Navigating the current real estate market is no easy task, especially for novices. If you are in considering either buying or selling your first home a skilled real estate agent can make the task easier and assist in getting you the most bang for your housing dollar. A qualified agent can help consumers better navigate the new landscape of the real estate market as it is their job to stay up to date on all the current industry news while the wrong one can make any real estate transaction painful to endure.

Your real estate agent has the power to set the entire tone for any property transaction that will be conducted, making the selection process of your rep incredibly important. Although selecting your broker may seem as challenging as locating that stray needle in a haystack, there are some simple steps you can take to make the process easier:

• Hunt and Gather: Real estate agents are a dime a dozen and the first step is to build a list of all potential candidates. Feel free to ask friends and family whom they used for their last home transaction. They will honestly tell you who their agent was and if they would recommend their services.
• Research: Before interviewing prospective agents, you should take the time to get to know yourself and your housing needs a bit better. Ask friends and family for recommendations and feel free to check out your prospective agent by conducting a web search on them.
• Screen Potential Candidates: Privacy and the Internet do not necessarily go hand in hand and that makes it easy to find out the inside scoop on potential agents.. Once you have the names of your potential real estate agents, plug their info into the browser of your favorite search engine and see if you unearth. If there are any comments about your potential broker, either good or bad, chances are you can find them online and judge for yourself.
• Interview: Regardless of whether you are planning on buying or selling your home, you will spend plenty of time with your agent. During the interview the potential broker should be able to provide you detailed answers based on your initial research and you should like the way they respond. Their personality has the power to make or break any deal and affect your bottom line.
• Contract: Once you decide on your perfect representative, you will be required to sign a contract with them. The document will include such terms as their fee and “exclusive” limitations.