Agent should be Proactive
Your agent should be telling you everything you need to know. Explanations on strategy, the process, what to expect, etc.
Why? Because this shows that your agent is experienced. He knows what are the common questions buyer have, or what may surprise them later in the process. So your agent should have formed a sort of list in his head of what to prep the buyer on. If I tell you everything, and then you have no more questions already, that’s a good sign.
Ask the Same Questions
As the buyer, you should prepare a list of question to ask your agent. Then, ask the exact same questions of your other agent, and compare their answers. This is how you yourself can determine which agent is more suitable for you. This may not tell you who is the ‘best’ agent, because that’s not really possible because every agent got their own styles and merits, but at least this gives you an idea of who you find better for you.
Red Flags
Agents that don’t pick up calls, reply SMSes after like a day or more, and agents that don’t inform you if they’re going to be late.
Agents should at the very least reply acknowledgment even if don’t have the answer. It’s a sign of respect to you, the buyer, who is offering to pay them four figures. Selling house is a big matter, and you call because there’s something important. So even on an ‘off’ day, the agent should acknowledge and attend to you when they can. This is to ensure the transaction process goes smoothly.
These are the basics. Track record, awards etc are not really good indicators. It’s a personal achievement between agent and their company, nothing to really do with the customer. When you are a client, what you should be concerned about is the relationship between you and the agent.