If you are selling your home, the most valuable thing you have on your side is not off-street parking or working fireplaces; it’s your real estate agent.  And like looking for the perfect pair of ankle boots, it can be a long and soul-destroying search to find the right one.

The most beautiful house in the world won’t sell if you don’t have the right person doing all the work for you. If a dodgy photo of your home is rotting away in some equally dodgy window display, you are not going to achieve top dollar for it, are you?

Getting people in to see your home is the most important part of selling it, so stop worrying about roasting coffee beans in the oven to make the place smell nice, and start worrying about how to find the best person for the job.

1. Do your research
Start by taking a walk around your neighbourhood and look for real estate boards – the key is to look for ‘sold’ boards, not just ‘for sale’ boards.

2. Look for houses like your own
If you are selling a five bed family home, look for realtors who specialise in this type of property. They will have the right buyers on their books. If their window display is full of two-bed flats, they aren’t going to have the right buyers.

3. Ask for recommendations
Ask friends, co-workers, neighbours, anyone who has had a good selling experience. Most people are so irked by estate agents that if they have a good experience they will be more than happy to talk about it.

4. Get online
Check out the big real estate websites like rightmove.co.uk and see which real estate agencies have good online presence.

5. Check individual sites
Remember that most home buyers start their search online, so look at which agencies have the best websites. Do they have good quality photos, floorplans, maps? Is the site fast to load and easy to navigate? Do they reply promptly to online queries? All these things matter.

6. Phone manner
Instead of going in to see the agent in person, start by giving them a call. If you can’t get hold of them straight away, do they return your call promptly and efficiently? Are they polite, with a good phone manner? Do they sound trustworthy and able to construct a sentence without saying ‘init’ every six seconds? Think like a prospective buyer.

7. Short list
Short list 3-4 agencies and get them round to make valuations. Make them justify the reasoning behind their valuation so that you know they aren’t just saying what you want to hear. They should also be able to draw on comparisons from your local area. Make sure you have done your research, maybe via a private valuation, so you know whether you are being given realistic expectations.

8. Good chemistry
You are going to be dealing with this person a lot, so choose someone that you have good chemistry with.  Forget anyone who makes you feel picky or difficult; or who talks down to you.

9. Ask questions
Ask every and any question you can think of before committing to an agency; check opening hours, their process for viewings, terms and conditions. Everything.

10. Remember: you have the power
Past bad experiences can make people very disdainful of real estate agents; and many people have the attitude that they are paying for a service so it doesn’t matter how they treat their realtor. But remember, a good relationship with your realtor is vital; if they know you think they are little better than a used car salesman, they aren’t going to give you the best possible service. You want your house to be the first house shown to buyers – so be nice! Creating a positive rapport with them is the best thing you can do to get your house shown to as many people as possible, and sell quickly.