So you’ve decided to buy or sell your home and you know you should find a really good agent to assist you…exactly what should you look for?

1. A Good Real Estate Agent Will Tell You The Truth Even When You Don’t Want To Hear It.

Here is a cold, hard truth-  homeowners, potential homeowners, and good real estate agents are often not quite on the same page initially. If you are selling a home, most likely you have visited sites like Trulia or Zillow and used their computer generated values to determine what your house is worth….WRONG! Those numbers are quite often not even close, which creates a situation where an agent has to start off the relationship by letting you know your home won’t sell for quite as much as you think it will…a BUMMER to know but a necessary truth. On the flip side, if you are buying a home, often times you have started looking for the perfect home without pre qualifying yourself for a mortgage. The very first thing a good buyers agent will do is send you to a mortgage professional who will in turn pre qualify you for a mortgage. Sometimes the perfect home you were shopping for initially will not be in the price range you qualify for…another truth thats a bummer but much better than finding a house that you love but don’t qualify for.  Good real estate agents will tell you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it, but you will love them for it in the end.

2. View Their Social Network Profiles For Real Estate Talk.

Have you guys ever met someone, formed an opinion about them, become their Facebook friend and changed your mind completely?….OF COURSE YOU HAVE. This happens with agents too. For some reason people (yes even real estate agents) tend to show their true colors on social networks. Most good real estate agents talk about real estate quite often. Look them up. You will be glad you did.

3.  Good Real Estate Agents Will Never Make You Feel Guilty For Calling Them With Questions

We’ve all been made to feel like the bad guy when calling with questions…but a good real estate agent will never do this. Good real estate agents know that the purchase or sale of your home will most likely be the largest transaction of your life….so ask away.

4. Hire Local, Especially When Selling.

Hiring a real estate agent that lives near or in the neighborhood, city, or area you are selling in or interested in moving to is one of the best decisions you can make. Establishing what your home is worth or making sure you don’t overpay is  almost always done better by a local agent.