How to pick a realtor in Mardakan: 8 honest signs and 4 red flags
A good realtor saves you 30,000 AZN; a bad one costs you 60,000. The difference shows up in the first 15 minutes. Honesty signals and red flags on the 2026 market.
1. Commission market 2026
Absheron standard: buyer side 2-3%, seller side 2-4%. Some agents say «free for buyer» — the commission is hidden in the seller's price and the buyer effectively pays 6-8%. A transparent realtor writes down who pays what upfront.
2. 8 honesty signals
1) Written contract (scope, price, timeline); 2) Shows «non-selling» homes too (knows the market); 3) Explains price rationale (sot value, m² price); 4) Books 3+ viewings — for comparison; 5) Document check included in the service; 6) Doesn't say «buy today»; 7) Doesn't push above your budget; 8) Shows 5+ closed deals with references.
3. 4 red flags
1) «This house goes tomorrow» — manufactured urgency; 2) Shows only one option; 3) Postpones document verification — «we'll check later»; 4) Asks payment into their account — money to realtor, not seller.
4. 5 first-meeting questions
Test a realtor in 15 minutes: 1) «What deals have you closed in 6 months?»; 2) «What is the market price of this house?»; 3) «How do you verify documents?»; 4) «What is the payment flow?»; 5) «Your commission — who pays?»
5. Contract — what to insist on
Seven items: scope (cadastre, viewings, closing); commission %; who pays; term (usually 3 months); exclusive or not; work with other realtors; termination. Verbal understandings carry no weight in a dispute.
Commission models — 600,000 AZN house
| Model | From buyer | From seller | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transparent 2+2 | 2% (12k) | 2% (12k) | 24k AZN |
| «Free for buyer» (hidden) | 0 | 6% in price (36k) | 36k AZN |
| Seller-exclusive | 0 | 4% (24k) | 24k AZN |
| Buyer-side | 3% (18k) | 0 | 18k AZN |
A realtor can help, but didn't come to work at your company. A good realtor is your pricing engine, you pay them, they work for you. A bad one lives out of your pocket.
Three realtor tests
- «What is the market price?» — gives a number, not «I don't know».
- «Is document check included?» — written confirmation.
- References — contacts of two past deal parties.
See also: notary transaction, cadastre check, document check.
Transparent realtor + 5 houses
Message «EV riyeltor» — we'll send a written commission model and 5 ready houses in a single day.