Realtors

If you're shopping for a home, you should get a realtor.  It costs you nothing as a buyer to use one.
If you're selling your home, you are probably better off using a realtor if you want to sell quick.

However, some tips (as I love to give unsolicited advice...a blog is a great way to do that)

Please make sure your real estate agent isn't:

• A friend
• A relative
• A member you know from your church

Because if (s)he sucks, it will be hard to cut them off and lose more in your time and especially money. 



If nothing else, when checking out a real estate agent...if they tell you they're full-time, you got to find out what their definition of "full-time" means before going further. Real estate may be all what they're doing but involved in 1-3 transactions in a year.  You want someone involved in a lot more transactions per year than that. 

Think about it.  If you are planning to sell your home and get an inexperienced seller's agent, you risk having them sell your home at too low of a price so that a more experienced buyer's agent will notice it, and tell their buyers to go ahead and make an offer.  

When it comes to buyer vs seller, whomever's agent that has the most experience and knowledge of the market will win.