Without any obligation, Sellers can invite Realtors to visit your home to give you a "listing presentation" about why they're the best ones to market the home. Two to three presentations will probably give you a good opportunity for choice. A listing presentation should include the reasons why you should list with that particular individual, and provide you with information that will assist you in making initial decisions about selling your home.

Recent laws in every state have defined the duties of someone specifically retained as a real estate agent. Texas state law require real estate agents to explain their role at the outset of any conversation. A professional agent will promptly provide this such a disclosure.

Look for an agent who:

Is a member of the local board or association of REALTORS®;
Explains and discloses agency relationships (the role of the agent, i.e., who they are representing--the buyer or the seller) early on in the process, at "serious first contact";
Advises you on how to prepare your home for the market;
Shows some enthusiasm for your property, listens attentively, instills confidence, operates in a professional manner, and has a complementary personality style to yours;
Has already researched your property in the public records and the MLS; and brings data on nearby homes that have sold (or failed to sell) recently.

The following are important questions to ask a potential agent:

Are you a member of the National Association of Realtors?
Do you belong to the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) and/or a reliable online home buyer’s
search service? (Multiple Listing Services are cooperative information networks of REALTORS® that provide descriptions of most of the houses for sale in a particular region.)
What have you listed or sold in this neighborhood lately?
Do you cooperate with buyers' brokers? What share of the commission will you offer a cooperating broker who finds the buyer?

And in addition to the criteria mentioned above, there are number of very important reasons you will typically prefer to work with a REALTOR®. Among them are the fact that they adhere to the NAR’s highest standards of ethical conduct and professional training.

You can bet that all my answers to the questions above demonstrate my professionalism and experience.