Buying or selling a home is one of the biggest financial decisions you’ll make, yet many people choose a real estate agent with surprisingly little research. A friend’s recommendation, a familiar name on a yard sign, or the first agent to return a call can easily become the deciding factor. But a good agent should offer more than friendliness and availability. The right professional understands your local market, communicates clearly, provides realistic guidance, and knows how to negotiate on your behalf.
Whether you’re buying your first home, selling a property, or moving to a new area, taking time to compare agents can make the process smoother and help you avoid costly mistakes. This guide explains what to look for and the questions worth asking before you choose.
Almost Everyone Uses an Agent, So the Choice Matters
Going it alone has become rare. According to the National Association of REALTORS®, 88 percent of home buyers and 91 percent of home sellers used a real estate agent or broker in 2025, and for-sale-by-owner transactions fell to a record low of 5 percent of sales.
When nearly everyone on both sides of the table has representation, the quality of yours determines whether you’re negotiating from strength or simply being walked through paperwork.
Start With What You Need, Not Who You Know
Buyers and sellers need different things from an agent, and the same agent isn’t always right for both.
If you’re selling, you need someone who can price accurately, prepare and market the home so it stands out, and negotiate offers without flinching. Local sales history and a clear marketing plan matter most.
If you’re buying, you need someone who knows the neighborhoods you’re considering, can move quickly when the right home appears, and will tell you when a property is wrong for you even if it means a longer search.
Write down your top three needs before you interview anyone. It keeps the conversation focused on your situation rather than the agent’s pitch.
Look for Real Local Knowledge
An agent who works your specific area can tell you why one street sells faster than the next, which buildings have assessment issues, and what comparable homes actually closed for last month rather than what they listed for. Ask:
- How many transactions have you closed in this neighborhood in the past year?
- What’s happening with prices and days on market here right now?
- What do buyers in this area typically ask for or object to?
Vague answers are a signal. Specific ones, with numbers, are what you want.
Interview at Least Three
Meeting several agents does two things: it shows you the range of approaches available, and it makes a weak agent obvious by comparison. Ask each the same questions:
- How will you price my home, or how will you help me decide what to offer?
- What’s your marketing plan, in detail?
- How do you communicate, and how often will I hear from you?
- Will I work with you directly or with a team member?
- Can you share references from recent clients?
- What happens if I’m not satisfied?
Notice who listens more than they talk. The agent who asks about your timeline, finances, and priorities before launching into their achievements is usually the one who will represent your interests rather than their own.
Check the Track Record, Not Just the Reviews
Online reviews are useful but easy to curate. Go further:
- Look up the agent’s recent sales and how close the final prices were to the asking prices
- Check how long their listings typically stay on the market
- Verify their license is active and free of disciplinary action
- Ask about their experience with homes like yours, whether that’s a condo, a historic property, a luxury listing, or a first home
Experience in your price range and property type matters more than total sales volume.
Understand How a Brokerage Supports Its Agents
The agent is the person you’ll talk to, but the brokerage behind them shapes what they can offer. Some firms give agents access to professional staging, photography, design consultation, and relocation support; others leave agents to arrange everything themselves. Boutique firms often emphasize a smaller client load and deeper local roots, while large national brands trade on reach.
Neither is automatically better, but it’s worth knowing which model you’re getting. Sprinkman Real Estate, for instance, is a boutique brokerage whose agents average more than a decade of experience and who work alongside in-house staging and design services, which is one way a firm can give clients more than a listing and a lockbox. Ask any agent you interview what their brokerage provides beyond the basics, and whether those resources are included or cost extra.
Pay Attention to Communication From Day One
The way an agent handles your first inquiry predicts the whole relationship. Did they respond promptly? Did they answer the question you actually asked? Did they follow up? Real estate moves quickly, and an agent who is slow or vague before you’ve signed anything will not speed up afterward.
Make Sure the Chemistry Is Right
You’ll spend weeks or months in close contact with this person during a stressful process. You don’t need to be friends, but you do need to trust them, feel comfortable asking questions, and believe they’ll be honest when the news is bad. If an agent makes you feel rushed, talked down to, or pressured, keep looking regardless of their sales numbers.
Read the Agreement Before You Sign
Both buyer and seller agreements spell out the length of the commitment, the compensation, and what happens if you want to end the relationship early. Read every line. Ask for a shorter initial term if you’re uncertain. A confident agent will agree, because they expect to earn the renewal.
Conclusion
Choosing a real estate agent when buying or selling comes down to treating the decision with the seriousness the transaction deserves: knowing what you need before you start, looking for specific local knowledge rather than general confidence, interviewing several candidates with the same questions, verifying track records beyond online reviews, understanding what the brokerage adds, and paying attention to how the agent communicates and makes you feel.
With the vast majority of buyers and sellers represented, the question isn’t whether to use an agent but whether yours is the right one. Take the time to find out, and the biggest transaction of your life gets handled by someone who earned the job.
