6 Ways to Tell If Your Real Estate Agent Is Lying

It's a nagging question that often pops up during a property hunt. Is your real estate agent lying to you? You may look him in the eye and ask straight-out if there are any other offers, or if the basement has ever flooded, or how long the house has been on the market. But how do you know if he's telling the truth?

It's stressful enough finding a place you like and that's affordable without having to wonder whether you can trust those involved. When you're about to plunk down a few hundred thousand -- or a few million -- for a house, the honesty stakes are probably the highest they will ever get.

So how do you get the upper hand? By drawing on the same lie detection techniques and scientific research which for years have been used exclusively by the law enforcement and intelligence communities. I wrote my new book, "Liespotting: Proven Techniques for Detection Deception," (St. Martin's Press), with the aim of bringing this valuable information to the general public.

Here are some insider tips: