First, While there are many great part time real estate agents in the field, I suggest hiring one that is full-time. Selling your home requires someone with experience and that is available to you a good part of the day. You will have many questions for them and being able to reach them is crucial. I feel that is best handled by a full-time real estate agent.

2. Stalk research them online. You know when you stalked your ex’s new girlfriend? This is what I want you to do with your listing agent candidate. (Don’t act like you don’t know!) Look at their Google or Zillow reviews. Do they have a strong voice on social media? Do they share content that’s relevant and helpful that sets them apart as an expert in real estate? Also, look at their previous or current listings? Are they photos professional and the homes staged to present well online? This is really important because you want an agent that will be advising you along the way, not just putting someone who will broker a transaction.

3. Schedule them to come over for a listing appointment. They should be able to clearly and confidently explain how they will sell your home for the most amount of money in the shortest time possible. This includes their marketing plan, their analysis and recommendation of how much they think your home will sell for. This is also your chance to ask them a lot of questions to make sure you’re getting the right person for the job. Some agents believe that it’s their job to simply post your house on the MLS and sit back and wait for showings and offers. That just doesn’t get the job done in today’s market.

4. Don’t just hire a ‘yes man’. You want someone that gives strong recommendations backed up by data and not just promises you whatever you want to hear. While they absolutely should be a good listener and understand that you, as the homeowner, call the shots. They are the ones with experience and research and you should listen to what they recommend. Also, if you ask them to discount their commissions and they give in without a fight, that’s not necessarily a good thing. Is that how they’ll react when it’s time to negotiate the price and terms of the sale of your home? That would be a red flag for me.

Lastly, but very important, don’t feel pressured to hire someone just because they’re a family member of a friend of a friend. This is business and I personally am not willing to risk thousands of dollars on the sale of my home just to avoid hurting someone’s feelings.

Hiring the right real estate agent is a business decision. You’re in control of who you hire and should do so strategically to ensure the best outcome, which is selling your home in the quickest amount of time and for the highest price possible.