Not all real estate agents are created equally. Choosing an agent that brings the right combination of skills and personality to the table can make or break your experience when it comes to buying or selling a home. Here are 5 tips to help you choose the right real estate agent for the job.

Look for an agent that is responsive and kind.

First things first: you want an agent who’s going to give you the time of day. When my wife and I were shopping around for a real estate agent, we ran into several established, successful agents who were so busy that they simply didn’t have time for us. But hey, they were willing to pass us off to their least experienced rep in the brokerage!

Pass.

You’d be surprised how in touch and connected to your agent you’re going to need to be throughout the buying/selling process; that is, assuming you want the best deal for your dollar. With that, make sure you choose someone who is responsive to your needs, and who you actually enjoy dealing with, as obvious as that sounds. It makes all the difference to your experience.

Transparency is another rare, but valuable trait.

Ignorance may be bliss for some, but not for me, not when it comes to real estate. I find it incredibly valuable to have a real estate agent who talks me through their approach, their strategy, and why they recommend the approach that they do. When I understand their logic, I can get onside, and I feel more comfortable knowing that there’s a sound strategy in place.

This may just be the most underrated trait on this list. Your agent’s transparency will do wonders for your psychological comfort and your ability to sleep at night… so don’t sleep on this trait.

Negotiating skills are worth their weight in gold.

Another obvious one, I know. But your realtor’s ability to negotiate will make a significant difference to the price you’ll pay on the buy-side or the price you’ll receive on the sell side. You want to choose someone who understands the tricks of the trade, and knows both how to avoid common negotiating pitfalls, as well as how to approach the strategy from your perspective.

Choose an agent who has made real estate their full-time job.

Let’s be honest, who do you think is going to be able to do a better job for you: your friend who works full-time in an office job and is “trying real estate out,” or the agent who has been buying/selling real estate full-time for years? If you said the former, you’re off your rocker.

As tempting as it may be to throw a friend or family member a bone, take into consideration that this is the person you are choosing to represent you as you make the biggest purchase or sale of your life. Choosing poorly can literally cost you thousands of dollars.

When it comes to choosing an agent, you need to look out for number one. By all means choose your part-time friend or family member, but only if they can satisfy all of the other criteria as well as a full-timer.

Try to find a real estate agent that has hustle.

You’ll notice that I’ve left “knowledge of your city” off this list. How controversial, right? But here’s the thing: if your agent has hustle, they’ll research the area you’re looking at and familiarize themselves with it anyway.

An agent who is hungry and self-motivated will go the extra mile to uncover insights and details that you never would have known otherwise. They’ll look at what comparable homes have sold for in the area. They’ll contact the other agent to build a relationship and see what they can learn. They may even know a thing or two about interior design and architecture that you can leverage.

Bottom line: an agent that has hustle is just going to do more for you as their client, which will help translate to you getting the best price you can for your purchase or sale. Don’t discount the importance of this trait in your real estate agent.

Wrapping it Up

I’ve heard all kinds of stories of experiences that friends and family have had when dealing with different real estate agents. I’ve heard the best of experiences, and the very worst of horror stories. If you hope to find yourself telling stories that fall into the former category, then you’ll do well to look for an agent who meets all of the criteria outlined in this post. Happy hunting!