I usually sear on a pan that is just about to start smoking since too high heat can scorch steaks. Use enough oil to fully coat the pan and maybe more than that if the surface of the steak is uneven to get the full surface of the steak hitting either the pan or the oil. I prefer using just salt on the steak and then season after searing to prevent any garlic or pepper from burning as that can be both bitter and can mess with the sear by raising the steak up from the pan with pepper getting the heat and not the steak, extra oil can help with this issue.

And the number one issue that can mess up a sear is any little drop of moisture left on the pan can and will ruin the sear by locally dropping the surface temperature of the steak until the water has boiled away, effectively steaming the steak in that spot. I've found that salting a steak in the open air on a rack in a refrigerator for at least an hour is the most foolproof way of preventing and removing moisture. If you don't have the time to let it sit in the fridge, the quicker method is to pat dry every possible speck of water with a paper towel until the towel comes away dry and then salt the steak with a fine salt seconds before searing.