When you call an office, you get the agent who is on floor duty. He/she has first dibs on calls coming in, and has no obligation to direct you to anyone else in the office. Agents are independent contracts, not employees. You might get better results by asking to speak to the office manager, but even that person is an independent agent.

Try calling the local Board of Realtors and asking for their list of top agents in their membership.

OK, just called the local realtor association and she said she couldn't give me that list because they have to be impartial to their members. My gentle persuasion of "but you're not steering me, you're just providing me information" fell on deaf ears. She suggested I call a local office to request the information. Grrrr...

Check ads. Around here, every office runs ads touting their top agents. Or the top agents run their own ads.

try googling, "top residential realtors in ______". You'll probably see lots of agency sites, but look for a link to a business page or newspaper article that covers the story.

It's out of state, so can't check local ads.

I just tried the google suggestion. Went through 5 pages but nothing ranking individuals.

I did email back the floor agent I got at broker #2, explained that I wasn't basing my decision solely on highest producer, outlined my selection process/criteria, and offered him a guaranteed opportunity to pitch me if he'd supply me this (apparently) carefully guarded list.

Last time I agent shopped, every single one that showed up brought a rankings list. They sorted it in a way to portray themselves in the best possible light, but none of them treated it like confidential info. I don't see what they're so afraid of. I mean, if you're the floor agent and you hem and haw and don't provide the info I'm asking for, I'm definitely crossing you off the list as incompatible. OTOH, if you're extremely helpful on the front end, even if your sales are middling, I'm much more inclined to give you a shot.

I couldn't agree with ncrealestateguy more. Top producers are not necessarily for everyone. I met with a top producer who had a team, she ran such a racket that I seriously considered kicking her out of my house. She gave me comps for my area and had taken out any houses that were selling or had sold for a reasonable amount of money. My wife keeps up with the real estate transactions in the area and asked her about the missing comps, she just noted that she only pulled the relevant ones. Some of the irrelevant were houses that were the same age and square footage as ours, on our street. We mentioned it to a retired agent friend and he noted that it was her modus operandi, apparently her houses sell in 15 days and she has built a reputation for buyers getting built in equity but she still gets listings.

Look at realtor.com for local listings close to the price range you think your home will fall in, and find ads with good photos and descriptions. Visit some open houses and just casually talk to the agents that you thought did a good job with the ads, and whom you connected with in open houses.

I agree. Sometimes it's not all about the numbers. Some top producing agents are/will be too busy to respond to your questions as quickly as you want a response. Some are simply "listing machines" with little opportunity for you to get the service you seem to want.

The new Zillow book had an interesting take on this subject...basically, a new agent just getting in the business may show more enthusiasm and personal interest than a more experienced agent - I can't remember the exact number, but there is a range something like 5-10 years where agents sell homes faster but more experience than that they take longer because they have so much business that each individual gets less attention. You'd have to read the whole chapter to get it, but it's interesting data analysis. I recommend checking it out from the library if you have time to browse through it.

Whatever you do, when you do your interviews, make THEM sell you on themselves! We did exactly what you are doing and went with agents that were proven sellers. The home was my late mother in laws and in need of serious updating but in a high end neighborhood. After explaining to those we interviewed that we wanted to update it prior to listing (not let some investors get OUR profit), two tried to convince us to sell "as is" at a much lower price than we wanted. THEY didn't LISTEN to what we wanted.

The one that got the job was a top seller in that town who actually brought his marketing plan! He had samples of ads HE had placed, a stager he would recommend who would come on his dime and give her advice, and his recommendations of what we could do that would cost the least for the biggest return. He SOLD us, AND he sold the house before it ever hit the market for $10 K CASH over asking.

When you arrange for interviews make it clear they need to bring their marketing plan. They should be prepared to pay for photos, ads, etc. Let them earn their commission, and Good Luck to YOU!!

Right after I responded above, I searched my computer for my excel spreadsheet for that particular property. I found it. Wow! Brings back memories! Somehow I found a link to the realtors in that particular county by searching online. I know I looked in that area on Zillow and Trulia to see which realtors had active listings. Maybe nobody will give you that data, but you can compile it yourself with a little online research.

You need to decide up front what your wishes are ie: fast sale as is, or fix and flip, and the realtor you choose should LISTEN and repeat so you know he/.she is listening. Communication is definitely key. Again, Good luck!

Thanks for all the advice. For the record, I'm not going after the top seller above all. I understand that they may not be the best mesh with my personality and needs, and they may not have time for me like one with fewer listings. I'm just wanting volumes so I can screen out the ones that don't do much business.

