There should be NO financial connection whatsoever between the agent and the independent editor. If an agent refers you to a co-op or subsidy press, run away. No reputable agent will do that. If an agent you've never heard of solicits your work, that's not a good sign. Real literary agents have to fight off clients, not go out looking for them.
Most real agents operate out of New York or California.
Any reputable agent should be willing to provide you with a list of sales and clients. Go to a bookstore and verify that these books and authors exist. Fake agents have lied about this before. If an agent tells you you're brilliant, and your book is sure to be a bestseller, be wary. Never pay a vanity press or subsidy publisher to publish your book.