How to handle the only agent in a small county having both listings you want

A common setup in small rural markets: only one or two houses on the market fit the buyer's criteria, the same agent holds both listings, and she is also the agent behind most of the comps in the area, since she is the only licensee with an office within thirty miles. Say the two houses are a 3/1 at 94k and a 2/1 with a decent outbuilding at 78k. In that position, the buyer is choosing between signing her as a dual agent or bringing in someone from outside who does not know the market, including things like which roads flood or which septic systems in the area are original. A good local agent will often volunteer exactly that kind of detail unprompted, which has real value. The hesitation that usually matters most is price. At 94k, an 8k spread between a good buy and a bad one is significant, and the agent who set the ask is also the only source of comps. Independent verification is limited to whatever public sale price data the state makes available, which varies widely. The useful framework here: weigh the informational advantage the local agent brings against the price-setting conflict she represents, and lean on whatever independent comp data exists, however thin, before deciding whether to sign her form or bring in outside representation.