Agency is a relationship formed when one person represents the interests of another. A real estate agent representing a client owes the client the duties of confidentiality, disclosure, loyalty, obedience and accountability. In other words, the agent is accountable to you, should disclose all information pertinent to a property or transaction and should be loyal and obedient. I know this sounds like something you would expect from a pet, but it is something every agent should take seriously. It is not that the agent should be a doormat, but that your interest should come first. Think about these duties as they apply to your agent.

If you are a buyer, is your agent showing you all the listings that meet your criteria, or just those that he or she has listed or are listed by the agent's office? Under the category of disclosure, your agent should disclose all properties that are available and meet your needs. It is up to you, not the agent, to choose what you want to see. Loyalty should be to you, as the client. The agent is accountable to you in finding homes that work for you. The Multiple Listing Service (MLS), in which homes are listed,  is designed to be a cooperative system. The listing agency offers a cooperative commission to the buyer's agency, so the total commission paid by the seller is shared by the seller's agent and the buyer's agent. This, among other things, helps to maximize exposure of homes on the market, and thereby shorten market time. Agents who show only their own listings are attempting to get "both sides" of a particular deal, as are agents who make it difficult for someone else to show their listings. This may get the agent more money on that deal, but it is a disservice to the client, not to mention unethical.  By not showing a home to a potentially interested party, the home could sit on the market longer than it should. The more this is done, the more homes sit. The purpose of listing a house is to sell it, not to maximize the agent's income or increase market share.

If everyone plays by the rules, the cooperative system works well. If you suspect that your agent is not telling you about all available homes meeting your requirements, then I would say that he is not really acting as your agent. Be suspicious if someone gives you a list of homes offered for sale by his office and not other offices. If that happens, walk away and look for someone you can truly rely upon to be your agent.