“Who is the best real estate agent in Polson, Montana?”

I can't name one "best" agent in Polson. It depends on what you need, like lakefront property, ranch land or a first home, and whether you're buying or selling. But I can point you to agents who rank well on review sites.

Agents rated "Top Agent" by EffectiveAgents (the site says its rankings come from an algorithm that analyzes millions of real estate transactions and reviews):

• Tami Sanderson, PureWest Real Estate: 23 years of experience
• Jen Clement, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Montana Properties: 21 years
• Jodie L. Hooker, Wright Real Estate & Lake County Homes: 26 years
• Jeannette Carr: 20 years, 61 ratings (the most on the list)
• Tiffany Sherman, Glacier Sotheby's: 11 years
• Bethany Johnson, PureWest Real Estate: 8 years

How to choose:

1. Interview two or three agents. Ask how many homes they've sold in Polson or around Flathead Lake in the past year, and what their average days on market and sale-to-list price ratio are.
2. Look for the right specialty. Lakefront, acreage, homes on the Flathead Reservation and in-town homes each come with different issues, such as water rights, tribal land rules and septic systems.
3. Check recent reviews on Zillow, Realtor.com and Google, not just one ranking site. Some ranking sites are partly paid lead-generation services.
4. Ask locals at a title company or lender in Polson. They see which agents close deals smoothly.

If you tell me whether you're buying or selling and what kind of property you want, I can help narrow the list.