How to Choose a Realtor in Staten Island (What Your Attorney Sees That You Don't)

By Pete Weinman, Esq.

Search "how to choose a realtor" and nearly everything you'll find was written by a realtor — which means it's written by someone with an obvious interest in you concluding that you should hire one, and often a specific kind of pitch about why theirs is the right choice. I'm not a realtor. I'm the attorney who shows up after the agent has done their job, reviews the contract they negotiated, and sits across the closing table from whatever they've set in motion. That gives me a different, and I think more useful, vantage point.

I've already written about whether you need a realtor at all. This post assumes you've decided yes, and focuses on something different: what I actually notice, deal after deal, that separates a realtor who makes my job (and yours) easier from one who quietly makes everything harder.

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What I Actually Notice at the Closing Table

Some agents disappear the moment a contract is signed. The best ones stay engaged through inspection, through the mortgage process, through the countless small issues that come up between contract and closing. The worst ones treat the signed contract as the finish line and become nearly impossible to reach when something needs their attention.

Some agents set unrealistic expectations early, and it costs everyone later. An agent who tells a seller their home is worth more than the market will bear isn't doing them a favor — it leads to a long, discouraging time on market and, eventually, a price cut that often lands lower than where a realistic listing would have started. Similarly, an agent who tells a buyer they can "definitely" get financing without actually checking creates real problems weeks later when the mortgage falls through.

Some agents communicate with me directly and promptly; others go quiet exactly when it matters. When an inspection reveals an issue, or a title problem surfaces, the deals that stay on track are almost always the ones where the agent is actively coordinating between me, the other side's attorney, the lender, and the client — not disappearing and hoping it resolves itself.

Some agents actually read the contract; some have clearly never opened it. You'd be surprised how often an agent is caught off guard by a term that's been in the contract since day one, because they never actually reviewed it closely themselves.

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Questions to Ask That Go Beyond the Generic Checklist

Most "choosing a realtor" guides tell you to check reviews, ask about experience, and confirm they're licensed. Fine as far as it goes, but here's what I'd actually ask if I were interviewing a realtor:

1. "How do you typically communicate with my attorney during a deal?" You want to hear a specific, proactive answer — not "I'll let them handle the legal stuff." The best agents see themselves as part of a coordinated team with your attorney, not operating in a separate lane.

1. "What happens, step by step, if the inspection reveals a problem?" A vague answer is a red flag. A good agent has a clear process for negotiating repairs, credits, or price adjustments, and knows when to bring the attorney in on that conversation.

1. "How many deals have you had fall apart in the last year, and why?" Every agent has had deals fall through — that's normal. What matters is whether they can explain why clearly and whether the reason reflects something they could have caught earlier.

1. "Will you personally be handling my transaction, or does it get passed to a team member?" Some agents run large teams where you may end up working primarily with someone other than the person you initially met.

1. "How do you determine listing price, specifically for this property?" Listen for actual comparable sales analysis, not just a number that sounds good to win your listing.

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Why This Matters More With Mandatory Buyer Representation Agreements

Real estate industry practices have shifted recently — buyers are now generally required to sign a written representation agreement with their agent before touring homes, rather than the more informal arrangement that used to be common. That makes choosing the right agent a genuine commitment from the start of your search, not something you can quietly walk away from if it's not working out. Take the interview process seriously before you sign anything.

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Red Flags I've Personally Seen Cause Real Problems

• An agent who pressures a client to waive contingencies (inspection, financing) to "win" a competitive bid, without a clear conversation about the actual risk being taken on
• An agent who is unreachable in the days immediately before closing, when last-minute issues are most likely to surface
• An agent who pushes a buyer to sign an offer sheet or informal binder and put down money before an attorney has even been retained, rather than looping in legal counsel early in the process the way New York transactions are actually structured
• An agent who seems more focused on getting the deal closed quickly than on getting it closed correctly

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The Bottom Line

A good realtor and a good attorney function as a team, even though I serve a different role. The agents I see consistently produce smooth closings are the ones who stay engaged, communicate proactively, and treat contract terms as something they actually understand rather than something that's "the attorney's problem." Ask the specific questions above, pay attention to how an agent answers them, and you'll get a much clearer picture than any generic checklist can give you.

If you're navigating a purchase or sale and want a second opinion on how things are being handled, I'm happy to help.

Pete Weinman, Esq.

Weinman Law Offices

260 Christopher Lane, Suite 201 | Staten Island, NY 10314

718-442-2010 | [email protected]

Licensed in New York and New Jersey

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