Ask for a list of the homes the agent has sold in the last year, with the asking and final sales prices. Real estate is not unlike financial planning or insurance in that you want to be a lot like an advisor's average client.

If you have a $200,000 home (or that amount to spend on a new home) and the agent's sales sheet includes mostly homes valued at three times that much, you may not be getting a great match. After all, the agent will be better compensated by the commissions on the other properties, which may mean you get less attention.

Similarly, you want to make sure that the agent handles your kinds of properties. If their sales in the last year have been mostly single-family homes and you have a condo (or want to buy a condo), she may not be expert at dealing with the issues you're facing.