A business manager should choose a real estate agent for an athlete client by testing for discretion first, then market access, then process. The right agent signs an NDA before learning the client's name, can show off-market homes, reports to the business manager on a set schedule, and keeps the file inside a small named team. Credentials and sales volume matter, but they come after confidentiality.
Business managers, agents and family offices often run the real estate side of a client's move while the client is in season. The Agency Dallas built its TAD Private Client: Sports & Entertainment division to work alongside those advisors. The checklist below is what we would want a business manager to ask any brokerage, including ours.
What should a business manager ask a real estate agent before a referral?
A short interview answers most of what you need to know. Questions worth asking:
- Will you and every member of your team sign our NDA before we share a name? The answer should be yes without negotiation.
- Who exactly will work on this file? Ask for names and roles. A file that moves through a large shared office is harder to keep quiet.
- How do you find off-market and pre-market homes? Look for specifics: relationships with listing agents, builders and private sellers, not a general claim of access.
- How will you report to me? A good agent agrees on a cadence, such as a weekly written update, and on who approves offers.
- What is your marketing policy for clients? The right answer: no name, photo, address or "sold to" announcement without written consent.
- Can you handle more than one property type? Many athletes need a lease now, a purchase later, and sometimes land or a ranch.
- What happens if my client is traded? Ask how the brokerage refers clients to other markets and stays involved.
How can you tell if an agent will actually keep a client's information private?
Every agent says they are discreet. These signals separate the ones who are:
- They do not name-drop. If an agent tells you which other athletes they have worked with, assume they will tell the next person about your client.
- They bring their own NDA. A brokerage that serves private clients usually has a standard NDA ready and extends it to inspectors, stagers and movers.
- They use file names. Showing requests and emails should refer to the client by a code or entity name.
- Their social media is clean. No posts of client homes, keys or closings without written approval.
- They understand title structure. An agent who knows to write the contract in the name of the client's LLC or trust, as covered in our article on how athletes buy homes privately in Texas, has done this before.
What should the agent's process look like once the file starts?
A well-run private file has a clear sequence, and the business manager should be able to see it in writing:
- Confidential intake with the business manager, then the client.
- Signed NDA and a defined team.
- Coordination with the attorney on the LLC or trust before any offer.
- A written brief: budget, facility, schools, must-haves, timeline.
- Private tours, often by video first during the season.
- Offer approvals routed through the agreed decision-maker.
- Remote closing, NDA-covered move-in, and mail routing away from the home.
For a newly traded player, the first step is often a lease, not a purchase. Our guide on whether a new player should rent or buy in Dallas lays out that decision.
What experience matters most in a Dallas agent for athletes?
Experience in high-end Dallas-Fort Worth real estate matters more than experience with famous clients. Look for:
- Pricing judgment in thin markets. Luxury homes often have few comparable sales, and Texas does not publish sale prices. Our article on how luxury homes are valued with few comps explains why that skill matters.
- Negotiating results. Ask about sale-to-list ratios and days on market. Our explainer on sale-to-list ratio shows how to read them.
- Neighborhood knowledge near the facilities. Frisco, Arlington and Victory Park pull clients toward very different neighborhoods, as our guide to where professional athletes live in Dallas-Fort Worth shows.
- Range. Leasing, high-rise, estate, new construction and land, ideally under one roof.
How do referral relationships with business managers usually work?
Most referral relationships are simple. The business manager introduces the client, sets the reporting expectations, and stays involved in approvals. The agent keeps the business manager informed and copies them on key documents with the client's permission. Advisors should confirm in writing who has authority to approve offers and spending, since a player in season may delegate that. Before the client signs a buyer representation or listing agreement, review its terms; our guide to questions to ask before signing a listing agreement in Texas covers the seller side.
How does The Agency Dallas work with business managers and agents?
The Agency Dallas works with business managers, sports agents, attorneys and family offices on every TAD Private Client: Sports & Entertainment file. The NDA comes first, a small team works the file, progress reports go to the advisor on an agreed schedule, and nothing about the client appears in our marketing without written consent. We handle leases, purchases, sales and statewide land through our Land & Ranch Division, and we refer clients to trusted agents at The Agency's offices in other markets when a player is traded.
Frequently asked questions
Should a real estate agent sign an NDA for an athlete client?
Yes. An agent working with a professional athlete or entertainer should sign a nondisclosure agreement before learning the client's name, and should extend it to their team and to vendors such as inspectors, stagers and movers. Hesitation to sign is a reason to look elsewhere. Agree in writing on what can and cannot be shared, including in marketing.
Can a business manager handle a home purchase for a player?
Often, yes, within the authority the client grants. Many business managers run the search, approve offers within an agreed budget and coordinate with the attorney and title company. The client usually still signs key documents, though an attorney may use a power of attorney or the entity's authorized signer. Put the approval rules in writing before the search starts.
How do I find off-market homes in Dallas for a client?
Off-market homes in Dallas are found through relationships rather than websites. Agents who regularly work at the high end hear about sellers who want privacy, builders with unlisted homes, and owners open to the right offer. Ask a prospective agent how they source these homes and how many they have shown recently, without asking them to break another client's confidence.
What should an agent report to a business manager?
A good report covers homes seen and the client's reactions, new off-market opportunities, market data relevant to the target areas, offers made or planned, and upcoming deadlines such as option periods and closing dates. A weekly written update with a short call is common. The cadence should be agreed in the first meeting, along with who receives copies.
Does The Agency Dallas work with players traded to other cities?
Yes. When a client is traded, we refer them to a trusted agent at The Agency's offices in other markets and stay in touch so the move in both cities is coordinated. That keeps one point of contact for the business manager while a local agent handles the new market.
