How to Pick a Real Estate Agent

Selling or buying a home is an important decision. Choosing the right real estate agent can make all the difference. But it can be tough to pick the right Realtor for you.

Online reviews can be misleading. Personal recommendations are often given based on friendships or family relations, not on successful track records. Even when a unbiased recommendation is given, it typically only represents one successful transaction and doesn't give a full picture of a Realtor's track record.

Here we give advice on which real estate agent review websites are better than others and show the consumer how to check a real estate agent's license for validity and past complaints. We also try to give a few different ways to check a real estate agent's sales record.

If you’re thinking of selling your home in the next twelve months, Stephen would love to tour your home. Call today to set an appointment.

Stephen FitzMaurice, Realtor
4% Max. to Sell a Home
Cancel Anytime Policy
Licensed Since 2003
503-714-1111

If you’re considering buying a home in the next twelve months, Kami Price, buyers specialist would love to hear what you’re looking for. Call today to set an appointment.

Kami Price, Realtor
Represented Hundreds of Buyers
Licensed since 2004
503-773-0000

Real Estate Agent vs. Sellers Agent Specialist: What’s the difference?

Portland’s real estate landscape is vast! There’s a specialist for nearly every activity — and that’s a good thing. To have a hassle-free real estate transaction, you need someone handling the mortgage, someone looking at the title, someone inspecting the home, etc. That’s why a system has developed over the decades in which, in a […]

What is a Showing Agent in Real Estate?

It is pretty easy to tell the difference between a seller’s agent and a buyer’s agent in real estate, but what about a showing agent? Before I answer that question, I want you to know that in Oregon there is only one license, Broker, with two levels, Broker and Principal Broker. Real estate agent is […]

What is an Exclusive Buyers Agent Agreement and Should I Sign One?

Updated March 2024. Exclusive buyers agent agreements are highly debated among professional Realtors. Some real estate agents would never work with a home buyer unless they sign one, and other buyer’s agents have never used an exclusive buyer’s agent agreement and never want to use one (though the industry may soon force their hand). Buyers […]

Selling a Home for the First Time? 5 Things Your Agent May Not Tell You

Real estate agents want your business and they especially want a new listing. While most agents are trained and licensed to put your interests first, it is also important to learn the essentials and advocate for yourself. We will help you understand the basic costs of selling a home (beyond commissions), the best time of […]

5 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Buyers Agent

Purchasing the wrong home in the wrong neighborhood at the wrong time can cost a home buyer money, peace of mind, and cause undo stress for years on end. So why do many buyers pick their closest friend or the first referral that comes along to be their buyer’s agent? For starters, they might think […]

How to Fire your Real Estate Agent

Updated 02/23/2023. Okay, okay go easy. If your home isn’t selling, or you’re not finding the home you want to buy, or the real estate transaction you were in fell apart, it isn’t necessarily your real estate agent’s fault. The housing market has its ups and downs, perhaps your criteria to buy a home is […]

Top 5 Sites to Help you Choose a Real Estate Agent

When it comes time to find a real estate agent, we always recommend shopping around. Having the internet at your fingertips makes your job that much easier. Or does it? While the web offers virtually endless information, not all of it is accurate or trustworthy—believe it or not, fake reviews are something you need to […]

Two Steps to Choosing the Absolute Best Real Estate Agent

Let’s say you want to buy or sell a home and you want advise, a local expert to help you sell for the highest price or buy a home in the right area at the right time. How do you pick a Realtor? Hopefully you’re looking at experience (years licensed and sales completed) as well […]

Zillow Agent Finder Alternatives

So, you’ve decided it’s time to sell or buy a home. How do you find a reputable and experienced agent to help you? You could go with the agent attached to a property you like or the one showing it at an open house, but how much do you know about that person and their […]

What Interview Questions to Ask a Realtor Before you Sell a Home?

About to interview a Realtor to sell your home? Whether you were recommended to this real estate agent by a friend or you found the Realtor online, the next best step is to interview the agent at your home. Yes, you could interview the Realtor online or on the phone, but we recommend the first […]

Top 5 Sites to Help you Choose a Real Estate Agent in 2021

In many ways the internet is like the Wild Wild West. A land of opportunity, but one that’s so unregulated it’s hard to know which way is up. You can glean a ton from online reviews of real estate agents, but a lot can be misleading too. Fake reviews still run rampant in 2021, meaning […]

#1 Portland Real Estate Agent to Sell a Home

Okay, so that’s a lot to claim and we’ll need to get more specific. I’ve been a licensed real estate agent since 2003, serving Oregon and SW Washington. For much of that time I’ve run the Stephen FitzMaurice Team, currently with the international phenomenon EXP Realty. My team members are the reason for my success […]

What is a Zillow Real Estate Agent?

Does Zillow have their own Real Estate Agents? Okay so let’s first clarify. Does Zillow have their own Realty company with their own agents? Yes and no. Zillow does not have any agents within their company that you can call to list your home on the public market, or go help you find your next […]

5 Questions to ask a Realtor in an Interview

Selling a home is one of the most important financial decisions a person makes during their lifetime, even if they make it multiple times. A good Realtor can make the experience stress free and enjoyable (or as enjoyable as possible) and financially rewarding. But how do you know if a Realtor will perform, how do […]

Top Real Estate Agent Review Sites: 2020 Update

For a long time, unverified online reviews were the bane of the real estate agent’s existence! Now it’s almost 2020, and we can finally celebrate the fact that actual customers are voicing their opinions online, creating a merit-based system in which the best real estate agents win.  However, the saavy real estate agent chooser should […]

Real Estate Agent Reviews Guide – 2019 Update

Find the best sites for Realtor Reviews Frankly it is incredible how many places you can find real estate agent reviews online. But which sites should you trust? Does anyone verify that the reviews are from real clients? And it may surprise you to know that sometimes looking for Realtor reviews can cost you money! […]

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What My Clients Are Saying

We have worked with many Realtors over the years and Stephen is by far the best we have ever met. He's very knowledgeable and gets the job done quickly. We had multiple offers after one day, not because we were under priced but because we had maximum exposure at the appropriate price!

Karen