• Make sure that the Realtor is working full time, not just part time. Ask the Realtor what his or her availability is and how many other clients they are handling at the same time. As a first time home buyer, you will need someone who is always available to answer your questions and meet your needs.

• Ensure that your Realtor works in an office that has full time administration services on site.  Nothing worse than a Prospective Buyer calling for information on your property and having to leave a message on a machine!

• Your Realtor should be very knowledgeable about the neighbourhood where you plan to buy or sell the property. The Realtor must be familiar with significant landmarks such as nearby hospitals, schools, shopping malls, and commercial areas. Your realtor should also be able to give you details on recent sales and current listings in the same area.

• Find out what your Realtor's preferred method of communication is (phone, mobile, email, etc.) and how often you could keep in touch with them.

• Make sure your Realtor agrees to an "out clause or has a listing cancelation agreement" meaning any time you feel that your Realtor does not meet your needs or is showing unsatisfactory work, you can terminate the contract with them.

• Grab a pen and paper and take notes. 83% of the home buyers start their search online so it is extremely important that your agent has a website and /or blog. If you google an agent's name you can find out information very quickly based on what surfaces via web sites, social networks and the use of the top real estate marketing tools. If you google your area and the words real estate you will see a clear picture of the selection of agents. Read their web sites, their profiles and learn about the services they provide. Google search their name and the company's name. You want to see how large their web presence is and get to know them a bit before they walk in the door.

• Once you have done the research and you are happy with the number of candidates who will be interviewing. Start scheduling times. Depending on how quickly you want to place your property on the market may determine the number of applicants you would like to interview. I would not recommend interviewing more than 2 a day unless you must select rather quickly then space them an hour apart. Take notes and ask questions.

• It is important that you and your agent are on the same page. A few questions to ask before you sign on the dotted line: Do you have any questions in regards to the agreement and or compensation? Do they offer testimonials from previous customers? How often will they contact you? Did they explain how they work and how they will get the job done?

• Did you and the agent build rapport? It's important to understand that sometimes agreements can go as long as a full year. Pay attention to the length of the listing. Ask yourself this question. If I had to, can I work with this agent for a full year? If the answer is no you might want to find someone a little more compatible. If you can, more than likely it will be a good fit.

10 Things You Need To Ask Before You Hire Them