Where to find potential real-estate agents
Ask friends, family or neighbors
Start with your personal network. Referrals are one of the most common ways buyers and sellers find real-estate agents.
“The best way to find a real-estate agent is through friends and family that have had exceptional experiences they rave about,” says Christian Ross, associate broker at Engel & Völkers Atlanta.
If your friends or family haven’t bought or sold a home recently or they don’t live in your area, seek referrals from your neighbors or people who live in the city you want to purchase in.
Local social media pages can be a good place to start your search. See if your town or neighborhood has a Facebook group, Reddit community or Nextdoor page and make a post requesting agent recommendations. Many of these sites also let you search previous posts, so you can see which agents have frequently been recommended.
If you have a friend or family member who is a real-estate agent, they might seem like the obvious choice to help you with your transaction. However, choosing the right agent is highly personal. Just because you’re close with someone doesn’t mean they’ll be the best fit for you.
“Unless that friend or family member is a real-estate professional that is an all-in, seasoned agent with experience, that person might not be the right professional for the job,” says Desiree Avila, a real-estate agent in South Florida. According to Avila, an agent “that doesn’t have the experience can be more of a liability than an asset.”
Search online
You can also use your preferred search engine to find local agents with good reviews. Many real-estate listing websites, like Zillow, let you search for local agents as well. However, the agents you find listed at the top of these sites might be paying for better access to potential clients and not the best-suited ones for you.
“There is nothing wrong with an agent investing in their business,” Ross says. “But you want to make sure you’re searching for an agent that matches the parameters you’re looking for.”
If you find an agent on a third-party site, check their license (and any disciplinary actions) with your state licensing board and look at reviews from previous clients.
Talk to your mortgage lender
If you’re already working with a local mortgage loan officer, they might be a good resource for agent recommendations. Mortgage lenders and real-estate agents often work together to help clients get through the homebuying process successfully, so mortgage pros can typically recommend reliable agents.
Attend open houses
If you’re selling your house, attend open houses and talk to the agents there. This can help you get a sense of how they market the houses they sell. Buyers can also connect with prospective agents at open houses, but be sure to ask whether the agents also work with buyers, in case they primarily represent sellers.
What credentials and experience to look for
You can check the status of a real-estate agent’s license through the state entity that oversees licensing for real-estate salespeople, such as your state’s licensing agency. You should be able to find reports of disciplinary action against licensees as well.
Because licensing is handled by each state, the requirements to become a real-estate agent can vary slightly from state to state. In general, if someone is a real-estate agent, that means they’ve completed the requisite hours of education required by their state, passed a licensing exam and are employed by a licensed broker.
There are additional credentials agents can earn, such as the certified residential specialist (CRS) designation, which indicates that they handle a high volume of transactions and have completed education requirements set by the Residential Real Estate Council.
However, whether an agent has certain credentials doesn’t necessarily tell you how good they are at their job or if they’re the right fit for you. The most valuable asset a real-estate agent has is their knowledge, says Philip Hordijk, founder of real-estate brokerage Leven Real Estate. “Knowledge of the market trends, active inventory, home-buying process and getting a deal done.”
Jeremy Kamm, for example, is an agent in New York City. A big part of his job, he says, is researching the rules and regulations of properties his clients are interested in. Co-op purchases are particularly complicated because co-op boards have the power to deny an application and squash a deal.
“The board packages can be extremely tedious and time-consuming,” Kamm says.
Questions to ask when interviewing agents
Even with a referral from a trusted source, you should interview a few agents before choosing. As Bret Weinstein, founder of Guide Real Estate brokerage in Denver, says, “Just because your friend had a great experience with someone, doesn’t mean that you will.”
Topics you should cover as you interview real-estate agents include:
- Experience: Ask each person you interview how long they’ve been a real-estate agent. Agents who are earlier in their careers can still be competent, but those with more experience under their belts are often more adept at handling transactions and anticipating potential roadblocks to ensure you have a smooth process. You can also ask how many homes they help clients buy or sell each year. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the median number of transactions NAR members completed in 2024 was 10. An agent who completes only a few transactions per year could be a red flag, unless they took time off or are able to provide more context.
- Knowledge of the area: Real estate is hyperlocal, so it’s important to work with an agent who’s an expert in your target area. Ask about their familiarity with the city you’re looking to buy in or, for sellers, the neighborhood you live in. Have they sold homes near yours? What are some current local market trends that could impact your buying or selling experience?
