What should I ask the listing agent at a showing?

Ask why the sellers are moving, how long the home has been on the market, what repairs or renovations were done and when, the age of the roof, HVAC, and water heater, average utility costs, and whether there are any known issues or past insurance claims. You may not get full answers to all of them, and the dodges are informative too.

What questions should I not bother asking?

Anything the listing already answers (beds, baths, square footage) and anything that broadcasts your negotiating position, like your budget ceiling or how much you love the house. Save strategy talk for your own agent, in private.

Is it rude to ask about problems with the house?

Not at all. Sellers in most states must disclose known material defects anyway, and a direct question about water, roof age, or past repairs is normal buyer diligence. A listing agent who bristles at basic questions is telling you something.

What should couples ask each other after a tour?

Three good ones: What would our normal Tuesday look like here? What's the one thing you're worried you're talking yourself out of? And if we got this house, what would you miss about our current place? The answers surface the real reactions before the recency bias sets in.

Questions to ask when touring a home

Updated July 5, 2026

On a home tour, ask questions the listing can't answer: why the sellers are moving, what's been repaired and when, what utilities really cost, and how old the roof and major systems are. Then ask your partner the quieter questions: could our actual life happen here?

Two mugs of coffee side by side, one marked with a small heart

A home tour is a short, one-sided conversation unless you bring questions. The listing tells you what the sellers want you to know. Your questions are how you learn the rest. Here’s what to ask, sorted by who can actually answer it.

Questions for the listing agent

The listing agent works for the sellers, but they’re required to be honest with you. Ask plainly and listen for both the answer and the hesitation.

“Why are the sellers moving?” A job transfer reads differently than “they just listed.” You won’t always get the real story, but you’ll often get a useful one.
“How long has it been on the market, and have there been price changes?” You can see this online, but asking sometimes shakes loose context: a deal that fell through, an inspection that spooked someone.
“What’s been repaired or renovated, and when?” Follow up on anything big: who did the work, and was it permitted? Unpermitted additions become your problem at resale.
“How old are the roof, HVAC, and water heater?” Three questions that sketch your next five years of expenses.
“What do utilities run in summer and winter?” Sellers can share bills. A drafty charmer can cost hundreds more a month than the tight little ranch you saw yesterday.
“Is there an HOA, and what does it cover?” Get the fee, what it includes, and any special assessments planned or discussed.
“Any known issues, past claims, or insurance history?” Water intrusion and roof claims especially. In most states, known material defects must be disclosed; asking early saves everyone time.
“When do the sellers want to close?” Flexibility on timing can be worth real money in your offer.

Questions for your own agent

Your agent works for you. Use them for the questions that shape strategy, ideally after the tour and out of earshot.

“What would you offer on this house?” Then listen to the reasoning, not just the number.
“What do the comps actually say?” Recent sales of similar homes nearby, not the listing price of the house next door.
“What did you notice that I didn’t?” Good agents see fifty houses a month and will clock the sloped floor you missed.
“How would this house resell?” You’re not just buying it; someday you’re selling it. Busy road, odd layout, one bathroom: your agent knows what the next buyer will balk at.
“What would the inspection likely flag?” Agents can’t replace an inspector, but they’ve read hundreds of reports and can often predict the top three findings from the driveway.

Questions for each other

The most important questions on a tour aren’t for either agent. Ask these in the car, before the next showing overwrites this one.

“What would our normal Tuesday look like here?” Not the dinner-party fantasy. The commute, the dark kitchen at 7 am, where the laundry goes.
“What did you keep coming back to?” The room or detail each of you circled back to is data about what actually matters to you.
“What are you pretending not to see?” Said with love. Every buyer edits out one flaw per house. Naming it now is cheaper than discovering it after closing.
“Could you host the people you love here?” Thanksgiving, a birthday, one friend on a hard week. Homes are for a life, not a listing.
“Where does this one land, gut only, one to five?” Score it the same day, both of you, separately. Disagreement isn’t a problem; it’s information.

The trick that makes any question worth asking

An answer you can’t remember is worth exactly nothing. By the third showing, “the roof was replaced in 2021” and “the roof is original” will have traded houses in your memory. Write answers down as you get them, or better, say them out loud into a voice note while you walk. The couples who decide well aren’t the ones who asked the cleverest questions. They’re the ones who still had the answers on Sunday night.

Quick answers

What should I ask the listing agent at a showing?: Ask why the sellers are moving, how long the home has been on the market, what repairs or renovations were done and when, the age of the roof, HVAC, and water heater, average utility costs, and whether there are any known issues or past insurance claims. You may not get full answers to all of them, and the dodges are informative too.
What questions should I not bother asking?: Anything the listing already answers (beds, baths, square footage) and anything that broadcasts your negotiating position, like your budget ceiling or how much you love the house. Save strategy talk for your own agent, in private.
Is it rude to ask about problems with the house?: Not at all. Sellers in most states must disclose known material defects anyway, and a direct question about water, roof age, or past repairs is normal buyer diligence. A listing agent who bristles at basic questions is telling you something.
What should couples ask each other after a tour?: Three good ones: What would our normal Tuesday look like here? What's the one thing you're worried you're talking yourself out of? And if we got this house, what would you miss about our current place? The answers surface the real reactions before the recency bias sets in.