The short answer
How to verify a real estate agent: look up their license on the state regulator's website, check for public discipline, then read their Google reviews for detail and dates, not just stars. Confirm the brokerage they name is real and that they work there. It takes about ten minutes, and it's free.
You're about to hand someone the biggest purchase or sale of your life. Ten minutes of checking is worth it. Here's how I'd do it if I were hiring an agent for my own family.
Step by step: how to verify a real estate agent
- Get their full legal name and license number. Ask for both. A licensed agent will give them to you without blinking. In Colorado, licensed agents are licensed as brokers, so "broker" on the license is normal.
- Look up the license with the state. In Colorado, go to the Division of Real Estate at dre.colorado.gov and click "Search for a Licensee." Search by license number alone, or by first and last name alone. Too many fields can hide the result.
- Read the status. You want to see an active license. Inactive or expired means they shouldn't be doing licensed work for you right now.
- Check public discipline. The Colorado Division's site has a "Search Public Disciplinary Actions" link. One old issue doesn't always mean "run," but you should know about it and ask.
- Out of state? Use that state's regulator. Every state has a real estate commission or division with its own lookup. ARELLO, the association of license regulators, also runs a Real Estate Licensee Verification Database that pulls records from many participating jurisdictions.
- Confirm the brokerage. The license record lists the brokerage the agent is attached to. Make sure it matches what's on their card, website and email signature.
- Read their Google reviews the right way. Look for reviews that name the agent, describe a real situation, and are spread out over time. Read the one- and two-star reviews and the agent's replies.
- Check a second review site. If the story is consistent across Google and one portal profile, that's a good sign.
- Interview them. Ask the questions in the checklist below. Listen for straight answers.
What to check, and what it tells you
| Check | Where | Good sign | Ask about it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| License status | State regulator lookup (Colorado: dre.colorado.gov) | Active | Inactive, expired or not found |
| Discipline | Colorado: "Search Public Disciplinary Actions" | Nothing on file | Any action on file |
| Brokerage | License record, then the brokerage's own site | Names match everywhere | Card says one firm, license says another |
| Google reviews | Their Google Business Profile or brokerage profile | Detailed, dated over years, agent named | All five stars, all in one week, all vague |
| Review replies | Same profile | Calm, polite, no client details shared | Arguing or posting private info |
| Online footprint | Search their name plus city | Same name, phone and firm on every site | Different phones or firms on different sites |
How to read reviews without getting fooled
Stars alone tell you very little. Here's what I look at.
- Names and details. "Sam found us a house after we lost four offers" means more than "Great agent!"
- Spread over time. Reviews trickling in over years look like a real career. Twenty in one week looks like a campaign.
- The bad ones. Every agent who's been at it a while has an unhappy client somewhere. Read how they replied. That's how they'll treat you when something goes wrong.
- Who's reviewing. Google's own policy bars reviews from people with a conflict of interest, like employees or family, and bars reviews posted for an incentive. If a review reads like the agent's cousin wrote it, weigh it less.
Red flags
- Won't give you a license number, or the name on the license doesn't match.
- Pressure to sign something today before you've had a chance to read it.
- Asks you to wire money to them personally. Earnest money goes through a title company or brokerage escrow, and you should always confirm wiring instructions by phone with a number you looked up yourself.
- Promises a sale price, a closing date or a sure-thing result.
- Can't explain how they get paid, in plain words, in writing.
- Says things about neighborhoods and "the kind of people" who live there. Agents should talk about homes, prices and commutes, not people.
Questions to ask in the interview
"Before we start, can you send me your license number and your managing broker's name? And walk me through how you get paid, what's in writing, and how I can end the agreement if it's not working."
A good agent will be glad you asked. It tells them you're serious.
Watch-outs
- Lookup sites change. If a link moves, go to the regulator's home page and look for "license lookup" or "search for a licensee." Don't use a third-party site as your only check.
- "Realtor" is a membership, not a license. REALTOR® means the agent belongs to the National Association of REALTORS®. The license comes from the state. Check the license.
- Teams use one brand. On a team, the license still belongs to each person. Look up the agent you'll actually work with.
- Reviews aren't the whole story. A new agent with few reviews can still be careful and responsive, especially with a managing broker behind them.
- Complaints have a path. If something goes wrong in Colorado, the Division of Real Estate has a "File a Complaint" process on its site.
Sources
- Colorado Division of Real Estate (Search for a Licensee, Search Public Disciplinary Actions, File a Complaint)
- ARELLO Real Estate Licensee Verification Database
- Google Maps: fake engagement and review policy
Keep going
- Agents, see the other side: how to get more Google reviews, how to get more online reviews, choosing a brokerage or team
- Want to skip some of the homework? Search the PadLeaders directory for agents near you, and read our Trust Verified criteria to see exactly what we check before an agent earns the badge.
This is training for real estate agents. It isn't legal, tax or lending advice. Check with your managing broker.
Questions
How do I know if my realtor is licensed?
Look them up on your state real estate regulator's website. In Colorado, use "Search for a Licensee" on dre.colorado.gov and confirm the license is active.
Can I see if a real estate agent has complaints or discipline?
In Colorado, the Division of Real Estate posts public disciplinary actions on its site. Other states have similar lookups. Not every complaint becomes public, so ask the agent directly too.
How do I check a real estate agent's license in another state?
Use that state's real estate commission website. ARELLO's licensee verification database also covers many participating jurisdictions in one search.
Are Google reviews for real estate agents reliable?
They're useful if you read them carefully. Look for detail, the agent's name, dates spread over time, and how the agent replies to criticism.
What's the difference between a realtor and a real estate agent?
A real estate agent holds a state license. A REALTOR® is a licensee who is also a member of the National Association of REALTORS®. Always check the license.
Brian Lee Burke is the founder of PadLeaders, a Colorado real estate broker licensed since 2003, team leader of The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC (formerly Kenna Real Estate Group) and the author of Mastering Real Estate and The Real Estate Playbook. More about Brian.
- Agent training by Brian Lee Burke, The Kenna Group at Keller Williams DTC
- Colorado Division of Real Estate home page (Search for a Licensee, Public Disciplinary Actions, File a Complaint) https://dre.colorado.gov/
- Colorado Division of Real Estate
- ARELLO Real Estate Licensee Verification Database
- Google Maps: fake engagement and review policy