At this meeting, ask one question first: whom does the agent represent? Agency is a relationship in which a principal authorizes an agent to act on the principal's behalf. Follow the authority from the principal to the agent. Duties arise from that relationship. Providing services to someone does not, by itself, mean that person is the represented client. Now separate representation from payment. A seller might pay a buyer broker's fee, but that payment alone does not make the seller the broker's client. Identify the relationship, the agreement, and the governing rules. Quick check: does the source of a fee alone determine the client? No. Representation depends on the agency relationship, not just who writes the check.