Yes, absolutely. You want someone who has experience in the industry as a whole, but also experience in the local area. Trust me, I have dealt with a few ‘yellow’ real estate agents and have found that the process was simply not worth the effort. Experience is so important when hiring a realtor.
For example, I used a company called Carolina Alpine Real Estate when I was looking for a real estate agent in Charlotte, NC. They had lots of knowledge about the local area which was great, but they also had general experience in recommending properties for my budget. By comparison, I used a younger real estate company and found they tried to edge me into buying properties outside of my budget because it would land them the biggest commission.
All realtors want to make a profit, but some are a little more trustworthy than others. Experience matters, yes!