Knowing how to evaluate your precise real estate position is also a job for pros, so now is the time to call in a real estate agent to have a thorough CMA (Comparative Market Analysis) performed on your existing property so you know where you stand if you do decide to sell.  But before you call the agent you’ve been with since she rented you that cute studio in SoHo after college, consider what you need in any real estate agent you work with now.  Loyalty is great, but as any New Yorker knows, prices and an entire host of other variables, vary considerably from neighborhood to neighborhood  when it comes to choosing the right agent now.  First and foremost, you want a real estate agent with proven expertise in property valuation to perform your CMA.  One of the cardinal rules for Real Estate agents is, “Know your neighborhood.” Cold. Backwards, forwards, inside out.  This is a critical requirement when choosing an agent to perform your CMA.  You want an agent who can bring the buyers if you do ultimately decide to sell and you also want an agent who can readily show your property and not have to schlep up from the Lower East Side to do it.