**With 60,000+ agents in Tennessee, how do you choose the right one? Learn why even great agents have limitations, what TAR Form 314 reveals about agent expertise, and why a free contract precheck could save you thousands on your biggest investment.** Have you ever watched what happens when your plane is about to take off? It isn't at all uncommon for the pilot and co-pilot to spend considerable time going through extensive flight prechecks, methodically checking instruments, weather conditions, and flight plans. Meanwhile, certified mechanics inspect the engines, landing gear, control surfaces, and dozens of other critical systems. Ground crew checks fuel levels, baggage weight distribution, and ensures the aircraft is properly configured. Air traffic controllers coordinate with the flight crew about runway conditions and departure clearance. Multiple trained professionals, each with their own expertise, work together to ensure one thing: that your flight is safe and successful. Imagine if the same person who scanned your ticket also inspected the plane, flew the plane, and then served you snacks. Sounds crazy, right? Yet that's essentially what happens in many real estate transactions. In today's market, it's important that you realize – as the National Association of Realtors (NAR) and Tennessee Association of Realtors (TAR) tell you – you are responsible for more than just signing the contract. You need a team...picked by YOU! And let's start with most people's first pick – your real estate agent. Here's the thing – with around 60,000 licensed agents in our state, you're not exactly short on options. Some are absolute pros who work tirelessly to market your home perfectly, negotiate skillfully, and guide you through every step of the transaction. Others? Well, let's just say longevity doesn't equal competence. What separates the pros from the pretenders is what happens when things get complicated – **and in 25 years of practice, I can count on one hand the number of "simple" real estate deals I've seen where absolutely nothing unexpected happened.** ## What It Takes to Become a Real Estate Agent (Spoiler: Not Much) This isn't a cut on realtors – it's just the truth. Most states have similar requirements. In Tennessee, becoming a licensed real estate agent requires exactly 90 hours of training. That's about two weeks full-time. Compare that to your barber, who needs 1,500 hours of supervised training before they can legally cut your hair without supervision. The breakdown: 60 hours of basic principles, 30 hours of Tennessee-specific stuff, pass one test with a 70% score, pay some fees, find a broker. That's it. No apprenticeship, no "here's how to handle a $500,000 transaction without screwing it up" bootcamp. Now, the good agents never stop learning. They know their limits and they're worth their weight in gold when it comes to pricing strategy, market knowledge, and negotiation skills. But here's the problem – how do you know if you've got one of the good ones or someone who learned everything they know in two weeks? You don't. So here's the simple solution: let Vanderpool Law review your contract for free. That way, it doesn't matter. ## What Agents Can't Do (And Why Expectations Get Out of Hand) I don't blame realtors for this in any way. Maybe it's marketing, or maybe it's just consumers, but I think a lot of buyers and sellers have unrealistic expectations about where their agent's expertise ends and where it begins. Real estate agents are fantastic at what they do – finding homes, marketing properties, negotiating deals, and managing the complex logistics of transactions. But they're not lawyers, inspectors, or appraisers. **TAR Form 314** – this is the form every agent should show you but some don't. It's basically their "Hey, we're not experts at this stuff" disclaimer. Not all agents use this form, but if they did and you actually took the time to read it, you might be a little shocked. The form focuses more on what agents aren't qualified to do rather than what they are – and that's a long list: - Picking service providers for your transactions - Property inspections and evaluations - Legal advice about contracts or property rights - Tax implications of your transaction - Property appraisals - Environmental assessments - Zoning and land use regulations - Construction and engineering issues - Soil conditions - Structural integrity - Mechanical systems - Electrical systems - Plumbing systems - Well and septic systems - Hazardous materials - Flood zones and insurance requirements - Boundary lines and surveys ***The form even says their service provider recommendations are "provided as a convenience" – which is lawyer-speak for "don't blame us if your inspector misses something." And some realtors or their brokerages actually have financial interests in lenders, inspection companies, and title companies (not the topic of this article, but worth knowing). Plus there is no help at the title company closing table – see more at [Title Companies Don't Represent You](https://vanderpoollaw.com/article/title-companies-admit-no-representation) and [The Attorney at the Title Company Is Not Your Attorney](https://vanderpoollaw.com/article/not-your-attorney).