Buying and selling a home isn’t easy, especially for military families. But finding an agent who understands the nuances of the process and can work on tight deadlines is key to an expedited home purchase or sale.

Often, active-duty families are looking for homes that will fit their specific needs, live up to VA standards and come in below their price point. This can be a tall order that only a military-savvy agent can meet.

Connecting with Military Friendly Real Estate Agents

Many networks advertise “Military Friendly Real Estate Agents” or “VA and military real estate specialists.” However, these programs should be vetted as much as any other advertising claim. The big problem is that these “military-friendly” agents are often not trained to handle the unique circumstances of a military home purchase or sale. They may simply be a Realtor who has attended a seminar on military housing needs or veteran benefits and is licensed to work with the Veterans Affairs mortgage loan program.

The best way to find a military-savvy agent is to ask fellow military homeowners for referrals. PCSgrades, for example, has an entire team of military spouses who review and rank real estate agents based on their ability to help military families move quickly and affordably. The site only features real estate agents with a high enough rating from verified military families to make the list. That helps weed out shady networks and newbies who want to take advantage of military families’ need for fast and efficient moves.