There's a common saying in the real estate industry regarding the vast number of agents in the business: 'If you don't have any friends who are agents, then you probably don't have any friends at all.' In some ways that is even more true in the North Conway market area. This is a destination for retirement and real estate is often viewed as a comfortable business to "dabble in" once retired. You know: Once you don't really have to work.
The question is, with so many agents out there, how can you make an intelligent decision? Do you choose a friend, neighbor or someone you run into out having fun? Should you work with an agent at a large firm, a small firm, a franchise or an independent?
While there's an exception to every rule, and every marketplace has its own nuances, here are some solid rules to apply when you want the best representation to protect your interests.

Demand Experience
The real estate profession has high turnover. This creates a workforce that is made up of many newcomers and part-timers. While there are new agents and part-timers with good intentions, why would you trust one of the largest investments you'll ever buy or sell to someone without experience?
Always look for a full time agent with at least five years of experience. Anyone still in the business after five years of relying solely on their real estate career has probably learned at least the fundamentals of real estate.

Look for Commitment
Another problem we have in the industry is a large number of part time and recreational salespeople. These folks have either retired from some other career, work in real estate seasonally or are earning a second income for the family and honestly don't need to work full time.
No matter how long they have been in real estate, their lack of full-time commitment makes it impossible for them to keep up with the vast changes in law, marketing and business practices that are occurring in the profession today.
If an agent isn't working at least forty hours a week, fifty weeks a year, working with buyers and sellers, look for someone else.

Consider Education
In the majority of states, the requirements for real estate licensing are substantially less than those for cutting hair. In NH, for example, all that is required is a forty-hour class and a multiple choice test. You cannot rely on licensing to indicate competence. And, unfortunately, many agent's real estate education ends with their pre-license education.
While there are numerous advanced real estate education courses available, only the best agents seem to take meaningful continuing education courses
A REALTOR® who pursues education that can benefit their clients/consumers shows a commitment to their profession. Look for agents that embrace current technology with designations like the "ePRO" (internet specialist) and "ABR" (Acreditted Buyer's Representative.) These are courses that have an added value to you. 

Conduct Interviews
Before you hire an agent to help you buy or sell a home, you should interview the agents. Get recommendations from friends, family and neighbors. Then look on the web and the local newspaper to see what kind of marketing the various companies are doing in your area.
Then make brief fact-finding calls to determine which of the agents on your list are full time and how much property they actually sell. You will probably need to call ten to fifteen agents in order to find three that are worth interviewing.
The interview itself need not be a formal one. It is simply an opportunity for you to meet the candidate and explain your needs; and to determine whether you would be comfortable working with them. Ask whatever questions you like, or simply explain your goals and listen carefully to what they propose to do for you in meeting your needs.

The decision
If you follow the suggestions above, you will find that there are excellent agents working for firms both large and small; both franchised and independent. Thus, the real decision must be made based on the competency of the individual agent you will be working with on a day-to-day basis.