Developers Always Do This — And Agents Keep Falling for It
Every agent has lived this scene.
The developer calls. "Help us sell this project. A big launch is coming. Plenty of units."
Agencies mobilise. Team leaders push. Agents burn nights and weekends. Leads are sourced. Buyers are briefed. Cheques are prepared.
Then launch day arrives. "Sorry. Internal staff and VIP buyers have already booked most of the units."
Suddenly, every agent with a real buyer becomes irrelevant. Not because they failed. But because the game was never fair to begin with.
The Dirty Truth: Agents Are Used as Insurance
If a developer already has buyers, why engage so many agencies?
Because agencies are not partners. They are insurance. Developers do not bring agents in to sell. They bring agents in to absorb uncertainty.
Agents:
- Test market response
- Create artificial buzz
- Fill demand gaps if internal sales fall short
- Compete against each other to reduce developer risk
When internal staff and VIP allocations fill the quota, agents are quietly discarded. No apology. No compensation. No accountability. Just "Sorry, fully booked."
Why This Is Not an Accident — It's Design
Developers optimise for one thing: risk-free sell-through.
From their perspective:
- More agencies = more coverage
- More agents = more unpaid marketing
- More competition = lower leverage for any single agent
From the agent's perspective:
- Time wasted
- Buyers burned
- Reputation damaged
- Zero commission
This is not a partnership model. This is optional labour on demand.
The Real Question Agents Must Ask
If you already have buyers, why do you need me? If the answer is vague, flattering, or evasive — you are being positioned as backup, not priority.
Agents must stop confusing access with authority. Being "allowed to sell" means nothing. Only control matters.
The Only Rational Rule: No Control, No Effort
Agents need to become structurally smarter, not emotionally hopeful. Before lifting a finger, secure one of these:
- Exclusive Allocation
A guaranteed block of units reserved for your buyers. - Partial Exclusivity
Defined unit stacks, floors, or quotas protected from internal override. - Written Lock-In Terms
Clear rules on internal bookings, VIP releases, and cutoff timing.
If none of these exist, you are not selling — you are speculating with your time.
Why "Just Try First" Is a Trap
Many agents tell themselves: "Let me try first. If it works, good."
That logic ignores one thing: Your time has an opportunity cost. Every hour spent chasing a non-exclusive project is an hour not spent on:
- Subsale deals
- Owner-mandated listings
- Truly controllable inventory
Agents who survive long-term are not the busiest — they are the most selective.
A Smarter Industry Starts With Smarter Agents
Developers behave this way because agents allow it.
The moment agents collectively refuse to work without protection:
- Behaviour changes
- Structures improve
- Respect returns
Until then, agents will continue to be treated as disposable demand buffers.
Final Reality Check
If a developer can remove you from the deal at the last minute, you were never part of the deal.
Stop donating free labour. Stop gambling with buyer trust. Stop confusing access with power. No exclusivity. No protection. No effort. That is not arrogance. That is survival.
