The real estate process of buying a home for the typical family can be a very stressful event, almost at the top of the charts. The selection of a professional agent can be a tremendous benefit as a counselor and guide to navigate you through the process with as little stress as possible. The average home buyer spends very little time interviewing and investigating agents for the role as their agent.

The first part of the home buying process for many is the desire to look at homes and not the careful selection of a real estate agent. This can be a huge mistake as the knowledge and experience level of an agent can change the outcome of the stressful process to a smooth one. Many homebuyers end up with an agent by default, what I mean by this is that the buyer has no plan of action for selecting their agent. The introduction may have been as casual as the buyer calling on an ad or attending an open house.

Of course you want to start the home buying process with a strong foundation and finding the right agent will make a big difference in the total experience. As a first time home buyer you will depend on the expertise of your agent. You will not know what to expect or when to expect it within this very challenging process.

You will want to interview several agents before you even start looking for a home. By pursuing an interview process you will also educate yourself. Here are several areas you will want to discuss with agents that you are interviewing.

1. What is the experience level of the agent? Selecting someone that has at least two years or more of experience will show they have survived the test of time and the knowledge to assist you in the home buying process.

2. What is the geographical area that they service. As an agent works in a given neighborhood they will gain additional non-real estate knowledge such as which area has better schools, less rush-hour traffic or lower crime rates.

3. Does the agent carry errors and omissions insurance? This protects them and you when there is a contractual issue or an undisclosed defect in the home. The Department of real estate doesn't require a broker to carry it, and this is not something you want to find out after closing.

4. Many agents work only on a buyer broker agreement basis, you will be asked to sign a contract for several months during which you will be obligated to work with this agent exclusively for that time period. Other agents will ask you for this agreement once they have worked with you, both parties feel it is a good relationship, and you are ready to make an offer.

5. Always ask for references. A good agent will have their references ready for you.

6. In order to serve their client as best as possible some agents have decided not to represent both a buyer and seller in the same transaction. One of the main reasons for this is that it is very difficult to be an advocate for two parties with opposite goals.

7. How does the agent select the homes that they show you? Many agents will e-mail their clients a lot of properties and let the buyer decide which homes to see, this can be a very ineffective and time consuming process in which the buyer sees many homes that do not suit their needs. The best agents will preview all of the homes on the market that fit a buyers general criteria and then show their client only the best homes. This process leads to a much more efficient and beneficial outcome for the buyer.

8. Does the agent have a close relationship with a trustworthy and knowledgeable lender? By working closely with the lender an agent will be more able to guide the process ensuring that the buyer gets the best loan program for their situation and is only looking at homes that fit their budget.

So as you can see, by methodically and strategically selecting an agent you can positively influence the outcome of your home purchase.