What Every East Texas Seller Should Ask Before Hiring a Realtor (Especially If You’ve Tried Before)

Tips for Sellers

Nov 11

Written By Kristin Koonce Burroughs, REALTOR®

If you’re thinking about selling your home in Longview, White Oak, Kilgore, Hallsville, Carthage, Gladewater, Henderson, Tatum, or surrounding East Texas communities, the agent you choose can make all the difference. The right realtor doesn’t just put a sign in your yard! They create a strategy that gets your home sold quickly, for top dollar, and with less stress.

I’m Kristin Koonce, your go-to East Texas listing agent, and I’ve helped countless homeowners go from “Why isn’t this selling?” to “We got the offer we wanted.” Before you hire anyone, here are the critical questions every East Texas seller should ask, especially if you’ve tried selling before.

1. What’s Your Strategy for Marketing My Home?

Many sellers assume that listing on the MLS is enough. But in 2026, it’s not. Today’s buyers find homes online through social media, Google, YouTube, and targeted ads long before they even contact an agent. Ask your realtor:

How will you market my home across East Texas?
Do you use professional photography, video tours, or drone footage?
How will you highlight unique features like acreage, barns, ponds, or historic charm?

As your East Texas listing agent, I create marketing plans that reach buyers where they’re actually looking from Longview to Carthage and beyond.

2. How Do You Determine Pricing?

Price is the single most important factor in attracting buyers. Overpricing keeps buyers away, while underpricing can leave money on the table.

Ask your realtor:

Do you use a comparative market analysis (CMA) based on recent sales, active listings, and market trends?
How will you position my home in the East Texas market to attract the right buyers?

I use hyper-local data for every home in East Texas, whether it’s a city lot in Kilgore or 50 acres in Gladewater, to set the price that maximizes interest and value.

3. How Will You Keep Me Updated?

Communication matters especially if your home has been on the market before. You need transparency about what’s happening: showings, inquiries, and feedback.

Ask your realtor:

How often will you provide updates?
How will you handle offers and counteroffers?
Will you help interpret feedback from buyers?

With me as your listing agent, you get regular, clear updates so you never feel left in the dark.

4. Can You Show Me Examples of Past Successes?

A good agent has a proven track record. If your home didn’t sell before, you want someone who has successfully re-launched expired listings or sold challenging properties in East Texas.

Ask them:

Can you provide examples of homes like mine you’ve sold?
How did you overcome marketing or pricing challenges?

I’m proud to have helped homes in White Oak, Longview, Carthage, Hallsville, Tyler, Henderson, and surrounding areas go from expired or stagnant to sold (often with multiple offers competitive sales prices).

5. What Makes You Different From Other Realtors?

Every agent has a style. Some focus on buyers. Others list and hope for the best. You need an agent who:

understands East Texas buyers and investors
knows how to market rural and residential properties
creates strategy-driven plans for 2026 sellers

As your go-to East Texas listing agent, my difference is simple: strategy, marketing expertise, local knowledge, and relentless focus on results. I don’t just list homes! I position them to sell fast and for top dollar.

Bonus Tip: Trust Your Gut

Even after asking the right questions, trust your instincts. Selling your home is a major life event, and you deserve a realtor who makes you feel confident, informed, and supported. If your previous experience left you frustrated or hesitant, that’s even more reason to be selective this time. The right agent turns stress into clarity and turns listings into success stories.

Whether this is your first home sale or your next, asking the right questions before hiring a realtor is critical especially in East Texas’ 2026 market. The right listing agent can transform your experience from uncertainty to success.

Your home deserves a realtor who knows the East Texas market and knows how to get it sol, and that’s exactly what I do.

CLICK HERE TO GET A FREE HOME VALUE REPORT.

I don’t just list properties…I SELL THEM! #getlistinwithkristin

Kristin Koonce, REALTOR®
(903)241-2608
kristinkoonce@gmail.com
www.kristinkoonce.com
BOLD Real Estate Group, Suzanne Smith, Broker/Owner

Tips for Sellers

Kristin Koonce Burroughs, REALTOR®

My name is Kristin Koonce Burroughs and I’m a REALTOR® in East Texas for BOLD Real Estate Group.

For starters, I’m not your average real estate agent! I jumped into this business boldly four (4) years ago because I want to make a difference. I want to do what other realtors aren’t doing.

My entire business is built around loving people well. That’s my business philosophy and that’s what I’m all about! I want others to be so delighted with my services, they can’t help but tell their friends about their experience with me. I want my clients to say, “Working with Kristin is better than trying to do this alone.”

In regards to my work ethic, I’m a morning person and I get the majority of my work done before most people’s alarms go off. I’m creative, proactive, a go-getter, self-disciplined, and self-motivated with an appetite to grow and be better than I was yesterday. I’m a problem solver who is strategic and thinks outside of the box. I have a lot of energy, talk fast, work quickly, and don’t drag my feet. I care a great deal about offering integrity, kindness, grace, and punctuality to the clients, agents, lenders, inspectors, appraisers, and title companies I interact with. I treat every client as if they were my only client because that matters to me. Folks can tell when a realtor is too busy or inattentive.

I’m not in it for the money, but I will absolutely earn my paycheck. Realtors are the most expensive part of a real estate transaction. If someone is going to trust me with the biggest financial decision they will ever make, then you can bet your bottom dollar I’m going to make sure they get their money’s worth. I’m going the extra mile. It’s who I am. I put my all into everything I do.

So, if you’re looking for a real estate agent in East Texas who can help you list property or buy property, let’s chat. You won’t regret it.

https://www.kristinkoonce.com