Guest article from recommendagent.com.
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The average American will buy and sell 3-5 homes in their lifetime. And many people can lose $10,000 to $20,000 on a transaction simply because they hired the wrong agent.
I’m not talking about bad agents or scam artists. I’m talking about perfectly competent, well-reviewed agents who simply weren’t the right specialist for that particular buyer or seller.
After 24 years in real estate, I’ve watched this mistake play out hundreds of times. Here’s what most people get wrong—and how to avoid leaving thousands of dollars on the table.
The Three Mistakes Everyone Makes
Mistake #1: Choosing Based on Reviews Alone
Online reviews tell you an agent is good at something. They don’t tell you if they’re good at YOUR specific situation.
I recently helped a client who found an agent with 4.9 stars and over 200 glowing reviews. Looked perfect on paper.
Then I asked three simple questions:
- How many remote closings have you handled in the past year?
- What’s your average response time during business hours?
- Who’s on your team for inspections and title work when the buyer is 1,000 miles away?
The agent couldn’t answer any of them confidently. Because despite 200+ five-star reviews, they’d never handled a remote transaction before.
That agent was genuinely excellent—for local buyers. But for my client relocating from out of state? Completely wrong fit.
Mistake #2: Using Friend Referrals Without Asking the Right Questions
“My friend’s agent was amazing! You should use them too.”
Great. But what made them amazing for your friend?
Your friend selling a $350,000 single-family home in the suburbs needs completely different expertise than you buying a $750,000 waterfront condo sight-unseen from another state.
Real estate agents have specializations:
- First-time buyers vs. experienced investors
- New construction vs. resale properties
- Local transactions vs. remote closings
- Luxury markets vs. starter homes
- Condos vs. single-family homes
The agent who crushed it for your friend might be totally wrong for you, and you won’t know until it’s too late.
Mistake #3: Going with Whoever Responds First
You fill out a form on Zillow or Realtor.com. Five agents contact you within 10 minutes. You go with whoever seems nice and responds fastest.
Here’s the problem: the agents who respond immediately aren’t necessarily the best agents. They’re the agents with the most time on their hands—which often means they’re newer, less experienced, or struggling to generate business organically.
The top specialists in any market are already busy with clients from referrals and repeat business. They don’t need to camp out on Zillow leads.
The Real Cost of Getting It Wrong
Let me show you what this looks like in dollars:
Example 1: The negotiation gap
- Average agent negotiates $5,000-$10,000 off asking price
- Specialist with deep local knowledge and strong negotiation skills can negotiate more effectively
- Potential cost of wrong agent: $5,000-$10,000
Example 2: The inspection leverage
- Average agent schedules inspection, receives report, asks for basic repairs
- Specialist knows which inspection items are dealbreakers in that market, which contractors to call for estimates, and how to negotiate real concessions
- Cost of wrong agent: $5,000-$10,000 in missed repair credits
Example 3: The pricing mistake
- Average agent prices your listing based on recent comps and online algorithms
- Specialist knows micro-market pricing, understands buyer psychology in that neighborhood, and prices strategically to create bidding competition
- Cost of wrong agent: $8,000-$15,000 in sale price
Add it up and the wrong agent can easily cost you $15,000-$25,000 on a single transaction—even if they’re perfectly nice, responsive, and well-reviewed.
The Questions You Must Ask Before Hiring
Here’s what separates a good agent from the RIGHT agent for your situation:
For Buyers:
- “How many transactions have you closed in [specific neighborhood/town] in the past 12 months?”
- “What’s the most common mistake you see buyers make in this market?”
- “How do you handle remote closings?” (if applicable)
For Sellers:
- “What’s your pricing strategy for my specific neighborhood?”
- “How many listings do you currently have?” (Too many = you won’t get attention)
- “What’s your marketing plan beyond MLS?” (Professional photos, staging, open houses, social media, etc.)
If an agent can’t answer these questions clearly and confidently, keep looking.
How to Find the Right Specialist
The challenge is that most people don’t know how to vet agents—especially when relocating to an unfamiliar area where they can’t ask friends for referrals.
That’s exactly why I created RecommendAgent.com after 24 years in the business. I’ve built a nationwide network of vetted specialists and personally match buyers and sellers with agents based on:
- Proven expertise in their specific transaction type (remote closing, luxury property, investment property, etc.)
- Deep knowledge of the exact neighborhoods where they’re searching
- Track record with situations exactly like theirs
- Communication style and responsiveness
- Professional networks (inspectors, contractors, lenders)
The service is completely free with zero obligation—I’m compensated through referral agreements with the agents I recommend, so my incentive is to find the BEST match for each client.
The Bottom Line
Choosing a real estate agent isn’t about finding someone nice with good reviews. It’s about finding a specialist with proven expertise in YOUR specific situation and market.
The wrong agent might cost you thousands. The right specialist can save you significantly more—not just in money saved, but in stress avoided and outcomes achieved.
Don’t treat the largest transaction of your life like a Yelp search. Do your homework, ask the right questions, and find the agent who specializes in exactly what you need.
About the Author: David Najdzinowicz has 24 years of real estate experience at the Jersey Shore and runs RecommendAgent.com, a free service matching buyers and sellers with vetted local specialists nationwide.