes)

Ask experienced agents to bring last year's closed transactions (number of sides, price range, lead sources) and next year's plan. Ask new licensees for a plan for their first six months. Then:

1. "Where did your last ten clients come from?" Listen for: specific sources and a database they maintain, not "referrals" with no detail.
2. "How many conversations a week does your plan need, and when in your week do they happen?" Listen for: arithmetic from goal to activity, and protected time.
3. "Tell me about a deal that nearly fell apart. What did you do?" Listen for: early communication with all parties and calm problem-solving.
4. "What do you need from a brokerage that you do not have now?" Listen for: needs you can meet; be honest when you cannot.

For candidates moving from another career, see how to interview career changers for scoring transferable evidence such as a sales or service track record.

Stage 3: the client role-play (20 minutes)

The team lead plays a first-time buyer with a tight budget, a spouse who is not present, and unrealistic expectations about the neighborhoods they can afford. The candidate runs a first consultation. Score:

• Discovery: asks about budget, timeline, financing and must-haves before showing anything.
• Expectation setting: explains the market honestly without discouraging the buyer.
• Process: explains next steps, including any written agreement your state or brokerage requires before touring.
• Listening: the buyer talks more than the agent.

For listing agents, swap in a listing presentation to a seller who wants a price well above the comparable sales. Score how they use data and whether they will walk away from an overpriced listing.

Stage 4: fair housing and ethics scenarios (15 minutes)

Read two or three short scenarios and ask what the candidate would say and do:

• A seller asks the agent not to show the home to families with children.
• A buyer asks which school districts have "people like us".
• A client asks the agent to write a listing description saying the home is "perfect for a young couple".

Score whether the candidate refuses clearly, explains briefly, redirects to objective information such as published school data the buyer can review, and involves the managing broker. The federal Fair Housing Act at 42 U.S.C. 3604 prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing because of race, color, religion, sex, familial status or national origin, and its subsection (c) bars statements and advertisements that indicate a preference on those grounds or on handicap; state and local laws add more. A candidate who hesitates on these scenarios is a risk to the brokerage, regardless of production.

The support staff loop

For transaction coordinators and assistants, replace the business plan and role-play with a deadline exercise: a mock purchase contract with an inspection period, financing contingency and closing date, and a list of tasks. Ask for a timeline with dates, who is notified at each step, and one problem they spot, such as a contingency date that falls on a weekend. Score accuracy and communication. Keep the fair housing scenarios for anyone who talks to clients.

Scorecard competencies and weights

Example weights for an agent joining a team. Lock yours before the first candidate.

Licensing and classification points to check

Checked against the linked primary sources as of October 2026. Not legal advice; state license law and your counsel decide.

• License verification. Each state's real estate commission or department issues and records licenses. Use its lookup for the state where the agent will practice. ARELLO, the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials, offers a licensee verification search and regulator contacts across jurisdictions; rely on the state record when they differ. What unlicensed assistants may do is set by state rules, so check before you write their job description.
• Independent contractor status for federal employment taxes. Under 26 U.S.C. 3508, a qualified real estate agent is not treated as an employee for federal employment tax purposes if they are a licensed real estate agent, substantially all of their pay for the services is directly related to sales or other output rather than hours worked, and they work under a written contract providing that they will not be treated as an employee for federal tax purposes. State wage, unemployment and workers' compensation tests can differ. What you require in the interview, such as set office hours, can become evidence; see the contract roles guide for how to keep the conversation on outcomes.
• Background checks. If a consumer reporting agency runs one for staff or agents, 15 U.S.C. 1681b(b) requires a stand-alone disclosure, written authorization and pre-adverse action steps.

References and production records

For experienced agents, ask for closed transactions in a form you can check against public records or the local listing service where your brokerage has access, and call a former managing broker. Ask the same questions of each referee: how the agent handled a transaction that went wrong, whether any compliance issues came up, and whether they would sponsor the agent again. Do not ask a candidate to bring client lists or files from their current brokerage.

The decision rule

1. Gates: license verified; correct answers in every fair housing scenario.
2. Weighted total: in this example, 2.8 or higher on a 1–4 scale is an offer to join.
3. In writing: split, fees, desk costs, training and the contractor agreement, reviewed with the candidate before they resign from their current brokerage.

Mistakes that weaken real estate loops

• Recruiting on production alone. High volume with compliance problems is a liability.
• Treating contractors like employees in the interview. Required hours and close supervision undercut the contractor model.
• Vague costs. New agents who did not understand fees leave in months.