To choose a real estate agent, first confirm the license is active with the state regulator (DBPR in Florida, TREC in Texas, ADRE in Arizona). Then interview at least two or three agents who work your area and price range, ask how they will represent you, and read the written agreement before you tour homes: what they charge and how they are paid is negotiable.

A good agent saves you time, protects you in negotiations and keeps the deadlines in your contract under control. A poor fit can cost you money or a home you wanted. The good news is that most of what matters can be checked before you sign anything.

This guide gives you a practical checklist, the questions worth asking, how agency relationships work in Florida, Texas and Arizona, and what changed with written buyer agreements in 2024.

  • Verify the license directly with the state regulator, every time.
  • Interview more than one agent and compare answers, not just personalities.
  • Understand the relationship: who the agent represents and what duties they owe you.
  • Read the written agreement: compensation must be a clear amount or rate, and it is negotiable.

A quick checklist before you hire

  1. License is active and in the right name. Look the agent up by name or license number on the regulator’s site.
  2. Works for a licensed brokerage. In Texas, the record shows the sponsoring broker for a sales agent; in Arizona and Florida, agents also work under a broker.
  3. Local experience in the city or county and the type of home you want (condo, single-family, new construction).
  4. Availability: how quickly they answer, and who covers when they are busy.
  5. Clear explanation of how they are paid, in writing, before you tour.
  6. Communication in the language you are most comfortable with. Contracts are usually in English, so ask the agent to walk you through each document.
  7. No pressure to sign long exclusive agreements on the spot.

Questions to ask a real estate agent

Use these in a 20–30 minute interview. You are not looking for perfect answers, but for specific, honest ones.

Question Why it matters A good answer looks like
What is your license number and who is your broker? Lets you verify the license and know who supervises the agent. They share it immediately and invite you to check it on the state site.
How will you represent me? Duties differ by relationship and by state. They name the relationship (for example transaction broker or single agent in Florida) and explain the duties in plain words.
How are you paid, and how much? Since August 2024, agents working with buyers on NAR-affiliated MLSs need a written agreement with a clear amount. A specific flat fee, percentage or other clear figure, plus what happens if the seller offers to pay part of it.
How long does the agreement last, and how can I end it? Agreements cannot be open-ended under the NAR practice change. A defined term and clear cancellation terms you can read before signing.
How many buyers or sellers have you helped in this area recently? Local knowledge affects pricing and negotiation. Concrete, recent examples without sharing other clients’ private details.
Who else will I work with? Teams and assistants are common. Names and roles of the team members and who signs the documents.
How do you handle multiple offers or a low appraisal? Shows their negotiation process. A clear plan and options, not promises of a guaranteed result.
Can you explain every document to me, and in my language? You sign legally binding contracts. Yes, and they suggest a real estate attorney or interpreter when needed.

How to verify a license in Florida, Texas and Arizona

Never rely only on a website, a business card or a directory listing, including Dupica. Check the regulator directly:

  • Florida: the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) license search lets you search by name, license number, city or county, or license type.
  • Texas: the Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) License Holder Search shows the license type, status, expiration date and, for a sales agent, the sponsoring broker. A Disciplinary Actions button shows any discipline in TREC’s records for the past 10 years.
  • Arizona: use the license search on the Arizona Department of Real Estate (ADRE) website, azre.gov.

We explain each search step by step, and what statuses such as “inactive” mean, in our guide on how to verify a real estate license in Florida, Texas and Arizona.

Agency relationships: who does the agent work for?

Each state has its own rules about how an agent can represent you. Ask which one applies before you share your budget or strategy.

Florida

Under section 475.278 of the Florida Statutes, a licensee can work with you as a transaction broker, as a single agent, or with no brokerage relationship. Florida presumes that licensees are transaction brokers unless a single agent or no brokerage relationship is set up in writing. A transaction broker owes limited confidentiality and duties such as honesty, skill and care, while a single agent also owes loyalty, confidentiality, obedience and full disclosure. Dual agency is not allowed in Florida.

Texas

TREC requires license holders to give you the Information About Brokerage Services (IABS) notice at the first substantive communication about a specific property. It explains the types of representation available. There are limited exceptions, such as a conversation at an open house about that property.

Arizona

Arizona’s real estate rules say a licensee owes a fiduciary duty to the client and must deal fairly with all parties. A salesperson or broker cannot represent or accept compensation from more than one party to a transaction without the prior written consent of all parties, and must disclose certain conflicts of interest in writing before you enter a binding agreement.

Written buyer agreements and commissions since August 2024

As part of its class-action settlement, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) put practice changes in place on August 17, 2024. For agents on NAR-affiliated MLSs who are working with a buyer:

  • A written agreement is required before touring a home, including live virtual tours.
  • The agreement must state the amount or rate of compensation in a way that is objectively ascertainable, not open-ended.
  • The agent cannot receive more than the amount agreed, from any source.
  • It must say that broker commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable.

Offers of compensation to buyer agents can no longer appear on the MLS. Sellers can still agree to pay part or all of your agent’s fee, and you can ask for it in your offer. For Florida details, see our guide to real estate commission in Florida.

Red flags

  • The agent will not give you a license number, or the license is inactive or expired.
  • Vague answers about pay, or an agreement with blank or open-ended compensation.
  • Pressure to sign immediately or to skip the home inspection.
  • Promises of a guaranteed sale price or approval.
  • Asking you to wire money based only on an email or text. Always confirm wire instructions by phone with the title company using a number you found yourself.
  • Comments about which neighborhoods are “right for people like you.” The Fair Housing Act bans discrimination based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status or disability, and steering buyers toward or away from areas for those reasons is illegal.

How to use Dupica to build your shortlist

  • City and county pages list brokerages and agents built from state license records, for example Miami, Harris County (Houston) or Phoenix. Agents who speak Spanish are listed first.
  • Every profile shows the license number and type from the state record, so you can verify it with the regulator in a minute.
  • Rankings compare brokerages by city, such as the best brokerages in Miami.
  • The Speaks Spanish badge is self-declared by the agent. Dupica does not test language skills, so confirm in your first call.

Dupica does not verify, audit or recommend any agent. Records are refreshed periodically; read how on our data sources page and always confirm the license with the state.

Frequently asked questions

How many real estate agents should I interview?

Interviewing two or three agents who work your area and price range is usually enough to compare their experience, communication and fees. Ask each one the same questions so the answers are easy to compare.

Do I have to sign an agreement before touring homes with an agent?

Since August 17, 2024, agents on NAR-affiliated MLSs who work with a buyer must have a written agreement before touring a home, including live virtual tours. The agreement must state compensation as a clear amount or rate and say that commissions are negotiable.

Are real estate commissions negotiable?

Yes. Commissions are not set by law, and the NAR rules require written agreements to state that broker commissions are fully negotiable.

How do I check if a real estate agent is licensed?

Search the agent’s name or license number on the state regulator’s website: DBPR in Florida, TREC in Texas and ADRE in Arizona. Confirm that the license is active and that the name matches.

What is a transaction broker in Florida?

A transaction broker provides limited representation to a buyer, a seller or both, with duties such as honesty, skill and care, and limited confidentiality. Florida law presumes licensees are transaction brokers unless another relationship is set up in writing.

Does the Speaks Spanish badge on Dupica mean the agent was tested?

No. The badge is self-declared by the agent and Dupica does not test language skills. Confirm the agent’s Spanish in your first conversation.

Sources

This article is for general information only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Amounts and rules change: confirm them with the official sources linked above or with a licensed professional before making decisions.