Make sure the real estate agent and broker represents your needs 100% of the time.  Make sure the broker and/or agent never list property for sale and can exclusively represent you as a buyer.  Use the ABC's to find the right agent.

A). Locate a exclusive buyer's agents in the area in which you want to buy. Call local real estate offices; ask friends and associates to recommend reliable exclusive buyer agents; and investigate associations such as the the National Association Of Exclusive Buyer Agents to find exclusive buyer's agents in your area.

B). Call three or four exclusive buyer agents to discuss your needs.

C). Ask prospective agents about their views of a exclusive buyer's agency and what their fee structure is. Do they require a percentage of the sales price, do they work on a flat fee or will they be paid by the seller?

D). Ask prospective agents about their "feel" for the local real estate market, and listen closely to see if they appear to be up on what's happening, especially in the neighborhoods where you're looking to buy.

E). Ask whether these agents belong to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), and to which local boards they belong (NAR membership is automatic if they belong to a local board). Then call the boards and verify membership.

F). Find out whether prospective agents are full-timers whose livelihoods depend entirely on their abilities to repeatedly close real estate transactions.

G). Meet face-to-face with the exclusive buyer's agents you like so you can learn more about them.

H). Ask for references and check them. Ask references tough questions such as, "What would you have changed about this agent?" and "Did this agent do anything you didn't like?"

I). Choose the exclusive buyer's agent you like best and ask him or her to get started for you.

Tip:
Often the best exclusive buyer's agents are not the biggest advertisers because so much of their business comes from referrals.