Right now, the agents tab in player owned stations doesn’t have any functionality, even though its the first tab (poor ui design).
Proposed solution: have traveling NPC agents randomly appear in the agents tab like they are visiting the station.
This gives the tab an actual use in player owned stations, and helps give into the idea that Eve is a dynamic, living universe.
Agents could hand out missions like they do now, but could also have new features like sell/request items on contract ( on behalf of their alliance or corp) to simulate traveling merchants, rare agents that give out special missions, and agents related to special events.
One of the things that makes Eve great is the exploration. Player should be encouraged to do that and not rat in a super all day.
Imagine an Angel courier mission from a traveling npc agent in a Branch station that needs items to be delivered across the universe to Curse for a large reward.
Or a group of scientists in a worm hole that need to be delivered back to high sec.
Or an agent thats broken down in your station and needs 200 units of mechanical parts to fix their ship.
Or a small Amarr fleet in Devle has been ambushed by npc pirates and they need your help to rescue survivors.