It is a big decision to purchase a home so its very important that you find the right people to help you with the process.  Perhaps you’ve started to be inundated with real estate agents who want to find the best property for you but, are all realtors the same? How can you be sure you’re finding the right one?
 
Firstly, find out all you can about the real estate agents that you are considering.  What are their credentials? How much experience do they have etc.? It might be helpful to write a list of questions ahead of time, this way you can have them ready to ask and wont miss anything out.  View this as a job interview where you are looking for the right candidate to do the job.  Just because a realtor has many years of experience doesn’t mean they can meet your needs, for example, you wouldn’t want to hire someone who is only experienced at selling multi-million dollar homes if you’re looking for a low-priced fixer upper or vice versa.  
 
Ask your potential new real estate agent what gives them the edge over other agents?  Ask them to give specific examples and experiences instead of generic answer like; because I have so many years of experience.  You could also ask them if they own property themselves as this shows they are familiar with entire home buying and owning process.  Find out if they work full time or part time in this field.  Someone who works as a full-time real estate agent is more likely to be up to date with the local market and updated laws etc.
 
Yes, there are many great realtors out there but its important to find the right one for your specific requirements.  Don’t settle for second best.