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When the seller says "my friend is an agent"

When a seller says their friend is an agent, honor the friendship. Never compete with it. Ask whether they have already agreed to work together. If they have, wish them well. If not, ask what matters most to them in the sale, and offer to be a second set of eyes. The choice stays theirs.

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  • Thanks for calling.
  • Honestly, a friend of the family is an agent, so we'll probably just list with them.
  • I'd be careful there. Mixing friendship and business usually goes wrong,
  • and a friend won't push as hard for you as I would.
  • After every practice call, your card arrives: what worked, and the one thing to fix.
  • The call trains four moves. Honor the friendship.
  • Ask where things stand.
  • If they have not agreed yet, ask what matters most to them in the sale.
  • Then offer a small, optional step.
  • My friend is an agent is about loyalty, not about you.
  • The friendship is real to them, so treat it that way.
  • Owners remember the agent who respected the people they trust.
  • Practice it until it sounds like you.
  • Each call runs as long as the conversation needs,
  • and you can make as many as you want.
  • Practice free at 10before10.com/try.

Drafted with AI by the 10before10 team, reviewed and approved by Grant Freer and Gia Freer, licensed Florida real estate brokers. Updated October 25, 2026. También en español.

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Call path for "When the seller says "my friend is an agent"": What is really being said: My friend is an agent" is about loyalty, not about you; The shape of a good answer: Honor the friendship; What not to do: Do not criticize the friend, their experience or their brokerage; When the owner is still choosing: They want to be sure; How to practice it: Listen back for any sentence that compares you with the friend.

What is really being said

"My friend is an agent" is about loyalty, not about you. The owner may already have agreed to work with the friend. They may feel they should, and are not sure.

Or they may be using the friend as an easy way to end your call. In every case, the friendship is real to them, so treat it that way.

Hey Ten™What do I say to "we're going to relist with the same agent"?Practice it now

The shape of a good answer

  1. Honor the friendship. Say it is good to have someone they trust in the business.
  2. Ask where things stand. One gentle question about whether they have already agreed to work together.
  3. If they have signed with their friend, end well. Thank them, wish them a smooth sale and let them go.
  4. If not, ask what matters most to them. In the sale, in their timing, in whoever they choose. Listen past the first answer.
  5. Offer a small, optional step. A short conversation, in person or on video, at a time that suits them, so they can decide with the full picture. Their friend stays in the picture too.

The call stays about the owner's goals. You are not asking them to choose you over a friend. You are asking what they need, and offering to help them see their options.

What not to do

Do not criticize the friend, their experience or their brokerage. Do not warn about mixing friendship and business. Do not ask what the friend would charge.

Do not push for a meeting after they have told you the friend is handling it.

If the friend has already signed a listing agreement, the rule on sellers who already have an agent applies: end the call politely.

When the owner is still choosing

Many owners with a friend in the business still meet more than one agent. They want to be sure, and they feel better making the choice themselves. The page on sellers interviewing other agents covers how to handle that meeting with respect.

How to practice it

Have a partner play three owners: one who has already agreed with a friend, one who feels obliged and unsure, and one using the friend to end the call. Your goal each time is to honor the relationship, learn where things stand with one question, and follow the right path. Listen back for any sentence that compares you with the friend.

There should be none.

Owners remember the agent who respected the people they trust.

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Honest answers

What do you say when a seller's friend works as an agent?Respect the friendship out loud, then ask one question about where things stand. If they have signed with their friend, thank them and end well. If they have only talked about it, ask what matters most to them in the sale and ask for a short appointment.
Should I tell the seller that mixing friendship and business is risky?No. It sounds like criticism of someone they care about, and it puts them on the defensive. If they have doubts, they will tell you when you ask what matters most to them. Let them reach their own conclusion.
What if the friend has already listed the home?Then the friend holds a listing agreement, and you end the call politely. Do not try to change it. The page on sellers who already have an agent covers that situation.
When the seller says "we already have an agent"What to do when a seller says they already have an agent. Respect a signed agreement and e…How do I handle "we're interviewing other agents"?When a seller says they are interviewing other agents, ask one question before you move on…How do I find a seller's real motivation?Ask where they are going, why the move is happening, and when it has to be done by. Say wh…How do you tell an objection from a condition?An objection is a concern a good answer or question can resolve. A condition is a fact no …
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