It's true, not all Realtors® are the same. Not only does personality influence our decision of which agent to choose, so do some more practical matters, such as their commission rate, level of experience and area of specialty. Since the Realtor® / client relationship is so important, it pays to take your time and choose the best one.

Most Realtors® specialize in a local area, and many also specialize in a type of housing market. Be it condos or equestrian property, it is likely you will find a Realtor® in your area of interest that knows all about one specific part of the market, but less about another part of it. If you can determine ahead of time what their specialty is, you'll be able to find the agent that best suits your needs.

Further, while only a fully licensed agent can technically call themselves a Realtor®, some are more motivated than others to update their education on a regular basis. Many agents post their resume or education history on their website. If you look it over, you will be able to tell if they have taken any upgrading courses lately. With new technologies developing in marketing and other aspects of real estate on a regular basis, a good Realtor® will take a class every year or so to keep them up to date with the times. You really don't want anything less in a Realtor®.

Finally, there can be quite a bit of variance in what percentage of a sale that a Realtor® takes for their commission. Of course, whether you are buying or selling, you want as little of the price to go to a Realtor®. But don't let this be your bottom line. It is more important to find someone highly skilled, knowledgeable in the area you want to buy or sell in, and whose personality you enjoy, rather than just find the cheapest agent. That said, some of the lower commission Realtors® are excellent, and choose to charge less commission because they strive for fairness in the industry, and those are noble qualities.

The key to finding a good real estate agent is to do your research.