The short answer
Pick the agent with a verifiable local track record, credentials you can check (brokerage awards and NAR designations), specific reviews and references, clear communication, and a written agreement that spells out services and pay. Interview two or three agents with the same questions, confirm their license with the Minnesota Department of Commerce, and compare.
1. Track record and sales volume
Experience you can verify beats experience you’re told about. Ask how many homes the agent (or their team) has closed, over what years, and where. A strong record in Rochester tells you more about Rochester than a bigger number from across the state.
- Ask for a list or map of recent sales, both listings sold and buyers helped.
- Ask how many were in your town, price range and type of home.
- Ask whether the numbers are the agent’s own or the team’s. Both are fine; you just want to know.
2. Awards and designations
Two kinds of credentials are worth asking about:
- Brokerage awards, such as RE/MAX’s club awards, Hall of Fame and Lifetime Achievement. Brokerages give these for production over time. Ask what the award measured and what year it was for.
- Professional designations from the National Association of REALTORS®, earned through extra coursework. Common ones include the GRI (broad training in law, procedures and technology), PSA (pricing and market analysis) and AHWD (fair housing practices).
A designation shows training, not results, and an award shows results, not fit. Use both as a starting point for questions.
3. Reviews and references
Online reviews help, but read them for specifics: how the agent handled a problem, how fast they answered, whether the client would hire them again. A page of five-word five-star reviews tells you less than one detailed story.
- Read reviews on more than one site.
- Ask for two or three recent clients you can call, ideally with a home like yours.
- Ask what went wrong in a recent deal and how they fixed it.
4. Local market knowledge
Minnesota markets differ a lot from town to town. A good local agent can explain, without looking it up:
- What similar homes nearby actually sold for, and how fast.
- Minnesota disclosures, including the seller’s property disclosure and the radon disclosure, plus well, septic and (for pre-1978 homes) lead-based paint disclosures when they apply.
- Property taxes and the Minnesota homestead classification.
- Local factors such as commute times, school district boundaries (check the Minnesota Report Card), HOA rules, flood zones and rural property issues.
5. Communication and support
Most frustration with agents comes down to communication. Before you sign, agree on:
- How you’ll hear from them (call, text, email) and how quickly.
- Who you’ll actually work with day to day. On a team, ask who handles showings, paperwork and negotiation.
- Who covers when your agent is unavailable.
- How often you’ll get updates while your home is listed or under contract.
6. Commissions and buyer agreements (after the 2024 settlement)
Minnesota has long required a signed buyer’s broker agreement before an agent acts as a buyer’s representative (Minn. Stat. 82.66, subd. 2). Since August 17, 2024, the NAR settlement also requires a written agreement before touring a home with an agent who uses an MLS. That agreement has to state a specific amount or rate, or how it’s calculated, and say that commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. (NAR)
- Read the length of the agreement, what services are included, and how you can end it.
- Ask whether the agent expects you to pay them, or to ask the seller to pay, and what happens if the seller won’t.
- Ask how their fee affects the cash you’ll need at closing. A fee you pay yourself may not be financeable, depending on your loan type, so ask your lender.
Read our full explainer on buyer agreements and commissions →
7. Check the license
Every Minnesota real estate agent must be licensed by the Minnesota Department of Commerce. Search the agent’s name on the state’s PULSE license search (choose Individual, then enter their last and first name) to confirm the license is active and see which brokerage it’s with. Every agent works under a licensed brokerage, and their ads have to name it.
Questions to ask in an interview
- How many homes have you closed in the last few years, and how many near me?
- Who will I work with day to day?
- What exactly does your written agreement include, how long does it last, and how can I end it?
- How are you paid, and who do you expect to pay you?
- How will you price my home, or how will you help me decide what to offer?
- Can I talk to two or three recent clients?