Did I get your attention? I hope so because nothing could be further from the truth. Unfortunately some people make their decisions on who to list with or which real estate licensee to use to assist them in purchasing with about as much thought and care as buying a loaf of bread.

The purchase of a home for example, we are often reminded, is the single largest purchase in most people's lives ranging anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to hundreds or even occasionally millions of dollars.

Why is it then that some people give about as much thought into which real estate licensee to use as they do which brand of milk to purchase?  After all, they may reason, milk is milk and one real estate licensee is the same as the next.  Right?  Not so.

As with any skill set, there can be enormous differences in the level of training, years of experience, people skills, technique, style, success, dedication, commitment, and knowledge all of which go into making some far better than others at achieving the best outcomes for their clients.

It is frequently cited that 80 percent of all transactions are handled by just 20 percent of the licensees. In other words there really is a top 20 percent. Would you be better off, on average, working through one of the 20 percent? On average most definitely and in fact in 80 percent of the cases, the answer is a resounding YES.

Experienced, trustworthy, hard working, skillful licensees help their clients attain their results faster, with fewer difficulties or "surprises," and generally better outcomes than the other 80 percent. After all, how is it possible for someone relatively new in the business to achieve the same level of outcome as someone with 10 years, 20 years, longer in the business? It just isn't possible.

It's not just years or numbers of transactions however but people skills, negotiating skills that can and usually do make a big difference in outcomes. Does anyone doubt the guilt of OJ Simpson? I don't think so but he still was acquitted because of the superior skill of his defense team. Or what about Capt. C.B. Sullenberger, who successfully landed his crippled jet in the Hudson River without loss of life? I'll bet that every passenger on that flight was exceedingly glad they had someone of his skill and experience at the controls that day.

Next time you decide to list your property for sale or are in the market to purchase, take the time to do your research and think through the most important decision which is who you're going to place your purchase or sale in the hands of.

Paul Harsch, president and founder of Harsch Associates, a Berkshire County based real estate brokerage firm, is a licensed real estate broker in Massachusetts, New York and Vermont, serving a diverse residential, business, commercial and land client base for 40 years.

You listed with someone for a particular reason but then you discover that individual may frequently not even show your property and sometimes never. Hmmmmm. Make a difference? You bet it can.

If you chose your real estate sales person for a reason such as you trust them implicitly or you know they have a great many years of experience, or you learned from a trusted friend or business associate that the real estate person demonstrated unusual dedication, skill or problem-solving ability, then wouldn't it make sense that you'd want to know if they were going to be personally engaged in the process of selling your property, too?

How do you feel when you have planned on dealing with one individual, say your doctor, only to be shunted to someone else because your doctor was too busy that day? Or how about that lawn person who has done your lawn for years and knows all the quirks of the yard and how you like it done and then one day someone totally new shows up saying they replaced your regular person?

Anytime you place your trust and confidence — whether it's your health, property or car — in someone's hands you will feel uncertain if someone else steps in. And so you should, but in real estate it happens all the time.

Take for example a firm that hires new people. You listed with one person because of a strong preference but the company's policy is to allow anyone in the firm to show your property. Now you may have a perfectly good buyer looking at your property with someone brand new to the business, or someone who doesn't like your house for some reason, or someone who is unavailable much of the time dues to other interests. The point is that your property is now being "represented" by people you don't know or who don't have the skills or dedication you expected when you signed with the listing salesperson.

There are skills, dos and don'ts in showing, there is skill and sophistication when it comes to negotiating, there are levels of dedication and commitment that vary considerably among licensees. Make sure you understand what you're getting when you commit to an individual.

Paul Harsch, president and founder of Harsch Associates, a Berkshire County based real estate brokerage firm, is a licensed real estate broker in Massachusetts, New York and Vermont, serving a diverse residential, business, commercial and land client base for 40 years.