How to Pick a Real Estate Agent (When You Know 10)
Here's a number that should bother you: 81% of home sellers contact only one agent before deciding who to hire. On the buyer side, 76% of repeat buyers and 67% of first-time buyers do the same thing.
NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
That means the vast majority of people making one of the largest financial decisions of their lives are not comparing their options. They're going with whoever they know, whoever was referred, or whoever picked up the phone first. In most cases, the relationship made the decision before the business question was ever asked.
There's nothing wrong with hiring someone you know. But there's a difference between choosing an agent because they're the best fit and choosing an agent because saying no felt uncomfortable. This post is about making sure you end up with the first outcome, regardless of how many agents you know.
The Relationship Decision vs. the Business Decision
You probably know at least one real estate agent. In a small market like Sublette County, you might know several. So when it's time to buy or sell, the question isn't usually "how do I find an agent?" It's "how do I choose between the agents I already know without making things awkward?"
That tension is real. But it's worth separating into two scenarios.
If one agent clearly stands above the others — a close friend or family member whose professional abilities you trust — the decision is straightforward. Hire them.
If you know multiple agents equally well, the best way to honor all of those relationships is by being business-minded about your decision. Let each of them know you're interviewing agents. Set up meetings. Give everyone a fair shot. This keeps things professional while still respecting your personal connections.
Most agents understand this. We run into relational situations constantly and recognize that you can only pick one. A professional agent will respect the process even if they don't get picked.
One more thought: if an agent has been giving you market information, answering your questions, and investing time in you before you're ready to transact — consider giving that person your business as a return on their investment. At a minimum, include them in your interview lineup.
A Warning About Obligation
Here's the part most people don't want to hear.
If you're afraid of damaging a relationship by not hiring a specific agent, consider that there's an equal or greater risk of damaging that relationship if you do hire them and things go sideways.
I've seen it happen. When an agent is working with a friend or family member, there is a real temptation to proceed casually instead of professionally. Communication gets sparse. Details get assumed instead of confirmed. Expectations aren't set clearly because "we know each other." In a high-stakes transaction involving large amounts of money, that informality is dangerous.
The most common breakdown between agent and client is communication. A client expects a certain level of updates and responsiveness. The agent, comfortable in the relationship, doesn't communicate enough to keep things clear. The gap between expectations and delivery creates friction — and in a personal relationship, that friction hits differently than it would with someone you hired purely on merit.
I don't recommend giving your business to anyone solely as a favor. If you're going to add the dynamics of a real estate transaction to an existing relationship, make sure you're confident in that agent's professional abilities first.
What to Look for in a Listing Agent
When you're selling a home, the agent's primary job is to present your property to the market in a way that attracts qualified buyers and drives the highest possible price. That means you need to evaluate what the agent actually brings to the table beyond access to the MLS.
Every licensed agent can put your home on the MLS. That's table stakes. The question is: what else are they doing?
A strong listing agent should offer a full-service marketing package. This includes professional photography, video content, a custom web presence for the property, and in many cases a printed listing album. They should have a clear strategy for how they'll market the home across social media, paid advertising, and organic channels. They should be able to show you examples of past work — not promises, but proof.
Beyond marketing, look for an agent who can have an honest conversation about pricing. The data shows that sellers prioritize three things when choosing an agent: help marketing the home to buyers, pricing it competitively, and selling within a specific timeframe.
NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
That second item — pricing competitively — is where a lot of consumers get misled. An agent might quote a higher opinion of value and win the listing without high confidence that the home will sell at that price. The agent who tells you what you want to hear isn't necessarily the agent who will get you the best result. Look for the one who can back up their pricing recommendation with data and explain the current market conditions that inform it.
What to Look for in a Buyer's Agent
For buyers, the most important things to evaluate are local expertise and experience.
Local expertise means time in the market and a history of transactions in that market. It means the agent knows the differences between various neighborhoods and areas of the county. It means they understand how utilities work across different properties — whether a home is on natural gas or propane, whether water comes from a town system, a community well, or a private well. They should know about local subdivisions and their covenants and restrictions. They should be aware of town and county governance decisions that could affect your property — things like short-term rental policies, zoning changes, and development plans.
A buyer's agent with real local expertise knows the home inspectors and contractors in the area. They know which parts of the county have reliable internet access and which don't. They know the road maintenance situations that affect winter access. The term "local expertise" is really all-encompassing — and it's the difference between an agent who can find you a house and an agent who can help you understand what you're actually buying.
NAR's data shows that 54% of buyers said their agent pointed out features or problems they would have missed on their own, and 76% of first-time buyers credited their agent with helping them understand the process.
NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
That kind of value doesn't come from passing a licensing exam. It comes from years of working in a specific market.
The Most Common Mistake
The most common mistake consumers make when choosing an agent is not looking at their options. They don't compare what different agents offer. They don't evaluate what matters — marketing quality, local knowledge, communication style, track record — against what matters less, like who they sat next to at a dinner party last month.
In every case where I've lost a client to another agent, the relationship prevailed over the comparison of services. That's their right, and I respect it. But I also see the other side of that equation: sellers who bought a home with another agent and then come to me when it's time to sell. That tells me something. I’ve also seen sellers cut a listing contract with another agent short to list with me when they weren’t receiving the level of service they expected. Either my services overcame loyalty, or the relationship with the other agent didn't survive the transaction. Both outcomes reinforce the same point — the quality of professional service matters more than most people weigh it.
Thirty-five percent of sellers say reputation is the most important factor when choosing an agent. Sixty-six percent hire someone they were referred to or have worked with before. Those numbers tell you that reputation and relationships drive this industry. But they also tell you that most people are making this decision based on trust and familiarity rather than a direct comparison of what each agent can actually do for them.
NAR 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers
Why This Matters Even More in a Small Market
In a small market, the temptation is to skip the interview process because there are only a handful of agents to choose from. I'd argue the opposite. A small market makes interviewing more important, not less.
When you know multiple agents personally, an interview process is the fairest way to give each of them a shot. Let them know you're meeting with others. They'll understand. This way, no one feels like you played favorites — and you end up with the agent who genuinely offers the most for your situation.
The agent who knows the local landscape, has a proven marketing approach, and communicates clearly is going to produce a measurably different outcome than the agent who's coasting on relationships.
How to Run the Interview
If you've decided to interview agents, here's what to focus on:
For sellers, ask to see their marketing materials from past listings. Ask about their pricing strategy and how they'll determine your home's value. Ask what happens if the home doesn't attract offers in the first few weeks. Ask how often they'll communicate with you and in what format. Ask what their listing package includes — not in general terms, but specifically.
For buyers, ask about their experience in the specific area you're searching. Ask how they stay current on local market conditions. Ask what they know about the infrastructure and characteristics of the neighborhoods you're considering. Ask how they'll communicate during the search and under contract.
For both, pay attention to whether the agent asks you questions in return. An agent who listens to your goals, timeline, and concerns before pitching their services is an agent who's going to represent your interests — not just fill a role.
The Bottom Line
Choosing a real estate agent is both a relationship decision and a business decision. The best outcome happens when you find someone you trust personally who also delivers professionally. The worst outcome happens when you prioritize one at the expense of the other.
Interview your options. Compare what each agent offers. Ask the hard questions. And if an agent has been investing time in you — answering questions, providing market information, being available when you need guidance — recognize the value of that investment when it's time to make your choice.