Of course it isn’t difficult to find a real estate agent, but there are good and bad ones out there. The following tips should help you find the right one for you. Your Real Estate Purpose Which agent is best for you depends on your goals.  If you are buying a home for yourself, for example, you don’t need nor want an agent that is the top seller of commercial real estate. You want one that knows houses, and can help you quickly narrow your search to those that are right for you. In that case, call a few agent who have listings similar to the home you hope to find. See if they can relate to and understand what your needs are. On the other hand, if you are looking for commercial real estate, you want the agent that has the experience in that area. Again, a good start is to pull out the newspaper and some real estate guides to see who is currently selling the type of properties that you are looking for. Talk to a few agents for a while to see if they have the experience and knowledge necessary to help you find the right investment. Of course, if you are selling real estate you want an agent that both sells a lot and sells the type you have. Start with those listings in the paper and real estate guides again. This time pay special attention to how many listings each agent has. Many good agents are better at helping you find property than at selling it for you. You want someone who has experience selling. When talking to the agents, ask them about recent sales (there should be some), and how close to the selling price was to the asking price (this tells you whether they are good at determining the true market value of properties). More Real Estate Agent Tips It may seem like a small thing, but I prefer an agent that returns calls. Leave messages with a few and see who gets back to you that day. Especially if you are selling a property you want an agent that returns calls promptly, so you don’t lose a sale to a potential buyer. If you are looking to buy a home, and you have some experience with this, and you don’t know an agent that you really trust, consider simply searching on your own. You can find virtually all property listings on line now, and when you see one you might like you can call the listing agent directly. One advantage of this strategy is that you don’t have to wait for “your” agent to contact the listing agent and that agent to get back with your agent who then has to contact you – all to get a simple question answered. This is helpful with investments as well, because you’re not hearing things third-hand (seller tells agent who tells your agent ho tells you). Negotiating is more practical if there is only one agent between you and the seller as well. In any case, unless you have a buyers agent, they are all working for the seller’s best interest, even if they are working to help you find the right property. It’s easier to remember this when you call the listing agent for each property you want to see. If you are investing, find a real estate agent that invests as well. At first glance it may seem like such an agent will be scooping up the best properties before showing them to you, but this is rarely a problem because all investors have slightly different goals, ideas, preferences and timing. The important point is that an investor is more likely to understand what another investor wants. Agents that sell homes may habitually look for “pretty” over cash flow, for example, even when showing investment properties. Don’t be afraid to drop an agent if they can’t do the job. If you are a buyer this is easier. If an agent shows you three houses that have none of the things you said you are looking for, try another agent. If you are selling and the agent is doing a truly bad job, talk to the broker he works with and you may be able to cancel the contract. The bottom line with all of these tips for find a real estate agent is that you have the right to work with one that is right for you.