approaching the owner or the bank to find out

[Brenda A.]

I have a real estate agent on my team who sends me listings to look for property to invest in.  I  have never bought or sold a property yet, I am brand new to investing and I don't know what to do now that I've seen this distressed property that I want to find out about.  Is the realtor supposed to approach the owner or should I .  I am in CA so I believe the real estate agent has to speak to the owner.  I really need some direction because I don't want to lose out on this. 

[Wayne Brooks]

I believe the OP is referring to a non listed property. Since the question was asked the way it was, a knowledgeable agent would likely have a better chance of assessing the situation.