FAQ
Working With a Realtor in the Metro East and St. Louis: Your Questions Answered
The questions people ask most about choosing, hiring and working with a real estate agent in the Metro East and St. Louis, for buyers and sellers. Answers on agency law are checked against Illinois and Missouri law and the state license rules.
By Craig Ziegel, REALTOR®, licensed in Illinois since 2011 and Missouri since 2017. Facts checked November 3, 2026. General information, not legal advice.
Choosing a realtor
How do I choose a real estate agent in the Metro East or St. Louis?
Interview two or three agents and pick the one who knows your exact area and answers your questions in plain words. Ask how many homes they sold near you in the last year, check that their license is active, and read their reviews on Google and Zillow, not just their own website. Pay attention to how fast they call you back before you hire them, because that is how fast they will call you back during your sale.
What should I ask a realtor before I hire them?
Ask how long they have been licensed, how many homes they sold in your town last year, and who will actually show up to showings, inspections and closing. Ask how they will price or find your home, how they communicate and how often, and how long the agreement lasts and how you can end it. A good agent answers all of it before you sign anything.
What is the difference between a REALTOR and a real estate agent?
A real estate agent is anyone with a state license to help buy or sell property. A REALTOR is a licensed agent who is also a member of the National Association of REALTORS and agrees to follow its Code of Ethics. REALTOR is a registered membership mark, so only members can use it. Craig is a REALTOR®.
How do I check a real estate agent's license in Illinois or Missouri?
Both states have a free online lookup. In Illinois, search the agent's name on the IDFPR license lookup. In Missouri, use the Division of Professional Registration licensee search. Each shows whether the license is active. Craig's Illinois license is 475.128729 and his Missouri license is 2017042810.
Can one real estate agent help me in both Illinois and Missouri?
Only if they hold a license in both states, because each state requires its own license to act as an agent there. Many agents on either side of the river hold just one. Craig is licensed in Illinois and Missouri, so he can help you sell in Belleville and buy in St. Louis County, or the other way around, with one agent.
How agency works
Can the same agent represent both the buyer and the seller?
Yes, but only if everyone agrees in writing. Illinois calls this dual agency and requires the informed written consent of all clients, then a second written confirmation when an offer is made. Missouri also requires written consent from all parties. A dual agent cannot push for one side over the other, so some people prefer their own agent. In Illinois, the agent you work with is your designated agent by default unless a written agreement says otherwise, and only the agents named in your agreement represent you, not everyone at that brokerage.
What is a transaction broker in Missouri?
A transaction broker helps one or both sides complete the sale without representing either one as an advocate or advisor. In Missouri, a licensee is treated as a transaction broker by default unless there is a written agency agreement. That agreement can be with you or with the other side: if the agent you are talking to has a listing agreement with the seller, that agent works for the seller, not for you. If you want an agent working for you, sign a written buyer's or seller's agency agreement.
How long does a listing or buyer agreement last?
As long as the agreement says, and both states make it say so. In Illinois, the agreement must have an automatic expiration date, or, if it runs longer than a year, give you the right to end it each year with 30 days written notice. In Missouri, it must have a definite beginning and expiration date, and it cannot require you to send notice to cancel after it expires. Read the dates before you sign.
Can I fire my realtor or switch agents?
Before the expiration date, it depends on the termination clause in your agreement, so ask about it before you sign. Neither state's license law gives you a general right to cancel early at will. Under an exclusive agreement, another agent usually cannot talk to you about a new agreement unless you contact them first, and in Missouri any new agreement can only start after your current one expires. In Illinois, for homes of 4 units or less, an agreement with a protection period must say that nothing is owed under it if, after it ends, you sign a new written agreement with another broker during that protection period.
Do I need a realtor to buy a house?
No law in Illinois or Missouri requires one. A buyer's agent finds homes, writes the offer, negotiates repairs after the inspection and keeps the deadlines on track to closing. If you want an agent working for you, Illinois requires a written buyer agreement before or as soon as reasonably practical after the agent starts helping you, and in Missouri you need a written agreement for the agent to represent you rather than act as a transaction broker or work for the other side. Separately, since August 17, 2024, agents who use the MLS must have a written agreement with you before touring a home, in person or by live video.
Selling your home
How do I find out what my home is worth?
Online estimates are a starting point, but they cannot see your updates, your street or your basement. Craig will prepare a free comparative market analysis that compares your home to recent sales and current listings near you, then walk you through a price range. Call or text 618.719.4543.
Should I fix things before I sell or sell as-is?
Fix what a buyer's inspector will flag and what makes the home look neglected: leaks, broken fixtures, peeling paint, a dirty yard. Big remodels rarely pay back before a sale. Selling as-is can make sense if the repairs are large or you need to move fast, but expect a lower price and fewer buyers, partly because FHA and VA loans require the home to meet basic safety and condition standards, so a home with major problems may not qualify. Have an agent walk through the home and tell you which fixes pay for themselves.
What does a listing agent do to sell my home?
Your listing agent prices the home from recent sales, puts it on the MLS so agents across the area and the big home search sites see it, sets up showings, and reviews every offer with you. After you accept one, the agent handles the inspection requests, the appraisal and the deadlines until closing. Craig is the one at your inspection, the final walk-through and the closing table.
Working with Craig
Does Craig help military families moving to Scott Air Force Base?
Yes. Craig works the towns around Scott AFB, including O'Fallon, Shiloh, Mascoutah and Belleville, and works with VA loan buyers. If you are buying from out of state before your report date, he can tour homes by video call and handle the steps before you arrive.
How fast does Craig respond?
Fast responses are one of the most common things clients mention in Craig's reviews, in 29 of 133 written reviews. Call or text Craig directly at 618.719.4543. You reach Craig, not a call center.
Go deeper
- How to choose a realtor with confidence
- 12 best questions for a listing agent before you sign
- Listing agent vs buyer agent: who represents you?
- How long should a listing agreement last?
- Fix up or sell as is?
- What a listing agent does when you sell a home
- Buying in Illinois: Metro East home buying FAQ
- Buying in Missouri: St. Louis home buying FAQ
- New construction in St. Clair and Monroe County, IL: FAQ
- New construction in St. Louis County, MO: FAQ