Sales Agents

When you talk with the real estate salespeople who earned the title "Sales Agent of the Year," ask what percentage of the sales were homes they actually personally sold and not members of their team. Some of the top agents out there make a career of scoring the listings for properties, then sitting back waiting for another agent in the company to sell the house, then taking a piece of the commission.

You want to talk with a broker who has three to five years of experience in your area and who averages at least 10 transactions per year in the neighborhood.