i'm new to the hobby& don't know exactly how to get "references,verifications" &so forth...do i go thru an agency first or what?

For VERIFICATION, go to a third-party source like Preferred 411 at www.preferred411.com.

But that's just for VERIFICATION.  They will look at your info and then create a profile that says to the providers on there that you are basically a real guy whose credentials have been verified.

For REFERENCES, you will need to get providers to vouch for you after you have seen them.  P411 has a whole bunch of providers who are newbie friendly, so reach out to them first.

Alternatively, just contact the providers you wanna see, tell them that you are brand-new to this, and that you would like to see them, and ask if they have other means of verifying you.

But this will likely mean giving out some of your personal info, like real name, work number, company name, etc.