There are over 800 real esate agents that are members of the Sutter-Yuba Association of Realtors' Multiple Listing Service (MLS) for you to choose from. Finding the best real estate agent may seem like a daunting task but it can really be quite simple.

While I am always looking for a few good clients, my purpose here is to help you navigate through the process of finding an agent. So, here are my recommendations;

1. If you have an agent that you know, respect and trust, then look no farther. There are plenty of good agents and you probably already have one.

2. If you don't already have a good agent, then contact a title company. We are very fortunate to have three good title companies in town and the escrow officers know who all of the good agents are. They do business with these agents on a regular basis and often see a side of them not seen by the public.

Title companies, because of the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA), are not permitted to "recommend" specific agents to you when you call them. However, they are able maintain a list of local agents that can be given out to people who make an inquiry. They will normally give out three names and rotate through their list so they are not always giving out the same names - that would be too much like a recommendation. The great news here is that, normally, only the good agents make their lists. Any name they give out is probably someone that they would be happy to do business with.

Talk to any agents that you are considering using. One of my favorite quotes is "The mark of a good salesman is that his customer doesn’t regard him as a salesman at all, but a trusted and indispensable adviser ..." Use this as a guide in judging the agents you talk to.

If you are selling, then ask the agents to do a competitive market analysis (CMA) for you. While price and commission are important, the real value in having them do a CMA is to find the agent that demonstrates the best knowledge of the real estate market and of marketing. DO NOT get trapped into listing with the agent who quotes the highest price or the lowest commission (in the industry, agents who do this are said to be "buying the listing"). This is especially true in a declining market because you don't want to get caught "chasing the market."

Sellers should ask the agent to detail their marketing program.

Good luck in your real estate transactions.