But who do I hire?

So the other night I was laying on the couch with my family, when a familiar commercial came on. You've probably seen it many times but might not have thought much about it. A young woman with short hair discussing about how she wants you to know who you're hiring. You know this woman as Angie and she's the founder behind Angie's List. I will be honest, I normally don't think much about this woman but I do admire her dedication to wanting to be sure that others are getting the best deal and knowing who they're working with is the real deal. As a real estate agent, it's the same thing I want for my clients to know, but I don't typically recommend checking the website because I have a hard time telling others when to spend money, especially when it's a client getting ready to make such a large purchase like a new home for their family. But that particular night caught my attention. Angie made her big announcement and it was exactly what I wanted to hear. Angie's List is now... FREE! That's right. Free advice. Well, sort of.

You know that old expression, a penny for your thoughts? Now on Angie's List, you can choose if you want a penny for someone’s thoughts or if you just want to sneak in on the conversation. I admit that I get excited when I hear the word free, and hey who doesn't, but I wanted to know more information. My first stop was realtor.com where I came across an article hosted by credit.com. In this particular article, they discussed the benefits of the new free membership. Here's a summary of what you can sign up for:

Green: Free, nationwide access to companies in more than 700 service categories, plus more than 10 million verified customer ratings and reviews

Silver: All Green-level features, plus Angie’s Fair Price Guarantee and Angie’s Service Quality Guarantee. Chat and email customer support are also provided, along with discounts for $24.99 a year.

Gold: All Green and Silver features, plus complaint resolution and customer support via phone for $99.99 a year.

Not too shabby. Looks like for free you can get some great quotes for your needs when you've purchased a new home. Personally, I’d start recommending Angie’s List to my clients.