When you are a For Sale By Owner, this situation has a variety of implications:

Is the Agent bringing a Buyer?

When the agent requests the appointment you should ask this question. Not all visits by agents to homes on the market, FSBO or not, include the buyer. 

1. The agent may be previewing homes for someone from out of town, and he/she wants to be sure to take that buyer to only properties that will meet their needs and desires. 

2. The agent may actually be showing the home to a particlular client. 

3. The agent may be just ‘fishing for a listing’, hoping by getting face to face you will decide to list your property.

Does the agent have a Buyer Broker Contract in place with the client?

This is another question you should ask.  On the surface, it may sound like you are trying to find if you can somehow bypass that agent if the contract does not exist, but in reality you need to know if that client has already agreed to provide remuneration to the agent, whether you do or not.  That can affect the price and terms you are willing to accept if an offer develops.  If the agent is ‘taking care of the paperwork’, you should consider legal assistance because the paperwork the agent prepares will most likely favor the buyer; that’s the duty of the agent to the buyer client.

Remember, the agent is a Professional Negotiator.

When the agent is representing the buyer, it will be like playing golf with Tiger Woods.  The outcome is pretty well determined before you start.  Make sure you know what the market says your home is worth, and that you really understand what the terms of the sales contract mean.

So…

The vast majority of buyers use agents when purchasing a home.  You need to be available to that portion of the market.  Just make sure to protect yourself in the process.