Sketchy Real Estate Agent?

[Trevor Praetsch]

I'm looking at a deal currently with someone I've known for years (the seller). They signed with an agent and are fully exclusive currently. The seller and I have been talking about mutual interest in a deal, but the house hasn't had any showings yet. The agent heard that we had been talking about a potential deal, and seeing the house before it starts showing at the end of the month and she told the seller to stop talking about prices and that we couldn't see the house until it was showing at the end of the month. Is this sketchy? If so, any advice on how to handle a situation like this? We were hoping to get a deal done before it hits the market to avoid a bidding war.