I've been thinking about putting my house on the market sometime in the next year or so.  What things should I be looking for in a real estate agent? 

Go in for any real estate agent but remember not to trust anyone completely.Just be watchful and see that all legal formalities are done in a proper way.

Be trusting in your agent's ability to sell your house at the best price but be prepared for the worst as some agents will try to cut corners and not get you the best price

I think as with many things in life, you can't beat personal recommendation. Speak to your friends and find out which agents they used and thier experiences, use thiese to build up a small dossier and base your selection based on these?

I would agree with Cymru to quite an extent because the selection done from a panel of agents, referred by your friends,  will help to get the best, according to your suitability.