The agent you choose shapes almost everything about your move — the price you pay or net, how smooth the process feels, and whether small problems get solved before they become deal-killers. Yet most people pick the first name a friend mentions or the face on a bus bench. Here's how to choose deliberately.
Start with track record, not personality
A warm first meeting matters, but it's not evidence. Ask for the numbers: How many homes have you closed in my area in the last 12 months? In my price range? An agent who sells three homes a year in your neighborhood knows its buyers, its comps, and its quirks. One who sells thirty across the metro may never have set foot on your street.
The seven questions to ask before you sign
- How many transactions have you closed near me this year? Local, recent, and specific beats a big career total.
- What's your average days-on-market versus the area average? For sellers, this is a fast read on pricing and marketing skill.
- What's your list-to-sale price ratio? It tells you whether they price homes to actually sell.
- Will I work with you or a team member? Neither is wrong — you just want to know who's actually answering your calls.
- How do you communicate, and how fast? Set the expectation now; response speed is the number-one thing clients complain about.
- Can I talk to two recent clients? A confident agent hands over references without flinching.
- How do you get paid, and what does that cover? You want the commission and services spelled out plainly, in writing.
Read the reviews like a skeptic
Five stars are easy to collect. Look for reviews that describe how the agent handled friction — a low appraisal, a repair fight, a deal that nearly fell apart. Those stories tell you far more than "great to work with." Watch for a pattern of the same complaint (slow to respond, pushed me to overpay) more than any single bad review.
Interview more than one
You'd get two quotes for a roof; do the same here. Talking to two or three agents costs you an hour and instantly calibrates what "normal" looks like — on price opinion, on strategy, on fees. The differences between them are where you learn.
Watch for the quiet red flags
Be cautious with an agent who gives you the highest price opinion without comps to back it (buying your listing with a number they can't defend), who's vague about fees, or who pressures you to decide today. Good agents earn the business; they don't corner you into it.
How Homegrity makes this easier
We built agent matching to do the vetting for you. Every agent on the platform is verified, and inside your area they're ranked on what they've actually earned — how close they work to you, the kind of deal you need, and how fast they reply — never on who paid the most. You get matched with a genuine local fit, you see exactly why, and your information is never resold to a pool of strangers. If the fit isn't right, you re-match in a tap.
Common questions
Is it better to use a big-name agent or a local one?
Local and active beats famous. An agent who closes regularly in your specific area and price range knows the buyers, the comps, and the pitfalls far better than a high-volume name who works the whole region. Recent, nearby track record is what matters.
Should I use a friend or family member who's an agent?
Only if they'd genuinely be your top pick on the merits. A personal connection is nice, but this is one of the biggest financial decisions you'll make — hold them to the same questions above, and don't feel obligated if their experience doesn't fit your move.
Does it cost anything to talk to an agent first?
No. Interviewing agents is free, and for buyers and sellers, getting matched on Homegrity is free with no obligation.
Ready to meet a license-verified local agent? Get matched free → or browse agents in your area first.
