Shortlist
Find agents, then vet them
Finding names is the easy half. Below: where to search, how to read reviews without being sold, and how to confirm the license is real and clean.
Where to search
Zillow — Agent Finder
Deep review volume and recent sales history. Filter by your ZIP, then sort by sales in your price band rather than by star rating alone.
Realtor.com — Find a Realtor
Pulls from MLS data, so activity counts tend to be accurate. Shows for-sale versus sold history and typical price range.
Redfin — Agents
Useful for comparing a salaried-brokerage model against traditional commission agents in the same market.
NAR — Find a Realtor
Confirms membership in the National Association of Realtors, which carries a code of ethics that a plain licensee does not.
ARELLO — License Verification
Regulator-backed lookup across states. Verify the license is active and check for disciplinary history before you sign.
How to read reviews
- 1
Read the 3-star reviews first
Five-star reviews are often solicited at closing and one-star reviews are often about something the agent couldn't control. The middle is where specifics live.
- 2
Look for recency and volume together
Forty reviews from six years ago describes an agent who used to be busy. Six detailed reviews from this year is stronger signal.
- 3
Match the reviews to your transaction
An agent adored by luxury sellers may be untested with a first-time buyer on an FHA loan — or with a rural septic inspection.
- 4
Watch for pattern complaints
One person calling an agent hard to reach is noise. Four people saying it across two years is the thing you'll experience.
- 5
Verify the sales history separately
Reviews are marketing. Sold counts, days on market, and list-to-sale price ratio are records. Ask for both and see whether they agree.
Verify the license
- Confirm the license number is active in your state's regulator database — not just listed on their website.
- Check for disciplinary actions, complaints, or lapses in licensure history.
- Confirm the brokerage name matches what's on the license record.
- Ask whether they hold NAR membership, and any designations (ABR, SRS, CRS) plus what those actually required.
- Ask directly: has a complaint ever been filed against you with your board or state? Watch how they answer, not just what they say.
Got a shortlist?
Build the question list for your market, then log each interview so you can compare answers instead of impressions.
External sites are listed for convenience and are not affiliated with or endorsed by us. General guidance only — not legal, financial, or brokerage advice.