If you are looking to purchase a home and working with a real estate agent, make sure you are very specific about what you are looking for and in what price range. You should have already been pre-approved with a mortgage advisor and you should know how much of a home you can qualify for and how much of a monthly mortgage payment you feel comfortable making. Figure out what your max. price that you would like to spend on a home is before talking with a realtor. Too many times consumers spend more on a home than they originally planned and that usually causes a little financial trouble sometime down the road. Don't let your realtor sell you on a more expensive home that is higher than you feel comfortable with the payments on.

It is best to work with an agent who has worked in the specific area you are looking in, for many years.

Choose a real estate agent that fits your comfort level.
For example, if you pefer to use the internet for research and for communication, choose an agent that has an informative website and who responds quickly and effetively to email.
If you have many concerns about your upcoming transaction and need questions or issues addressed quickly, choose an agent who answers his or her own phone or who returns calls quickly and who takes the time to address your concerns completely.

Remember, just because you are qualified for a certain loan amount, doesn't mean you can't buy a less expensive home. You should know what the payments will be for your mortgage, and what size payment you are comfortable making. Find out how much you are qualified to borrow, then decide how much you actually want to borrow, based on what the payment will be. Then let the real estate agent know, and they will look for a home for you in that price range.

There are realtors who specialize in listing homes and those that specialize in representing buyers. Be sure to chose the right realtor for the right job. A relator who represent home buyers has the credentials ABR which stand for Accredited Buyers Representative.