I actually started my process as Linda suggested: last weekend I browsed the MLS listings for this town starting at the lowest price, since ours is a starter home. I clicked on about 60 listings, which were represented by 50 different agents (!!) and noted a handful with very good photos, another dozen with good ones, and the rest were unimpressive. I wanted to take that list and run it through the volume filter.

NC: I imagine if I asked the broker in charge for an agent that had those skills, he/she would say "oh, all of our agents are that way" or tell me they can't pick favorites. Heck, I'm having problems getting objective data from these sources, I don't have a lot of faith that they'd be able/willing to subjectively steer me to someone with the soft skills you mention. Unless it was him/herself.

I can't do open houses, as I'm not local. I need to pre-screen from afar, then meet them all in person in 2 weeks when I go up.

By way of update, person #1 never responded to my follow-up email request for numbers by agent. Agent #2 said he was working on it. I sent him an email assuring him I wasn't just looking for a top seller, outlined some of what I'm looking for in an agent, and promised to give him a shot at pitching me if he helped me out with the numbers. He assured me he was working on it, but it sounded like maybe he has to get approval to give them to me?? I can't imagine those reports aren't readily available in their MLS.

We're looking for a fast (but not desperate) sale. Not quite as-is, as we will make a few repairs (windows, possibly one floor due to a water leak), but no upgrades. We did a big clean/overhaul before these renters moved in, so it doesn't need much.

We've been looking for a home to buy in another state, communicating with

A realtor. I find he is not spending much time looking for a place for us.

Could it be because I'm not there? Hope that's all it is.

Out of state buying is tough. We did it once, but not to relocate. As an investment. I wish you well in finding a good real estate pro. Sometimes your own motivation is best. Do some research on crime, schools, and best places to live in the area where you want to move. Know the best zip codes and streets and look on your own here: http://newhomes.move.com/mlscom That is the MLS listing site. Also look for new home builders in that town. Don't forget proximity to shopping, doctors and all things important to you. Once you find a good home, call the listing agent. Be sure you have a qualification letter from your lender. Good luck!

Weedy, our county GIS provides sale information. You can't see the realtor but you could look at sales in your price range and Google the address. The listing will probably show up.

josephene_gw- how long before you move? If it's more than 60 days, the agents may not be sending listings now, because many of them will be under contract before you are ready. Are you going to be buying sight unseen, or making a trip down there to look at homes/put in offer?

I have out of state buyers quite often. I will initially talk to them on the phone to find out about what they want, their lifestyle, what is important to them, and their price range. I will usually encourage them to get preapproved, so they know what amount of pmt they qualify for/what dn pmt/loan type eligibility (VA? First time buyer?). I prefer a pmt over a loan amount, because if they aren't from here, they may not know that property taxes are really high (can easily be 500-1000 mo), and if they got qualified not knowing that, there could be issues with their debt to income ratio when it goes to underwriting.

Then I will send them about 10 listings that meet their criteria, so they can get a feel for what is available, and I try to get their feedback so I can get a better idea of what they like. I won't send more listings until about a week or so before they are coming here (assuming they aren't buying sight unseen), so I am only sending available homes. I have them go through the list, and send me back a list of what they want to see.

So if you are having a hard time getting responses...

1) Call them. Don't email. You'll have an easier time if you can develop rapport with the agent, and see how well they listen, answer questions, etc.

2) get preapproved- Agents don't want to spend hrs sending people listings that haven't even determined what amount they qualify for. (MAKE SURE YOU GET A PAYMENT AMOUNT that you are approved for, not just a loan amount. Taxes can vary in different parts of the country and screw up your debt to income)

3) ask for them to send you some listings to get an idea of what is available.

4) Try to get listings about a week before visiting to view homes, then go thru list and send list back of what you want to see.

Thanks very much. I check the listings often myself. We know where we want to live. Won't need a mortgage told the realtor this. I understand why he hasn't done much yet. Will be making the trip within 2to3 weeks. Of course he will know in advance.

Not putting realtor down. Just saying and I understand why he isn't motivated

Yet.

I'd tell him you'd like a list of houses that meet your needs sent to you a week before arrival, so you can go thru them and pick what you want to see. If you don't get that list (or a return ph call within a day, so you can ask for list), I'd look for a more responsive realtor. They should be keeping you updated on how they work things like sending listings. If you are feeling like they aren't communicating, then maybe they aren't very good. You need to feel comfortable with who is working for you. bad communication with the buyer, often means bad communication with everyone, which can screw up a deal. That's bad if it's on a house you really like.