If an agent sends a nice, personal email...

No, it's not weird. Agents are people, too (or so I've heard ). If her nice note made you feel good about yourself or your work it is never wrong to say "Thank you!" You could tell her you appreciate her kind words and mention that you have signed with someone else. You'll be doing two things: helping keep the door open in the event that things go terribly wrong with your new agent, AND you will have made a nice, new acquaintance.

(It's so much easier to give this advice when it's someone else and not me! I'd probably have been asking the same thing....)

BTW, BrooklynLee, CONGRATS on getting an AGENT!

If you were considering changing the MS as per her suggestions, I might perhaps say to send her an email thanking her, telling her you've taken her ideas and thoughts and will change the MS and would love to resubmit when you have done the major revision. And, even then the email wouldn't be necessary. You could just resubmit when you've done the changes, mentioning she wanted you to do that when you fixed the problems.

Since you've already found an agent, not sure what you would say in the email, other than 'tough luck, you've had your chance, I've found an agent that can actually appreciate good writing. Hey, look! Choc chip cookies!'

Yeah, it's been one of those days

Although you could send a thank you for the nice thoughts and idea and you've found an agent, but still consider the advice you've got priceless and are considering the changes she suggested.

I think it'd be a nice thing to write a note back, thanking her for taking the time to offer personal feedback.

At least that's what I did when I got a lengthy, personal rejection. To me, it's kind of like thanking the interviewer.

Oh, yeah, big congrats on finding an agent

I would write her a note back. Her time is valuable and she spent some of it helping you out. Definitely worth a thanks!

Definitely reply to her thanking her for her time and good wishes.
Who knows, things may not work out with your current agent and then you'll be glad you parted on good terms with someone who liked your writing.

BrooklynLee said:

So I did write her a thank you note and she wrote back almost immediately -- wanting to know who I signed with. For some reason I find that amusing, but I did reply.

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Not really amusing at all. Most reputable agents out there just want to make sure you've signed with someone equally-reputable and not a scammer or clueless agent with no publishing expertise. My agent asked me who my first offer came from before she also offered, just to make sure I had an offer from a legit agent. I've heard of others asking the same thing even if they didn't intend to sign the author just because most agents like to protect authors, even ones they don't represent.

And congrats!!!

You certainly don't have to, but I think you should. It might serve you well in that great, unknown future.