Fiction Writing Don't Just Think About It. Even if this agent had proven reputable, I know that having an ineffectual agent is often worse than having no agent at all. Up-front fees are absolutely not legitimate.
Reputable agents make money solely from commissions on the sale of literary properties.
Anything else is non-standard practice, no matter what you may hear. About Agents by Dan Perez on his Web page. And How To Avoid Them. This service is free. This company also provides services for a fee.