How to Vet a Real Estate Agent (Buyer or Seller)
Track record, market specialty, and the interview questions that matter.
Real estate agent quality varies enormously — from full-time market specialists closing 30+ transactions a year to part-timers handling 1-2. The financial impact on your transaction (typically 1-3% of purchase price) is substantial. Vetting carefully is worth a few hours.
What to verify
Current state license, verified online. Transaction count over the past 12 months — full-time agents close 15-50+; part-timers often close fewer than 10.
Market specialty: agent who works your target neighborhood weekly knows pricing better than one who covers the whole metro.
Brokerage and team structure: solo agents handle everything personally; team-based agents may hand off to assistants or buyer's agents.
Interview questions that matter
'How many transactions did you close in [target neighborhood] last year?' 'What's your list-to-sale price ratio average?' (Should be over 97% for sellers' agents in healthy markets.) 'Can I see your last 5 closings?' (Public record — they should provide.)
Buyer-specific: 'Will you write a buyer's agreement that lets me terminate if I'm unhappy?' Seller-specific: 'What's your marketing strategy beyond MLS listing?'