THE RIGHT STUFF IN A GROWING FIELD OF AGENTS, FINDING THE PERFECT REAL-ESTATE GUIDE CAN BE A CHALLENGE.

Byline: Evan Pondel Staff Writer

When Rebecca Bowne describes her real estate agent, there's no mention of a sharklike instinct for what sells and what doesn't.

Bowne, 57, simply characterizes her agent as an amiable person who thoughtfully crafts personalized thank-you notes even when a deal isn't realized.

``Sue is punctual, courteous and always gracious,'' said the Pasadena homeowner who recently went shopping (to no avail) for condos with her agent, Sue Shearin of Sotheby's International Realty. ``She even sent smoke detector batteries to us for the holidays ... without trying to get us to call her back.''

Either Shearin is truly a saint, or she is an expert when it comes to effective marketing after decades in the business. Regardless, a frenetic real estate market has attracted a bevy of new agents to the industry, making it more difficult for buyers and sellers to find the consummate broker.

In June 2005, there were approximately 449,000 valid real estate licenses in California, a 25 percent increase when compared with the same month two years ago, according to the California Department of Real Estate. Paralleling that increase is a rise in the number of ``desist and refrain orders'' sent to companies and people who had allegedly operated real estate businesses without appropriate licensing.

``Unlike restaurants, it's not always easy to find the right agent because they don't put a grade in the window,'' said Tom Pool, spokesman for the department, who recommends that consumers check the validity of their agent's license at www.dre.ca.gov. ``Word of mouth and references are another good place to start.''

But asking a neighbor or a friend whether they think highly of an agent may not be enough. There are other ways to debunk a broker. Steven Levitt, a University of Chicago economist and co-author of ``Freakonomics,'' suggested the following questions for references:

--When an offer came in, did the agent encourage you to take it or wait for a better one?

--Who wanted to lower the price, you or the agent?

--Did the agent do anything to help you that may have actually jeopardized the deal?

``You want an agent who tells you not to take bad offers, doesn't want you to list your house too low and doesn't mind a deal falling through,'' Levitt said via e-mail.

Another approach is to accept that agents have different incentives. A seller should then hire a flat-fee broker who, for say $500, lists the house on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and does nothing else, or does it for an hourly wage. ``You decide the price and do the negotiating. And if you are smart and willing to do some work, it can save you a bundle,'' Levitt said.

Of course, not all sellers or buyers have the time for do-it-yourself home shopping. For Bowne and her husband, finding an agent who knew the lay of the land was imperative because of their relocation to California. They sought the advice of a relocation agent. Most large companies have access to such an agent, who generally cobbles together a list of properties in advance of a move.

Real estate brokerages are also beginning to offer more Internet listings. Re/Max International announced a program earlier this month to list all residential properties online. The program's deployment is slated for February 2006.

``No longer will a consumer have to visit multiple sites to view all properties for sale,'' David Liniger, Re/Max co-founder and chairman, said in a statement. The service, offered at www.remax.com, will compete with Realtor.com and other companies that are attempting to woo more prospective homeowners online. In theory, the electronic listings will help consumers save money by eliminating the footwork needed to find a house out-of-state.

But the Internet doesn't replace the act of visiting a home. That's how Bowne eventually met Shearin. Shearin, who culls most of her clients from referrals, takes pride in her no-frills approach to business.

``We rarely do floor time (agent speak for cold calls),'' said Shearin, who generally works with five to 10 clients at any given time. ``You need to be able to read the seller or the buyer and make them feel comfortable.''

As for Shearin's approach to finding an agent, ``look at their track record and get a sense of their reputation.''

That's sound advice, according to Delores Conway, director of the Casden Real Estate Economics Forecast at the University of Southern California. Conway also notes that most real estate agents specialize in different markets. So it behooves the seller or buyer to interview a few different agents to understand where they're coming from.

``Like finding a doctor, you want a person with the right skill level,'' she said.

When Linda Kim and her husband sold a house in Highland several years ago, the stay-at-home mom knew right away that one of two agents had the right skill level. ``This one agent seemed like she was looking out for her own interests,'' Kim said. The tip-off: The agent offered to personally buy Kim's house at a lower price.

But the other agent got it right. ``We trusted her immediately. And we felt like she was going to fight for us,'' said Kim, speaking of Eileen Valenti, real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Kivett-Teeters in Highland.

Turns out Valenti has nearly three decades of experience, a selling point when a frenzied market is supposedly attracting a wave of short-timers. ``There are a lot of unscrupulous people in the business because it's hot. And there are a lot of offices that have cropped up,'' Valenti said. ``As soon as the business slows down they will be pulling up their stakes.''

Randy Smith, president of Century 21 Sparrow-Shoreline in Long Beach, agrees with Valenti. ``Sellers probably want to find an agent who understands how to market a home in a down market. We're going to start finding people in this business who don't understand how to function in a normal market. The prudent seller should be asking an agent if they were in the business back in the first half of the 1990s or the mid-1980s.''

Evan Pondel, [phone]

evan.pondel(at)dailynews.com

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