A good real estate agent can make or break a home search, especially if you're a young buyer.
According to a new report by the National Association of Realtors, 90 percent of adults 34 and younger who bought a home in the 12-month period ending June 2014 used an agent.
"They want someone who is going to help them through the process because they've never done this before," said Jessica Lautz, director of survey research and communications at the association.
Many young buyers rely on referrals from family and friends to find an agent, according to the study. But here are four questions to ask before you pick an agent.
Whom do you represent?
You want an agent who will look out for your best interest. Some states allow what's known as dual agency, in which an agent can represent both a buyer and a seller in the same transaction. By representing both sides, however, the agent can only give limited advice.
So-called exclusive buyer agents represent only home buyers. As a result, the chance of a conflict of interest is minimal. Even traditional brokerages that both list homes and represent buyers — but not on the same deal — can't make that claim, says John Sullivan, an exclusive buyer agent in Baltimore.
"If agents start pounding down the prices on homes, the broker might approach those agents and say they're getting killed on the listing side," Sullivan said.
You can search for exclusive buyer agents through the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents.