How to Find, Interview and Hire a Real Estate Agent

Agents and Fluffery
Agents and their fluffery. How to size up potential agents you may want to hire as your real estate agent. The marketing material agents use can tell you a lot about those agents.

Reasons to Not Interview Agents From the Same Company
When you're interviewing real estate agents, here are reasons to not interview agents at the same real estate company.

How Do Buyer's Agents Get Paid?
How buyer's agents in real estate are paid. Does a buyer's agent get paid by the buyer or the seller? How buyer's agents earn a commission.

Why Do I Need a Real Estate Agent?
Why you might need a real estate to buy or sell a home. What do you have to gain or lose by not hiring a real estate agent?

How Much Do Real Estate Agents Make?
Real estate agent potential income, the average amount of money real estate agents earn and how much top producers can make a year.

When Should I Call My Agent?
When should I call my agent and how often can I call my agent are questions home buyers and home sellers think about but rarely ask. Here are tips for calling an agent and setting up a communication plan.

The Top Three Lies Told By Real Estate Agents
Is your real estate agent lying to you? How to tell if your agent is dishonest or an imposter. Ways to find out the truth about your real estate agent.

Neighborhood Specialists
Why home buyers should hire a neighborhood specialist. Drawbacks to working with an out-of-area real estate agent.

How to Choose a Listing Agent
Criteria to use to hire a listing agent. How to find the best listing agent. Listing your home for top dollar. Getting the best service from a listing agent. How to weed out the bad listing agents from the good agents.

Experienced Real Estate Agents
Why working with experienced real estate agents might be more beneficial for sellers and buyers. How to find out if your agent is experienced. Why many agents leave the business before license renewal. Should you hire a relative to represent you in a real estate transaction?

Questions to Ask Before You Hire a Real Estate Agent
Questions to ask before you hire a real estate agent to represent you as a selling agent or listing agent.

Full-Service Real Estate Brokers & Agents
What do full-service real estate brokers and agents do to earn all that money? Is it deserved? Should you negotiate or hire a discount agent? What are the pros & pitfalls?

The Right Answers to Your Agent Interview Questions
Answers to interview questions you ask your real estate agent. Top 10 answers to most commonly asked questions of real estate agents. How to tell if your agent is a good fit for you based on the answers given to your interview questions.

Listing Agents & Selling Agents: Do You Need Two Agents to Buy & Sell?
How many agents do you need to buy and sell? Is it better to hire a selling agent to buy and a different listing agent to sell? If one agent handles both transactions, what's in it for you? What are the benefits to hiring two agents?

What is the Difference Between a Real Estate Broker and an Agent?
Types of real estate agents and the differences between an agent and a real estate broker. Definition of selling agents, seller's agents, buyer's agents, buying agents, listing agents, broker associates and real estate brokers.

Top 10 Myths About Real Estate Agents - The Truth About Agents
What's true about real estate agents and what's not? You've heard the bad things and good stuff - but what is really going on? Here's the straight scoop about why agents are sometimes bad-mouthed and what truly goes on behind the scenes.

Agency Relationships in Real Estate
What are agency relationships in real estate? Explanation of dual agency, single agency, buyer's brokers, listing agents, dual agency at same brokerage and transaction agents.

Real Estate Agents & REALTORS®
The differences between real estate agents and REALTORS®. What sets REALTORS® apart from real estate agents. Brief overview of 17 Articles contained in Code of Ethics.

Who Pays the Real Estate Commission?
How does a real estate agent get paid? Who pays the real estate agent's commission? Can real estate agents get paid by both sellers and buyers. Is it legal? Just how much money do real estate agents make anyway?

What is Procuring Cause?
Definition of procuring cause. How to work effectively with real estate agents so commission disputes among them do not erupt. How to protect yourself against owing the agent's commission.

Agent Duties - What a Real Estate Agent Can or Cannot Do for You
Explains what a real estate agent can and cannot do for a client or customer. Dispels myths about a real estate agent's fiduciary duty to a client.

Real Estate Designations
Explanation of real estate designations. What do those initials after an agent's name mean? Definition of real estate agent designation acronyms.

White Knight Real Estate Agents
White Knight real estate agents: why some agents are white knights and others are not. Why brokers don't want their agents to be white knights. Pros and Cons to Realtor white knights.

How to Negotiate Real Estate Commissions
How are real estate commissions negotiated? What's fair? What's open for debate and discussion? Why should you negotiate? Why would a real estate agent negotiate commissions with you?

Commission Credits to Home Buyers
Facts and myths about agents crediting commissions to home buyers. Should home buyers ask a listing agent to credit part of the commission to make the deal? Do agents owe home buyers kickbacks?

Letting Go: How to Fire Your Agent or Client
How to fire your real estate agent or terminate agency / listing agreements as a Realtor. Sure-fire signs that it's time to say goodbye. How to end your association without remorse or tension.

Top 10 Realtor Closing Gifts
What should you give your real estate agent to say thank you after your home sale closes? Here are gift suggestions and ideas for Realtor closing gifts. The gift most preferred by real estate agents doesn't cost you anything.

Discount Real Estate Brokers - How Do Discount Brokers Work?
Discount real estate brokerages. Should you hire a discount broker? How do cut-rate brokers work? How much can you save by hiring a discount broker? About online reduced fee brokers.

Help Your Agent Help You
Buyers can help out their real estate agents, which will make the entire buying experience much more pleasant and enjoyable. Here is what you can do to ensure a smooth transaction.

Coping with Unethical People
In an ideal world, everybody would be trustworthy and possess integrity, and unfortunately, the real estate profession is not immune. When a lot of money is involved, it sometimes brings out the worst. Here are a few strategies you can employ if you find yourself confronted with unethical people.

Agent Interference in a Real Estate Transaction
Interfering in another agent's transaction. Reasons a listing agent might refuse to show buyers a home. The two questions a listing agent will ask before making an appointment to show a buyer a home.

Can I Bypass the Listing Agent and Call a Seller?
Can a home buyer bypass the listing agent and contact a seller directly? What if the home buyer has a buyer's agent, can the buyer still call the seller? Is it legal to by pass agents?

Do First-Time Home Buyers Need an Agent?
Tips for buying your first home and whether you should hire your own agent, buy a home without an agent or let the seller's agent represent you.

Should You Hire a Referral Agent?
How does that work when a real estate agent refers an agent? Is it a good idea to hire the agent your real estate refers to you? A behind-the-scenes look at what happens when an agent refers another real estate agent.

Switching Agents -- How Do I Change Agents?
How to change real estate agents and switch to an agent you like better. Do you have to tell your first agent why you changed agents?