Finding the right real estate agent is crucial to the sale or purchase of real estate…and crucial to your sanity. Buying and selling real estate is a big transaction and can increase stress levels. Real estate agents should help alleviate this stress, not add to it.

It is imperative for you to find a Realtor that has a proven success record and is a good match for you and what you are looking for. This is no easy task, but it’s worth the effort. And we’d like to help.

Below is a list of 10 important questions that you should ask a potential real estate agent.

HouseLogic suggests 10 important detailed questions to ask about an agent’s experience and skills to help you find the right agent for your home sale. We’ve answered these questions for you about Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty.

1. How long have you been selling homes?

• Coldwell Banker Seaside Realty has been selling Outer Banks real estate for more than 20 Years.
• Mastering real estate requires on-the-job experience. The more experience agents have, the more likely they’ll be able to handle any curveballs thrown during your home sale.

2. What designations do you hold?

• CRS (Certified Residential Specialist,) CNAS, GRI (Graduate REALTOR Institute,) ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative , ePro, RDCPro (REO Default Certified Professional.)
• Designations like GRI (Graduate REALTOR® Institute) and CRS® (Certified Residential Specialist), which require that agents complete additional real estate training, show they’re constantly learning.

3. How many homes did you sell last year?

• In 2011 Coldwell Banker Seaside real estate sold 331 homes throughout the Outer Banks and Northeast North Carolina.

4. How many days on average did it take you to sell homes?

• In 2011 our average “days on market” was 225 days, and the median was 159 days.
• Ask agents to show you this data along with stats from their local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) so you can see how many days, on average, their listings were on the market compared to the average for all properties in the MLS.

5. How close were the asking and sales prices of the homes you sold?

• On average, the sales price for the homes we’ve sold is 93% of the asking price.
• Sometimes sellers choose their agent because the agent’s suggested listing price is higher than those suggested by other agents. A better factor is the difference between listing prices and the amount homes actually sold for. That can help you judge agents’ skill at accurately pricing homes and marketing to the right buyers. It can also help you weed out agents trying to dazzle you with a lofty sales price just to get your listing.

6. How will you market my home?

• Our Internet Marketing Guarantee includes enhancing your listings on all the websites, including cb.com and Realtor.com and Trulia along with a custom QR code for your home. In addition, your home will have a dedicated toll free number to capture all sign calls.
• The days of agents putting a For Sale sign in the yard and hoping for the best are long gone. Look for an agent who does aggressive and innovative marketing, especially on the Internet.

7. Will you represent me exclusively?

• If you wish to be represented exclusively, we will honor that request.
• In most states, agents can represent the seller, the buyer, or both in a home sale. If your agent will also represent buyers, understand and consent to that dual representation.

8. How will you keep me informed?

• Our agents will Keep you updated by the agreed upon method of communication and based upon time table that you agree to.
• If you want weekly updates by email, don’t choose an agent who plans to contact you only if there’s an offer.

9. Can you provide references?

• Absolutely! We love to share references.
• Ask to talk to the last three customers the agent assisted. Call and ask if they’d work with the agent again and if the agent did anything that didn’t sit well with them.

10. Are you a REALTOR®?

• Yes, we wear our REALTOR affiliation with pride.
• Ask whether agents are REALTORS®, which means they’re members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (NAR). NAR has been an advocate of agent professionalism and a champion of homeownership rights for more than a century.