Really your reply is the kind of thing that has made Bigger Pockets so valuable for people like me with more limited access to a broad range of more experienced professionals.

those are pretty broad questions. 

To me, signing a broad exclusivity agreement kills your bubble; you're now cut off from every other agent's network.Of course, it has to be worth the agent's while to bring you a deal over someone else, so try and offer something of value like a finder's fee or, if you're flipping, the right to list the renovated house with the agent. 

And like you say some people are more in the dark end of the spectrum when they run their business.

Your question is pretty broad.

Additionally, I split my time living between Spain and the Netherlands, giving me a fairly broad perspective on both countries.

But is in a rise of land so it has a broad view down the valley.  

Unfortunately Good Cause Eviction passed last night in the city of Rochester, NY.I want to thank Council Members Lashay Harris and Michael Patterson for doing the right thing and voting “NO” on this largely performative legislation…that will only TEMPORARILY protect a small handful of city residents living in EXTREME under market rental units…But it will have broad and adverse negative consequences for the WHOLE community.

Additionally, I've been spending a lot of time evaluating condo / HOA management solutions and accidentally stumbled on ManageCasa, which offers a free trial and < 3 unit free tier that has allowed me the time to get in, kick the tires, and really appreciate their attention to detail and broad feature set that adapts to each unique industry sector.

Since they can't do each property individually, they use comparable sales to make broad generalizations to determine percent changes.