Choosing the right real estate agent to help you buy or sell a home is no easy task. All sales statistics aside, the wrong agent can cost you time and money. When interviewing potential agents, make sure they have these five important traits that separate the powerful agents from the mediocre ones.

1. Remarkable Listener

The true to key to a good agent is how well they listen and retain what they heard. If you say your budget maximum is $250,000, then they should stick to within that price when providing properties to view. A good listener should quickly ascertain your needs and wants and have a plan of approach based on your criteria.

2. Commanding Communicator

No one wants an agent who lists a home and is rarely heard from again. You want an agent who is enthusiastically speaking to you often on what is happening in either the selling or buying process. Your agent should inform you about how she or he will deal with your transaction from start to finish. An agent who is constant communication with you should also be in continual communication with all other parties in the transaction to keep you better apprised. At least within business hours, the agent should return any texts, calls or emails as quickly as possible.

3. Amazingly Honest

Dishonesty breeds distrust. You want an agent whom you can always trust to be truthful and upfront throughout the entire sales process, even if the outcome is not easy to hear. An honest agent will price the property right at listing for a quick sale or inform the buyer of unseen issues with the home they are interested in. Having a trusted professional on your side means there is one less thing to worry about.

4. Incredibly Ethical

An agent who is also a Realtor suggests that a strict code of ethics will be adhered to throughout the transaction process. Abiding by the Realtor Code of Ethics means necessary transaction facts are not misrepresented or concealed, contract deals are completely spelled out in the writing, all people are treated equally and your best interests will be protected, among other code specifications.

5. Natural Negotiator

The best agents are natural negotiators, able to seal a deal with shrewd and aggressive bargaining skills. Excellent negotiators save you money and seal the deal faster. Ask a potential agent to describe their most difficult negotiation and what the outcome was or provide a difficult scenario and find out how that agent would handle it.

AGENTS!! Do you have these traits?