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Unless your best friend or your favorite uncle just happens to be a real estate agent or broker, the task of selecting someone to represent you in a real estate transaction can be daunting. Thanks to computers and the Internet, not only is there a real estate office on almost every corner, but today’s buyers also have online access to an unlimited number of possible agents and brokers.

Sorting all of this out can be time consuming and fraught with landmines along the way—especially for first-time home buyers, since they most likely have little or no experience in what’s involved in the real estate buying process.

Fortunately, clearing a path through this minefield is neither hopeless nor impossible. But first there are some basic concepts you need to understand before you start the process.