Buying or selling a house in the current market scenario is next to impossible without the help of a real estate agent. Real estate agents can rightly assess any situation and give you the right solution. However, a few can get you into a tangle so it becomes imperative to spend time in choosing the right real estate agent for your need. Here is how you do it right,

Research about the agent

Do a little bit of research about the real estate agent online. In the age of the internet, you are bound to find negative reviews about a service or person if it exists. Look for real red flags and avoid comments from people who expect more than what their money gets them.

Look for licensing

State regulatory boards often have a list of licensed real estate agents on their website. You can also directly ask the real estate agent for his license and he is liable to produce the same to his clients. Also check for any complaints about disciplinary or illicit business practices. CRS, ABR and SRES are a few credentials that you can look for.

·         Certified Residential Specialist (CRS ) are experts in handling residential properties

·         Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR) should be your choice if you are planning to sell a house through a realtor

·         SRES - Seniors Real Estate Specialist are certified agents for helping senior citizens (50+)

Talk to previous clients

Ask for references and talk to their clients. Make sure that you cross verify for the authenticity of the reference but do not sound too inquisitive to the references, they are just clients like yourself. You can get a very clear picture of what and what not to expect from the real estate agent after a chat with his old clients.

Check current listings

No matter how good an agent might be in the past, his present stand in the market is important while entrusting a huge decision such as buying or selling a house. Look at his other offerings to get an idea of how good the person is and make sure that you put forward any questions that you might have about his other listings too. Look for anything fishy and stay away from any signs of wrong doing even if the property you are eyeing for is clear.

Get user approved Real Estate Agents

Online sites like Sulekha.com, Zillow and trulia have a number of ways of highlighting real estate agents who are highly rated by their users. They also have badge systems to classify agents on their experience. Make sure of these online platforms to find the best real estate agents.

 A house decides your future, so choose the right agent and have the peace of mind in the coming years.