Unlike many other financial advisory relationships, where confidentiality and privacy are major concerns, you should have little trouble getting the names of references from a real estate agent. Property transactions are public record, so the confidentiality issue is moot.

Don't just accept the names of friends or relatives who referred you in the first place, as in "Why don't you just talk to your Uncle Morty about that? You know how he feels about me." This is your biggest investment and a bad advisor can cost you a lot of money, so make sure you talk to more than one reference. In fact, try to find references who had to deal with this agent in different circumstances, possibly one whose home sold quickly and another whose house sat on the market for months.