Buying a home is a big deal - so while it may be tempting to go with the first word-of-mouth recommendation you get, when it comes to choosing a real estate agent, it pays to do a bit more research. A real estate pro will be responsible for determining a good purchase price, coordinating conversations with sellers and seller agents, and ultimately, walking you through the entire buying process.  To make an informed choice take the time to interview several of the best candidates before making a decision. Here are 14 questions to ask potential real estate agents.

When you visit a public open house and an agent asks you to sign the "sign-in sheet" what should you say? What should you write down? What are the rules for who can represent you if you decide that the Open House is, in fact, your future Dream House? 

Many times the agent holding the open house states the seller is requiring a list of everyone who walked through the house as a measurement of interest and to get feedback on the price and condition of the property. Some agents state that their company policy, brokerage and/or seller require the list of visitors for security reasons in case something ends up missing from the house.  

While these are legitimate reasons, if you have ever provided your real contact information at an open house, you have probably experienced being contacted for something other than the explained reason. Most likely you were solicited to see if you wanted an agent to show you a different house or if you needed pre-approved for a mortgage.