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What’s more expensive… paying a premium for a good HubSpot agency, or hiring the wrong one and losing six months of progress?
Too many businesses choose the latter. Not because they’re careless, but because it’s surprisingly hard to spot a bad fit until it’s too late.
The agency sounds confident.
Their pitch slides are polished.
They talk about HubSpot like experts.
But a few months in, you realise they’ve overpromised, underdelivered, and left your portal messier than it started.
We’ve seen this pattern more than a few times. Teams waste time, budget, and trust trying to salvage poorly executed onboarding, bad CRM setups, or campaigns that don’t convert.
In this article, you’ll learn the most common red flags to watch for when hiring a HubSpot agency before you sign the dotted line. You’ll also walk away with the right questions to ask and tips for testing the waters before committing.
- The HubSpot Agency Bubble
- Red Flag #1: Unrealistic Guarantees or ROI Promises
- Red Flag #2: Poor Self-Marketing and Weak Case Studies
- Red Flag #3: Cookie-Cutter or Tool‑First Approaches
- Red Flag #4: Lack of Transparency in Pricing and Scope
- Red Flag #5: Weak Communication or Project Management
- How to Vet a HubSpot Agency Safely
The HubSpot Agency Bubble
Hiring a HubSpot agency isn’t like hiring a general marketing consultant. It’s a specialist space, and that brings its own set of challenges.
More and more agencies are branding themselves as “HubSpot experts” than ever before.
Some genuinely are.
Others are jumping on the bandwagon… getting certified quickly, packaging up templated services, and pitching themselves as full-scale partners.
That growth has created a bubble.
On the surface, many agencies look the same. They speak the same language, highlight the same tools, and promise the same results.
But under the hood, the quality and depth of expertise vary massively.
That’s why it’s so easy to make a wrong choice. The agency might tick the right boxes on paper, but still fall short in execution, communication, or long-term fit.
And when HubSpot is central to your marketing and sales operation, hiring the wrong agency isn’t just inconvenient, it’s costly. Poor setup, misaligned strategy, or a lack of HubSpot-specific knowledge can set your team back months.
The good news is, there are warning signs you can look for.
Read: What Does HubSpot Do? (The Ultimate 2025 Guide)
What Does HubSpot Do? (The Ultimate 2025 Guide)
Red Flag #1: Promising ROI Instead of Talking Strategy
When an agency leads with ROI guarantees, it’s a red flag. Yes, marketing is expected to deliver results, but real results come from a well-thought-out strategy and solid infrastructure, not shortcuts or bold promises.
The best HubSpot agencies don’t talk about doubling your leads or revenue in 30 days. Instead, they focus on setting up the foundations that make those outcomes possible.
That means reviewing your customer journey, aligning your marketing and sales processes, and properly configuring your HubSpot portal so it works for your business.
If an agency skips over this and jumps straight into campaigns or automation without understanding how your funnel works, you’re likely heading for disappointment.
A focus on quick wins might feel exciting, but without the right systems in place, you’ll struggle to scale or sustain any gains.
That’s why we always work on Customer Journey Mapping before focusing on tactics like automation.
Look for agencies that ask strategic questions, take time to understand your goals, and treat ROI as the outcome of strong planning and execution, not as a guarantee they can deliver on day one.
Red Flag #2: Poor Self-Marketing and Weak Case Studies
If a HubSpot agency can’t market themselves effectively, how will they market your business?
You’d be surprised how many agencies offer content, automation, and CRM strategy services, yet their own website is outdated, their blog is inactive, and their case studies are vague or non-existent.
A strong agency should be their own best case study.
They should have a clear message, consistent branding, well-structured HubSpot implementation, and marketing assets that demonstrate their expertise.
If they’re recommending lead nurturing, SEO, or lifecycle workflows to you, they should be doing it for themselves too.
More importantly, their case studies should go beyond surface-level stats. Look for specifics: what problem was solved, what HubSpot tools were used, what the process looked like, and what results were achieved. A few screenshots and a testimonial quote aren’t enough. You want detail, not decoration.
If an agency can’t show you clear, real-world examples of success with clients like you, that’s a red flag. They may talk the talk, but you need proof they can walk it too.
Red Flag #3: Cookie-Cutter or Tool-First Approaches
HubSpot is packed with powerful features, but it’s not a strategy. If an agency focuses more on what the tool can do than how it fits your business, that’s a warning sign.
You might hear things like, “We’ll automate all your emails,” or “We’ll build you ten new workflows in the first month.”
While that might sound impressive, it often means they’re working off a standard playbook instead of tailoring a solution to your needs.
The problem with this approach is that it skips the discovery phase. Every business has different goals, buyer journeys, and challenges. A templated strategy might tick boxes in the short term, but it won’t drive long-term growth.
The best agencies don’t start with features. They start with context. They ask about your sales process, team structure, customer lifecycle, and current pain points. Then they build the HubSpot solution around that, not the other way around.
If an agency is more focused on showing off tools than solving real problems, it’s time to look elsewhere.
Red Flag #4: Lack of Transparency in Pricing and Scope
If you can’t get a straight answer on pricing or what’s actually included in the service, that’s a major red flag.
Some agencies keep things vague on purpose. They’ll use phrases like “custom strategy” or “flexible support” but won’t give you a clear breakdown of deliverables, timelines, or what happens if something runs over budget. This can lead to scope creep, surprise costs, and frustration down the line.
A trustworthy HubSpot agency will walk you through exactly what you’re paying for. That means clearly defined packages or service tiers, transparent hourly rates (if applicable), and a mutual understanding of what’s in scope and what’s not.
They’ll also be upfront about how they handle changes, whether that’s adding new workflows, adjusting a campaign strategy, or onboarding a new team member into the system. Clarity here saves you headaches later.
If the proposal is full of buzzwords but light on detail, or if every question about cost is met with, “We’ll figure that out as we go,” it’s time to reconsider.
Red Flag #5: Weak Communication or Project Management
Even the best HubSpot strategy will fall flat if it’s poorly managed.
You can usually spot this red flag early. Long response times, vague answers, missed meetings, or unclear next steps are all signs of weak internal processes.
And if the agency isn’t organised when trying to win your business, things rarely improve once the contract is signed.
Good communication is more than just replying to emails. It’s about structured updates, shared timelines, clear owners for tasks, and proactive problem-solving. If you constantly have to chase them for updates or clarification, they’re adding stress, not value.
The same goes for project management. If there’s no onboarding checklist, no shared project plan, or no visibility into what’s being worked on and when, you’re flying blind.
The best agencies make you feel supported. You’ll always know where things stand, what’s coming next, and who’s responsible. If that’s not happening from the start, it’s not going to magically appear later.
How to Vet a HubSpot Agency Safely
Spotting red flags is one thing, avoiding them is another. The best way to protect yourself when hiring a HubSpot agency is to ask the right questions and start small.
Here are a few high-impact questions to ask during the discovery phase:
- What does your typical onboarding process look like?
- Can you walk me through a recent project and the outcomes?
- How do you tailor HubSpot setups for different business models?
- What’s your approach to strategy versus execution?
- How do you handle changes in scope or shifting priorities?
Listen carefully to the answers. A good agency will be specific, structured, and transparent. If the responses are vague, generic, or overly polished, that’s a signal they may not have the depth you need.
Next, learn about why some businesses fail to implement HubSpot properly so that you can avoid these mistakes.
