Having bought/sold a few properties, the value proposition that real estate agents try to offer are in terms of providing advice regarding the transaction.<p>Most agents can't really give you good advice whether this is a good financial investment, and -- in my experience -- may not even have a good enough judgement to tell you whether the area is good, the market timing is appropriate, etc.<p>Given that all they do -- in my eyes -- is provide advice on the contract, they're overpaid. Mind you, a lawyer needs to review everything anyway.
Yes, it is. The only house I bought was an owner-to-owner before the days of the web and even then I couldn't see what value the realtors would have brought to the game. Now they seem totally useless parasites, at least for residential sales.