*** Look at that list again. These are all things that could cost you thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars if they go wrong. Your agent – who you're trusting to guide you through the biggest purchase of your life – just told you they're not an expert in any of it. That's not their fault, but it means that one part of your team should be Vanderpool Law. Just in 2025, we saved one client $26,000 because they let us review their contract before they signed. We found a clause the builder was trying to slip past them – all because they called us and said "would you review our contract before we sign?" Their agent didn't catch it because that wasn't her job. At Vanderpool Law, catching those problems IS our job. Here's what happens in practice: well-meaning agents try to help by suggesting "simple" contract changes or explaining what they think certain clauses mean. They're not trying to practice law illegally – they genuinely want to help their clients. But good intentions don't protect you when the contract language doesn't work the way everyone thought it would. The real problem? Buyers and sellers expect agents to be experts in everything. When your agent can't tell you whether that foundation crack is serious, or what the tax implications will be, or whether that easement will cause problems later, people get frustrated. "Isn't that what I'm paying you for?" Actually, no. You're paying them to market your house professionally, find you the right property, negotiate the best price and terms, and handle the transaction logistics. That's valuable work that requires real skill and experience. But for the legal stuff? That's what Vanderpool Law is for – and it's free. ## Where Agents Are Legally Handcuffed **Agents can only fill in the blanks.** They're not allowed to modify contract language, add custom clauses, or change legal terms. They can put in names, dates, dollar amounts, and check boxes – that's it. Anything beyond that is practicing law without a license. So when something unexpected comes up – and it will – your agent is stuck working with forms that may not quite fit your situation. That's when you contact Vanderpool Law – every contract, every time, before you sign. **Real examples from my desk:** **The "Who Pays What" Disaster:** Agent filled out "Buyer/Seller" for title insurance fees. At closing, that turned into a $3,400 argument with both sides pointing fingers. If Vanderpool Law had reviewed the contract, there wouldn't have even been an issue and no one would have been pointing fingers. **The Meaningless Deadline:** Contract said "Seller to provide prior inspection report within 2 days" but didn't say what happens if they don't. Seller didn't do it. No consequence means no enforcement. Vanderpool Law had the solution, but in this case we weren't called until after the problem happened. And guess what – my fee to unravel this mess was much more expensive than a free contract review. **The Foundation Crack Fiasco:** "Seller to repair any defects noted in inspection." What kind of repair? Who decides if it's adequate? Agent thought it was clear. It wasn't. ## Why We Review Contracts (And Why It Has to Be BEFORE You Sign) **Here's the critical part: we need to review it BEFORE you sign it.** Once you've signed that contract, all I can do is help you deal with whatever situation develops. If I can look at it beforehand, I can actually help you avoid problems instead of just fixing them after they blow up. We don't charge for contract reviews because we want you to know what you're signing before it's too late to fix it. ## Don't Be Rushed – This Is Your Biggest Investment **You wouldn't want a pilot to fly without a co-pilot checking the instruments – why would you buy or sell a home without having someone double-check your contract?** Just like it's good to have both pilots do a pre-check before the plane takes off, it's smart to have both your agent and Vanderpool Law review everything before you sign. I know the market moves fast. I know agents want offers in quickly because timing matters in competitive situations. But taking 24 hours to have a lawyer review a contract that obligates you to hundreds of thousands of dollars isn't unreasonable. Any agent who pressures you to sign immediately without time for due diligence? That's a red flag. ## How to Pick an Agent Who Knows Their Limits The best agents understand they're part of a team, not a one-person show. They excel at their core responsibilities – marketing, negotiating, and transaction management – while respecting the expertise of other professionals. **Questions to ask:** - Tell me about a deal that went sideways – how did you handle it? - Are you okay with me having Vanderpool Law review the contract before I sign? - How do you handle situations where the standard forms don't quite fit? **Red flags:** - "Don't worry about getting a lawyer involved" - "We need to get this signed tonight or we'll lose the house" - "Trust me, this is standard language" - Claims to handle everything themselves **Green flags:** - "Let me double-check that with someone who knows more than I do" - "Absolutely, have Vanderpool Law review it – this is a big decision" - Encourages you to get independent advice on legal or technical issues ## The Bottom Line Great real estate agents are worth every penny of their commission when they stick to what they do best – understanding the market, marketing properties effectively, and negotiating skillfully on your behalf. But even the best agents are working within a system that limits what they can do to protect you legally. They can't write custom contract language, they can't give legal advice, and according to their own Form 314, they're not experts in most of the things that could go wrong with your transaction. **Here's what I'd do:** Find an agent who's competent, hardworking, and knows what they know and don't know – someone who's honest about what they can and can't do. Then contact Vanderpool Law for every contract before you sign. It's free, takes about as long as your morning coffee, and could save you thousands when your "simple" deal gets complicated. Don't be rushed. This is your biggest investment. Do the precheck. It doesn't matter if your transaction is $100,000 or $10,000,000. *Disclaimer: We reserve the right to pass on reviewing your contract, and this free review service only applies to homes in the Middle Tennessee area.* *Subject to our Disclaimer: We review real estate contracts at no charge – because everyone deserves to know what they're signing BEFORE they sign it*