First-time buyer guide
How to choose a real estate agent in Indianapolis
The right agent depends on what you're buying and how you like to work. Here's how to check a license, what to ask, and what keeps a purchase on track.
How do you choose a real estate agent in Indianapolis? Check that they're licensed, read the buyer agreement before you tour, and ask how they'd handle the kind of home you want. Then do your part. A purchase goes well when the buyer, the agent and the lender each know their job and the deadlines.
What a buyer's agent does
A buyer's agent helps you find homes that fit, sets up tours, explains the paperwork, writes and negotiates your offer, and keeps track of the deadlines in your purchase agreement. They also keep things moving with your lender, your inspector and the title company.
Some things are not their job. An agent doesn't approve your loan, inspect the house, or give you legal or tax advice. A good one tells you when a question belongs to a lender, an inspector, an attorney or a tax professional.
Check the license
Every agent who helps you buy in Indiana needs a state license. You can look anyone up for free with the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's Search and Verify tool. The state says it updates license status in real time. It takes a minute, and it's worth doing before you sign anything.
REALTOR is a different thing from a license. It means the agent is a member of the National Association of REALTORS and agrees to follow its Code of Ethics.
Read the buyer agreement before you tour
If your agent is a REALTOR, you'll sign a written agreement before you tour a home together, in person or virtually. That's been the rule since August 17, 2024. According to NAR's consumer guide to written buyer agreements, the agreement has to state the agent's pay as a clear amount, not open-ended or a range, and that pay is negotiable and not set by law.
Before you sign, find out:
- What the agent will do for you.
- What they're paid, and whether you'll ask the seller to cover it in your offer.
- How long the agreement lasts.
- How either of you can end it.
- Whether it covers one home, one area or your whole search.
Questions to ask any agent
Meet more than one agent if you want to. These questions tell you a lot:
- How much of your work is with buyers like me: first-time buyers, or people buying a duplex or renting a room?
- On a 2-4 unit home, what do you look at on a tour that I might miss?
- How will you keep me updated, and how quickly do you usually reply?
- Which parts of this will a lender, inspector or title company handle instead of you?
- What happens if I want to stop working together?
Listen for plain answers. If an agent can't explain something simply, ask again. It's your money and your home.
What keeps a purchase on track
Most deals that go smoothly have the same habits behind them:
- Talk to a lender before you tour. You'll know your budget before you fall for a house.
- Know your needs from your wants. The wants and needs checklist helps you decide what you'll trade away.
- Watch the deadlines. Your purchase agreement sets dates for the inspection, financing and closing. Missing one can cost you.
- Answer your lender fast. And ask before you open new credit or make a big purchase.
- Read the disclosure and the inspection report yourself. Your agent can explain them, but you're the one living there.
- For a house hack, check the loan and rental rules early. The FHA 2-4 unit guide and the rules before you rent a room cover the big ones.
Signs to slow down
Be careful with an agent who:
- Pushes you to skip an inspection or give up a contingency without explaining the risk.
- Promises rent, a future sale price, or that you'll qualify for a loan.
- Describes neighborhoods by who lives there instead of facts you can check.
- Gets vague when you ask how they're paid.
How I work
I'm Kyle Hoffman, a REALTOR with Roots Realty Co., licensed in Indiana, and an Indianapolis native. Before real estate, I spent five years teaching high school Anatomy and Physiology. I still explain things one step at a time, and I ask a lot of questions before anyone looks at a house. I work with first-time buyers and people curious about house hacking. I won't promise you rental income, and a lender makes the call on any loan. You can read my story.
If you want a low-pressure place to start, take the house-hacking quiz. If you'd rather talk, reach out here.
Last reviewed September 2026.
This is general information, not lending, tax or legal advice. A lender decides any loan.
Common questions
How do I check if a real estate agent is licensed in Indiana?
Use the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency's free Search and Verify service on in.gov. You can look up any Indiana professional license holder, and the state says license status is updated in real time. Search by the agent's name before you sign an agreement.
Do I have to pay my buyer's agent?
Your written buyer agreement says what your agent is paid and who is responsible for it. That pay is negotiable and not set by law. You can also ask the seller to pay some or all of it as part of your offer. Read the compensation section before you sign.
What's the difference between a real estate agent and a REALTOR?
An agent is someone licensed by the state to help people buy or sell real estate. A REALTOR is a licensed professional who is also a member of the National Association of REALTORS and agrees to follow its Code of Ethics.
Can I tour an open house without signing a buyer agreement?
Yes. According to NAR, you don't need a written buyer agreement to visit an open house on your own or to ask an agent about their services. You'll sign one before touring a home with a REALTOR who works with you as a buyer.
Can I work with more than one buyer's agent?
It depends on the agreements you've signed. Some buyer agreements are exclusive for a set time or area, and others aren't. Read how long yours lasts and how it ends before you start working with someone else.
What should I ask a real estate agent before hiring them?
Ask how much of their work is with buyers like you, what they'd look for on the kind of home you want, how you'll communicate, what they're paid and by whom, and how either of you can end the agreement. Plain answers are a good sign.
About the author
Kyle Hoffman, REALTOR®, Roots Realty Co.
Licensed in Indiana, #RB23001739
I'm a proud Indianapolis native and a former high school Anatomy and Physiology teacher. Now I help people buy first homes and house hacks, one step at a time.
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