If someone can’t give you *anything*, it’s usually a sign they haven’t closed much, or worse, they’re hiding something.
This is exactly it. I once had an agent who kept saying “my clients value their privacy,” but couldn’t even cough up a single thank-you card or a blurred-out screenshot. Meanwhile, my friend’s agent had a literal binder of happy stories (and yes, cookies). I get not everyone wants their info out there, but if you’re legit, you’ve got *something* to show, right? My gut’s been wrong before, but it’s never failed me on the “sketchy agent” radar.
if you’re legit, you’ve got *something* to show, right?
Couldn’t agree more. I’ve seen agents who’ll at least share a redacted testimonial or even a quick text from a happy client. If they can’t produce a single shred of proof, that’s a red flag. Privacy matters, but transparency does too. I’ve had clients who didn’t want their names out there, but they were fine with me sharing their feedback anonymously. There’s always a way if you’re actually doing the work.
Honestly, I felt the same way when I started looking—it’s so hard to know who’s legit and who’s just good at talking. I totally get wanting to see some kind of proof. When I was interviewing agents, I asked for examples of past sales or even just a couple of stories about how they helped people in my situation. Most were happy to share, even if it was just a quick screenshot with names blurred out.
I do think it’s fair to give them a little leeway on privacy stuff, but if they can’t show *anything* or get super defensive, that’s a bit sketchy. One agent I talked to actually offered to put me in touch with a former client (with their permission), which felt pretty reassuring.
It’s definitely not too much to ask for some transparency. Trusting your gut helps too—if something feels off, it probably is.
Man, I hear you—some agents could sell sand in the desert with how smooth they talk. I’ve bought and sold a few places over the years and honestly, the ones worth working with never got weird about sharing references or proof of what they’d done. One even let me chat with a past client right on the phone (and you could tell it wasn’t staged). I always figure if someone gets cagey, that’s my cue to move on. Gut checks have saved me more than once... sometimes you just know when something’s off, y’know?
Gut checks have saved me more than once... sometimes you just know when something’s off, y’know?
That’s honestly the best advice. I ignored my gut once and it cost me a ton of stress. Had this agent who was all smiles and promises, but every time I asked for details about their past sales, they’d dodge or give some vague answer. I figured maybe I was being paranoid, but nope—turns out they’d only been licensed for like six months and had barely closed anything. Learned my lesson there.
The next time around, I straight up asked for references and recent sales info. The agent didn’t even blink—just handed over a list and said, “Call whoever you want.” Night and day difference. It’s wild how much just asking a few direct questions can weed out the ones who are just talk. If someone gets defensive or weird about it, that’s usually all I need to see.