Many of the agents in Silicon Valley do just about the same thing. They send fliers to your home and sometimes e-mails to your in-box, but glossy fliers or flashy e-mails tell you nothing about their experience or ability to serve their clients.
How do you choose a reliable real estate agent to represent your best interests?
Check out the strength of their network, which speaks volumes about how well they meet their clients’ needs. Start with their blog—if they even have one. As you read, ask yourself whether it’s written by someone who’s smart and dedicated to helping people just like you buy or sell a home. If an agent contributes time to writing a blog, then it may show their experience and commitment to their clients and the industry.
Next, check out testimonial and social media Web sites. Many of these sites are comprised of unsolicited testimonials or detailed experiences working with a particular person. Some of these site may include Yelp or LinkedIn. I’m humbled that so many of my clients value my services and proactively recommend me to their friends, family, and even strangers—especially since I work entirely by referral only.
One of the best social networking sites I’ve been using is Facebook.
It’s a great way to get back in touch and keep in contact with friends and family members. I was able to find a few friend half way around the world that I hadn’t been in touch with for over a decade. I’ve also conducted business through Facebook.
For example, after one of my clients presented an offer on a property, I hit radio silence. I couldn’t get feedback from the listing agent. So I did a title search to identify the property owner and sent the
owner a message through Facebook to confirm that my client’s offer had been received. The result was a signed contract. (I understand that there’s a reason for buyers and sellers to hire agents and I don’t recommend contacting the other agent’s client, but their are times when proactive out-of-the-box action is required.)
It’s one thing to read a resume, but networking sites give you a much fuller picture of who a person is. Look me up and let me know what you think. 
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