Totally get what you mean about the “privacy” excuse—cracks me up every time. I once had an agent who acted like their past clients were in the CIA. If someone’s legit, they’ll have at least a couple folks willing to vouch for them. And yeah, those neighborhood Facebook threads are gold... sometimes brutal, but honest. I’d rather know now if my future kitchen has a haunted dishwasher than find out after closing.
- Had a similar run-in—asked for references and got the “privacy” line too.
- Always double-check reviews, but I take them with a grain of salt.
- I’ve seen agents get defensive when I ask about past deals... red flag for me.
- Those Facebook threads? Brutal, but I’d rather know about the haunted dishwasher than get stuck with a money pit.
- I always remind clients: if someone’s hesitant to provide references, that’s usually a sign to keep looking.
I get the “privacy” excuse too, and honestly, it always makes me wonder what they’re hiding. I mean, if you did a great job, wouldn’t you want people to sing your praises? I get that not everyone wants their info shared, but at least offer *something*—even a redacted email or a quick phone call with a past client who’s cool with it.
Reviews are tricky. I’ve seen agents with glowing reviews who turned out to be all talk, and others with barely any online presence who were absolute gems. Sometimes it’s just who’s better at asking for reviews, not who’s better at their job.
And those Facebook threads... yikes. Half the time it’s drama, but every now and then you get the real dirt—like the agent who “forgot” to mention the neighbor’s rooster.
If an agent gets defensive when you ask about their track record, that’s a dealbreaker for me. If you’re proud of your work, you should be able to talk about it without getting weird. At the end of the day, gut feeling counts for a lot. If something feels off, it probably is.
Honestly, the “privacy” answer always makes me side-eye a bit too. I get respecting clients’ info, but if an agent can’t provide *any* proof of happy customers, that’s a red flag. I’ve had agents who practically begged for reviews and others who never mentioned it, but the best ones were just open about their process and results. Also, those Facebook threads are wild—half gossip, half goldmine. At the end of the day, I trust my gut, but I still want some receipts. If they get cagey, I move on.
Yeah, I hear you on the privacy excuse. There’s a difference between sharing a glowing testimonial (with permission) and just being cagey about any results at all. I’ve had agents show me redacted closing statements or even connect me with past clients who were cool with a quick call. If someone can’t give you *anything*, it’s usually a sign they haven’t closed much, or worse, they’re hiding something. The Facebook threads are wild—sometimes you get gold, sometimes you get drama. Gut checks go a long way, but I always want at least a few receipts before signing anything.
