Free Game Friday 🎯

Nobody talks about this enough so let's go.

Vetting an agent is one of the most important things you will do for your overseas career, and most guys do it wrong. They meet someone who seems connected, talks a good game, drops a few country names, and that's enough. Six months later you're stuck in a bad situation wondering how you got there.

Here's what actually matters.

Understand how they get paid first. An agent makes money when you sign a contract. That sounds simple until you realize it means their incentive is to get you placed, not to get you placed right. A deal that pays them their percentage now is better for them than waiting for a better opportunity that's actually better for you. That conflict of interest is real and it never fully goes away. You have to know it exists before you can manage it.

Ask them directly: how many clients do you currently have, and what leagues are you active in? An agent who can't answer that specifically does not have the operation you think they have. You want to know if they have real relationships in the markets you care about or if they're just going to blast your tape to a list and see what sticks. Those are two completely different services.

Ask for references from players who signed deals, not players who are still waiting. Anyone can have a roster full of guys who haven't landed yet. You want to talk to someone who actually went through the process with this person and came out on the other side. If they can't produce that, that tells you something.

Read the contract before you sign anything. Obvious, but guys skip this. Know what percentage they're taking, whether it's off gross or net, whether the agreement is exclusive, and what the termination clause looks like. Some agents lock you in for years with no real performance requirement on their end. You should be able to get out if they're not producing.

The biggest red flag is urgency. Any agent who is pressuring you to sign with them quickly, or pushing you to take a deal fast before you've had time to think, is working in their interest, not yours. Legitimate opportunities don't evaporate overnight. Pressure is a sales tactic, not a service.

You deserve representation that actually represents you. Do the work upfront so you're not doing damage control later.

That's your Free Game for the week. Share this with somebody who needs it.