With so many real estate agents to choose from, how do you find the best real estate agent? It’s easy with this list of the top real estate agents in the United States. Each of these top real estate agents has been hand-picked based on years of experience, quality and quantity of clients, customer service and more!
Know your location
Knowing where you want to live is a big part of choosing an agent. If you’re set on living in a specific area, be sure to choose agents who primarily work in that area. You might find some great agents online, but be sure to narrow down your search by location. Are you interested in single-family homes or townhouses? Do you prefer condos? Knowing what type of property you’re looking for can help determine which real estate agent is right for you. Or do you just want your real estate transactions handled by someone familiar with local laws and regulations?
Pick a few agents from the MLS
As you search for a real estate agent, try to figure out which one you’d feel most comfortable with. You’ll want to ask friends, family, and business associates for recommendations—and be sure to check reviews online. If you can’t find anyone that way, walk around neighborhoods or areas that interest you and see if there are any For Sale signs with agents’ names on them. Once you’ve picked some potential candidates from MLS listings and have their numbers, call up each of them and explain that you’d like a house tour to determine whether or not they’d be someone who is able to help you sell your house quickly in a reasonable amount of time.
Get recommendations from family and friends
Friends and family who have bought homes recently will be your best source of information for finding a good real estate agent. They can tell you which agents they found most helpful and trustworthy. And their experiences might also clue you into specific neighborhoods that are either hot or not at that moment, so you can spend less time looking at listings that won’t help you make an informed decision. Try asking a few questions like: What was important to you when choosing an agent? Who helped them through their home-buying process? Would they use that person again? How would they describe each person’s service? If there was something negative about working with a particular person, what was it? Was there anything they wished had been handled differently or better by an agent?
Use Yelp reviews
If you are looking for a professional to help sell your home, why not look to Yelp? Many real estate agents have a presence on Yelp, and reviews of these agents are generally very favorable. This can be an excellent place to start as you narrow down your list of potential realtors. Do they specialize in your area? Are they experienced enough? These questions and more can be answered by reading what past clients have said about their experience working with various real estate agents. If you’re still unsure after scouring Yelp for feedback, try calling up some local real estate agencies (preferably ones that have a high star rating on Yelp) and asking if you can drop by for an interview.
Search on social media
When searching for a real estate agent, you’ll want to find someone who has solid sales experience. Check their past sales history and also read customer reviews on sites like Zillow and Trulia to see what past clients think of their service. Also keep an eye out for agents affiliated with a national brand, as these tend to have higher turnover and therefore less experience. Getting an experienced agent should help ensure you’re getting top dollar for your home—and potentially save you from making mistakes that could damage your sale.
Check their past sales history
The real estate agent you choose should have experience and be able to provide a list of past clients, their names, phone numbers, emails and any other identifying information. You can even ask if they have any reviews you can check out. It’s likely that these past clients will tell you about their experiences with your real estate agent as well. If anyone has had a good or bad experience, it’s best to know about it before signing up with someone.
Look at how long they have been in business
While you could interview a potential real estate agent by phone, it’s important to understand their personality and communication style before making a final decision. Instead of choosing an agent based on their ranking, ask them to meet with you in person. When you interview an agent, make sure that person is willing to answer your questions (and all of your questions) during or after your meeting. If they are not forthcoming with information or vague about details, don’t bother using them as your listing agent. This isn’t one of those situations where you get what you pay for — look for someone that provides value without any hype.
Interview them face-to-face
After narrowing down your search to a few different companies, it’s time to sit down with agents and hear them out. Interviewing agents will allow you to determine if they fit within your budget, if they have experience selling properties similar to yours, and whether or not they’re licensed. Before interviewing an agent, make sure you have all of your research on hand so that you can keep an open mind while asking questions. Write down all of your questions before you meet them (this way you don’t forget anything), because asking questions is one of the best ways to find out if an agent is right for you.