My answer is so what. The agent was lame and deserves what is coming to them. As I have said before a properly done PR will answer all those questions regarding liens and encumbrances. Agents do find this stuff out before the buyer spends a penny. Agents do ask their clients about this stuff when they take the listing. Any agent worth their salt already knows all of this information.
Don’t try to take one case and make it sound like the norm because it is not the norm. We have already been through this. You are sensationalizing and anamoly.