Finding a real estate agent who knows about your local market can be challenging despite the number of US real estate agents. Most agents are competent, but an experienced one can help you identify the various factors that will affect the sale of your home.

Getting the right real estate agent can make buying or selling a home much more stress-free. Before you start working with a real estate agent, here are some tips to help make the selection process easier.

Do Your Research and Preparation

One of the essential factors that you should consider is getting preapproved for a mortgage. Many agents will not be interested in working with you if you have not been approved for a mortgage.

For first-time home buyers, you can search for properties on sites such as Redfin or Zestimate to get a rough estimate of their home’s value.

One of the most critical factors you should consider is the type of property that you’re planning on selling or buying. If you’re planning on selling your vacation home, you might not want to work with someone with only first-time buyer experience.

Check Your Network

When choosing a real estate agent, you should interview multiple people. Having friends and colleagues who recently sold or bought a home can be a great source of referrals.

Although you can read online reviews about real estate agents, these are only a part of the story. Most of these reviews are generated by agents and have a positive bias. Another good marketing tool for a real estate agent is their social media presence.

Social media is also a great way to get a good idea about a real estate agent’s personality and experience. Based on their posts, you can get a good idea of whether or not the agent is the right fit for you.

Find Someone with Experience

Before you start working with a real estate agent, make sure that you ask about their experience and whether or not they work in a part-time or full-time capacity. A potential client might end up hiring an agent who only works a part-time job instead of full-time. You can also check their recent transactions to see if they have any experience in the covered areas.

You’ll also want to ensure that the real estate agent you hire has the necessary knowledge about the local market. It’s essential to have someone close to the area you’re planning to buy or sell. If the agent lives several hours away, they might be unable to accommodate last-minute showings.