- Pay and commission: Until recently, it was customary for the seller to pay both the listing agent and the buyer’s agent commissions out of the proceeds from the sale (generally with the understanding that this cost was already baked into the sales price). Now, as a result of the 2024 landmark real-estate commissions settlement, buyers are responsible for covering their agent’s commission. Many sellers still offer to pay both commissions as a way to attract buyers, but it’s important for buyers to understand their agent’s compensation and what they could owe if a seller doesn’t cover it. Sellers should also ask about their own agent’s pay and their recommendations for how to handle the buyer agent’s compensation. Agent commissions are negotiable, so don’t be afraid to ask if they’re willing to adjust their rate if it seems high.
- Their work: Do they work exclusively on one side of the transaction, or are their clients a mix of buyers and sellers? Some agents specialize as buyer’s agents or listing agents, while others do both. Ask about the types of transactions they tend to work on as well. If you’re a first-time buyer looking for an affordable starter home, an agent who frequently closes multimillion-dollar deals probably isn’t the right fit. You should also find out whether real estate is their full-time job or a part-time gig. If they aren’t full-time, they might not be able to devote as much time to you or be available when something urgent comes up.
- Their process: What does working with the agent look like? Will you be working directly with them, or do they have a team or assistant who might also work with you? How do they typically communicate, and what’s their availability? Sellers should ask specific questions about the agent’s marketing strategy and how they price properties. Buyers will want to know how the agent finds suitable properties for clients—will they regularly send you listings to check out, and can you send them homes you find that you want to visit? You can also ask how long it typically takes for them to help a buyer or seller close. Though this can be influenced by market conditions, they shouldn’t take significantly longer than what is typical in your market.
How to evaluate an agent’s track record and fit
You can use your initial interviews with agents to get a sense of their professionalism, timeliness and availability. If they’re late to meetings or are delayed in their communication with you, that could be a red flag.
Good agents will also want to get to know you and ask questions about your situation. They should be honest with you and be willing to speak up if you have unrealistic expectations.
As you talk, you should be able to get a sense of whether you’ll get along personality-wise. Whether you’re buying or selling, you’ll be working closely with your agent, so it’s important that you like them or at least that you aren’t frequently butting heads.
“You speak with your agent a minimum of a few times a week, and it might even be every day,” says Kimberly Jay, a real-estate broker with Compass in New York. “Besides pricing and getting a home show-ready, you have to decide if you want to have a relationship with this person.”
Listing websites can give you some insight into an agent’s track record by showing reviews from previous clients, recent sales they’ve handled and the typical price range of homes they work with. Review websites like Google Reviews and Yelp can also help you get a sense of whether clients are satisfied with their services.
FAQ
Should I choose an agent with more local market experience?
In general, your real-estate agent should be an expert on the housing market in the area you want to buy or sell in. Market trends and norms can vary even within the same state, so an agent who covers one metro area might not have as much knowledge elsewhere. Outside their coverage area, their access to listing data might also be more limited.
How much do real-estate agents typically charge?
Real-estate agents are typically paid a percentage of the proceeds from the transaction. The industry standard is between 5% and 6% of the sale price, with half going to the listing agent and half going to the buyer’s agent. This means that on a $500,000 home sale, each agent could earn between $12,500 and $15,000. However, agent commissions are negotiable.
Can I switch agents if I’m unhappy?
After you’ve signed a contract with a specific real-estate agent, your ability to work with a different agent can depend on the fine print, since it might specifically prohibit you from doing so for a certain period of time. You can ask your agent if they’d be willing to release you from your agreement. You can also bring your concerns to the broker they work under and see if they can assign you to a different agent within the same firm.
Do online reviews reflect agent quality?
Online reviews from previous clients can give you an idea of how qualified a real-estate agent is. However, reviews might not give you an idea of the types of homes they work with and whether they have experience serving clients like you.
What red flags should I watch for in agent behavior?
Your real-estate agent is the expert when it comes to selling or buying homes, but they should also be open to hearing your insights and opinions. A good real-estate agent can balance their expertise with your preferences. If an agent is unwilling to gently push back when you have unrealistic expectations or they don’t treat you as an equal participant in the decision-making process, that’s a red flag.
