Choosing the right real estate agent is the best way to initiate your transaction. However, that’s likely easier said than done — especially if you’re a first-time buyer or seller.

With over 1.3 million active real estate professionals in the United States alone, choosing the right real estate agent can be confusing. But, finding your best match does not have to be difficult.

5 Strategies for Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent

Follow these five essential tips to help you find and hire the right real estate agent for you.

#1. Use a Reputable Platform that Connects You to Top Agents

The best way to begin the process of choosing your real estate agent is to narrow down the options. Buyers and sellers can use RealEstateAgents.com, a leading resource to connect clients with the best professionals in their target market.

With the contact information for the top real estate agents across the country, RealEstateAgents.com makes it easy for you to find trustworthy, professional, and experienced agents to work with.

Once you submit your location information, the results will offer each agent’s data at a glance. You’ll immediately see their total listings, sales price range, typical sell time, and more key data points. In addition, you’ll get access to a short write-up of their career history.

Viewing the agent’s profile will provide you with even more insights to help you make a decision, such as their specialties, designations, and a complete list of previous transactions. There’s even a separate area for past clients to leave reviews, so you can learn about the agent’s client experiences directly from people they’ve worked with.

#2. Talk To Your Friends and Neighbors

Talking to your friends and neighbors is another way to help you decide what agent you should hire to represent your deal.

Community members, family members, and colleagues are great resources to find out about an agent’s reputation in your area. They may be able to recommend a great agent that they partnered with to purchase or sell their home.

Or, if you have a specific agent in mind, ask around to see if you know anyone they’ve worked with in the past. Even if you don’t have an agent to ask about, talking to people you know can inform you of agents that have positive standings in your community.

Hearing insights from the people in your life can help you learn more about your local real estate scene, and at the very least let you know who in the industry you should consider approaching.

#3. Explore Their Online Presence

An agent’s online presence can tell you about their professional history, but it can also tell you about their personality, ethos, and mission as an agent.

Their website and social media pages can provide you with more context to guide you in choosing the right real estate agent. You can get a feel for their tone, how they market themselves, and what’s important to them as professionals.

Beyond that, an organized and high-quality online presence tells you that the agent is dedicated to client outreach and leveraging digital technologies. Reviewing an agent’s digital presence should always be a precursor to the interview process.

#4. Ask the Right Questions at the Interview

Once you’ve reached out to a prospective agent, the interview will help you decide whether or not you really want to choose them as your agent. Asking the right interview questions is critical for choosing the right real estate agent.

Here are some examples of questions to consider to help you make the optimum decision:

• How are you approaching the specific challenges to buying or selling in today’s market?
• How many other clients are you currently serving?
• What data do you use to guide your strategies?
• What technologies do you leverage?
• What are your communication preferences?
• Do you work with a team?
• Do you have experience in my target area?
• Have you worked with comparable properties to mine?
  

Including these questions along with special concerns of your own will help you get the most out of your interview.

#5. Follow Your Instincts

Since we’re all unique, choosing the right real estate agent often means following your instincts.

Even if someone has a perfect resume, if their personality clashes with yours, it might not be your best pick. Always listen to yourself and trust your responses to prospective agents. If someone is giving you a particularly good feeling, they may be the best option to choose.

For more tips to help you find your best agent, explore more helpful real estate articles like this one here.