Brent,
If you are new to the area there are several ways. Ask for a referral from co-workers or friends. Ask them who knows a good agent. Also you will probably want to interview a few before deciding. This will be one of the largest purchases you make. Just as if you were the hiring manager at a company interview the agents that are asking to represent you. Ask them how they are going to find your perfect home, ask how they are going to communicate with you and how often. What about showings how available are they to take you to see homes? How knowledgable are they of the area you desire to live in. Are they a full-time realtor? Ask them for references or a resume.
If you need a referral after asking your friends I can refer you to a top agent in our network there in Columbus. I work with Coldwell Banker and as a Realogy partner we are networked through CARTUS and have many other partners besides Coldwell Banker. So the top agents in your area may not even be Coldwell Banker but, they will be experienced, trained, and certified to handle referral business.

So if you like just drop me a line and I will refer you to an agent in your area.

Larry Story
Coldwell Banker Triad
larry.story@coldwellbanker.com

Sat May 17 2008, 10:17

There are many ways to select an agent. A simple way, that I have found to be effective is to do a search for schools or any other important informaitn you want to find, and wee what websites pop up. You will generally get a few to several Realtor's websites.
My simple test:
Send an email and see who replies first, who replies within 24 and 48 hours. I would lean heavily towards an agent that answers within 24 hours. Agents need to be responsive. If they answer you promptly, then they will most likely be motivated and will handle discussions with other agents promptly as well, when you are negotiating your purchase.
Another way is to have a Realtor do a search for you and "interview" a few agents. Good luck.

Sat May 17 2008, 00:19